A NEW APPROACH TO RECALL WORKA Message from Pietro Gorlier

GENERATIONAL CHANGE

Nearly two months have passed since we gathered together for the Dealer Announcement Show (DAS) in Las Vegas. I’m still energized by your enthusiasm, and the opportunities I had to meet and talk with many of you from across the nation. I think it’s important to continue those discussions, and I believe one area in particular is critical to revisit: the rise of Millenials and how they will impact the way our service departments operate.

The Millenial generation (those currently between the ages of 18-34) is best described as “game changers.” In a few short years, pur-chasing power will shift from Baby Boomers to Millennials, and without a doubt they’re going to redefine the standard processes of today’s service department.

As I mentioned during our discussions, this is the generation that grew up with smartphones and iPads. It’s a generation that will not call to sched-ule appointments. It’s a generation that above all values instant online communication — not just socially, but also when it comes to service. In fact, 92% of consumers say they trust recom-mendations and ratings above all other forms of advertising.

Ted Teague, General Manager at Allen Samuels Dodge Chrysler Jeep® Ram (DCJR) in Waco, Texas, was tasked with helping customers in a recent recall initiative. Teague and the Allen Samuels DCJR team knew what they had to do in order to display tactical progress and great customer service.

Like many other dealerships seeking new processes to better handle recall work, Allen Samuels DCJR has added an extra day — Sunday — to the dealer-ship’s weekly work schedule, committing an entire day solely to recall work. “We wanted to show the local community in Waco that we’re concerned about them, and that their recalls are going to be handled as quickly as pos-sible,” said Teague. “Our main goal is to show our customers we care, and we’re taking action to get work done.”

Allen Samuels DCJR also followed suit of many dealers in naming a recall coordinator to help schedule and manage recall appointments. A service advi-sor fills out a sheet with the customer’s information, which is then given to the recall coordinator. The coordinator is the only one who can release a recall part, keeping a list in order of the request. The coordinator sets appointments two at a time every 10 minutes.

Appointments are pre-printed so only the contact number, mileage, the key tag and the RO can be generated ready to bill. Customers are informed recall work will take two to four hours to complete, allowing them time to budget pre-cious Sunday time as needed.

For general manager Teague, it’s an accomplishment to see the morale and productivity of the shop increase, with benefits not only for customers but for the service department staff as well.

“We have seen a 10 percent increase in total hours from July to September, with September normally being a little slower than July,” said Teague. “It has also taken a little of the stress off the shop during the normal work week, al-lowing our employees to slow down and spend more time with customers.”

M O M E N T U MService, Parts & Customer Care | October 2015

A Message from Pietro

It’s time to get ahead of the trend. We must keep pace with our customers, or be left behind. And Mopar is ready to assist your dealership in adapting and taking advantage of this trend. You can generate loyalty with Millenials even before they leave the showroom. Take time to register them on Mopar Owner Connect, and you can establish a critical channel of communication that cultivates the relationship.

Select their preferred dealer as you, and they’ll receive offers and be able to schedule service appointments online. That’s what this generation desires — a connection that’s at their fingertips, available anytime, anywhere.

Our industry-leading wiADVISOR write-up solu-tion can also help you transform the service you deliver. In less than 10 seconds, your service advisors can access the VIN, customer data, mileage, maintenance requirements and quickly review open recalls and service actions. It’s the quick connection your future customers will demand.

The service advisor using clipboard and pencil to interact with customers is going the way of the dinosaur. Millenials are the future. Are you ready to meet it?

Good selling now — and in the future.

Pietro GorlierPresident and CEO, Mopar Brand Service, Parts and Customer Care

Days are getting shorter. The chill in the air is increasing. There’s no time like the present to remind customers of the need to get vehicles ready for the cooler weather months ahead. Areas of the vehicle that require inspection to check for damage or wear and tear include:

• Brakes• Batteries• Wiper blades• Shocks and struts• Engine oil

When it comes to making the switch from all-season, make sure your cus-tomers are aware that Mopar winter tires are a wise choice for almost all vehicles, even those not forced to navigate through snowy conditions. Mopar winter tires are perfect for weather conditions less than 45 degrees — which encompasses almost all areas and regions during the late fall and winter seasons.

Mopar features almost 350 winter tire fitments to assist customers in navi-gating cold-weather roads, and Mopar winter tire applications are available for all company vehicles, as well as for most competitive makes and mod-els. Popular brands including Bridgestone, Goodyear, Yokohama, Pirelli, BF Goodrich, Michelin and Continental are available and are competitively priced compared with other major tire retailers.

GET YOUR CUSTOMERS READY FOR COOLER-WEATHER DRIVES

• Fluid levels• Engine belts and hoses• Air filter• Headlamps and taillamps• Tires

M O M E N T U MService, Parts & Customer Care | October 2015

BECKMAN CLOSES GAP ON FUNNY CAR POINTS LEAD

Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T NHRA Funny Car driver Jack Beckman used a dramatic final-round holeshot victory to earn the win at the NHRA Keystone Nationals in Reading, Pennsylvania on October 4. Heading into the final two events of the season, Beckman is in second and within 38 points of the leader in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

The Mopar-powered Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) pilot also set a national elapsed time (E.T.) record and earned a career-best seventh title this season. The win was also the 15th Funny Car title for the new 2015 Mopar Dodge Charger R/T since it made its debut 21 national events ago.

“On behalf of everyone at Mopar I would like to congratulate Jack Beckman on his seventh victory this year and an important playoff win,” said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO — Mopar Brand Service, Parts and Customer Care, FCA. “To see Don Schumacher’s team take the 2015 Mopar Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car to the winner’s circle for a 15th time this year and battle for another champi-onship is a testament to the amount of time, investment and hard work that has gone in to building this fantastic and competitive new vehicle.”

In Beckman’s semifinal match-up with DSR Mopar Dodge stablemate Ron Capps, fans were treated to a never-before seen 3.897-second run (at 326.87 mph) to reset the NHRA Funny Car national record and earn Beckman a 20-point bonus. It marked the third time this year that Beckman has reset the record. Beckman went on to earn his 22nd career title on a holeshot against Chad Head in the final elimination.

Two weeks later, in eliminations at the NHRA Texas FallNationals in Dallas on Oct. 18, Beckman once again reached the final round, finishing runner-up to points leader Del Worsham. Following the Dallas stop, only two events remain in the six-race NHRA Count-down to the Championship playoffs, the NHRA Nationals in Las Vegas on October 29 – November 1, and the NHRA Finals in Pomona, California, on November 12-15.

Don’t forget, you can submit your Service & Parts success story by emailing me directly at: Pietro.MoparMomentum@chrysler.com

M O M E N T U MService, Parts & Customer Care | October 2015