Drive Better Service With Smarter Transportation Options

Today's customers evaluate service differently than they did even a few years ago. Convenience, flexibility and digital experiences are playing an increasingly important role in how and what customers expect from a Service experience.

Loaners and shuttles remain effective transportation solutions, especially as dealerships face increasing pressure to improve customer retention, reduce expenses and maximize efficiency. As customer expectations evolve, dealerships can enhance their transportation programs to meet their needs for convenience and flexibility.

The Hidden Cost of Traditional Dealership Loaner Programs

For years, dealership loaner fleet management and shuttle services kept customers mobile while their vehicles were being serviced. These options remain valuable in certain situations but often introduce operational challenges that impact the dealership and the customer.

Loaner fleets require significant investment in vehicle acquisition, maintenance, insurance, administration and depreciation. Shuttle services can create scheduling challenges, long wait times, multiple customer stops, and staffing requirements that increase overhead.

More importantly, these traditional models often lack flexibility. A customer whose vehicle will be serviced in two hours may not need a loaner vehicle for the entire day. Conversely, another customer with an extended repair may require transportation solutions that extend beyond what a shuttle service can realistically provide.

If the same transportation solution is applied to every Service appointment, it’ll frequently result in unnecessary costs and missed opportunities to improve customer satisfaction.

Why On-Demand Rideshare Is Becoming a Key Part of the Strategy

Customers increasingly prefer on-demand transportation options rather than working around fixed schedules. With rideshare, customers can travel from the dealership to home, work or other destinations without multiple stops or extended waiting periods. The experience is familiar, convenient and aligned with modern consumer expectations.

For dealerships, rideshare introduces an opportunity to expand transportation availability without expanding fleet costs or labor. Rideshares can be the same-day transportation preference, reserving loaners for situations requiring multiple days to complete.

Improve Customer Satisfaction Through Convenience

Transportation plays a much larger role in customer satisfaction than many dealerships realize. 

The ability to conveniently leave the dealership and continue with daily activities can significantly reduce friction throughout the Service visit. With 34% of customers preferring to leave and come back when the repair is completed, flexible transportation choices demonstrate respect for a customer's time and preferences. Some customers prefer to wait at home while their vehicle is serviced. Others need transportation to work, school or appointments. Options help create a Service experience that feels personalized rather than transactional.

Thirty-four percent of customers prefer to leave and come back to a dealership once their repairs are completed.

There’s also a secondary benefit. Customers who can comfortably wait at home or work are often more receptive to recommended maintenance and repair services because they aren’t focused on transportation limitations or waiting room fatigue. This creates additional opportunities for Service Advisors to build trust and generate approved upsell recommendations.

Reduce Costs and Increase Efficiency

Customer transportation is often viewed solely as an expense. However, when managed strategically, it can become a lever for operational efficiency and profitability. Data-driven transportation decisions can help dealerships:

• Reduce underutilized loaner inventory
• Lower fleet management costs
• Optimize/right-size loaner utilization rates
• Support OEM transportation reimbursement programs
• Reduce shuttle staffing requirements
• Minimize customer wait times
• Improve Service Lane throughput

For dealerships managing large loaner fleets, rideshare can also create an opportunity to right-size inventory. In some cases, excess vehicles can be sold, reducing depreciation exposure and creating immediate financial returns, while lowering ongoing operational expenses.

Turn Transportation Into a Competitive Advantage

Dealerships are already using robust software to manage their Service departments. CDK Service customers can utilize an integrated rideshare solution called CDK Hailer. Once initiated:

• Dealership staff are automatically logged in
• Rides are integrated into the Repair Order
• Limits can be placed on the cost and distance of any ride

Hailer also works with the biggest rideshare companies in the country so customers will see a familiar name when they’re picked up. 

The future isn’t about eliminating loaners or shuttle services. It’s about creating the right mix of transportation options and using real-time data to determine which solution delivers the best outcome for the customer and the dealership.