CASE

STU

DY

Greenway Dodge Chrysler & Jeep Scores with Dealer Reviews

Fostering a Review-Driven Culture from the TopWhen Ricky Lopez first came on board as the Internet Sales Director at Greenway Dodge in 2009, General Manager Conrad Letson asked him what the store needed to do to step up its game. Lopez, a 10-year automotive retail pro, had a list of ideas – and customer reviews were at the top. In his view, reviews were fast becoming one of the most effective ways for dealers to differentiate themselves with car shoppers and ultimately drive more sales and service business.

“Potential customers want to know how you’ll treat them in service, in the F&I department, on the showroom floor – everywhere,” said Lopez. “Conrad got behind me 100%, and that really set the tone.”

Lopez first worked with the service department to include reviews in day-to-day staff activities, equipping them with comment cards and talk tracks created to drive traffic to the dealership’s review sites. He also began training sales and F&I personnel on process and best practices, and he gave the dealership’s reviews more prominence on the homepage and on in-store signage.

Perhaps the most important commitment from Letson, Lopez says, was his willingness to tie reputation management to compensation.

Putting Money on Dealer Reviews – Literally Pay in the dealership world has long been tied to “hitting your numbers,” whether it’s short-term incentive plans that clear out stagnant inventory or bonuses dependent upon the number of repair orders closed. The role individual metrics and compensation play in achieving dealership-wide goals was precisely why Lopez advocated so strongly for considering reviews during the recruiting and training processes, but more importantly, incorporating review acquisition and ratings into individual pay plans.

In order to receive a bonus, each salesperson at Greenway must obtain three reviews per month, one of which must be on Cars.com. On the service side, bonuses tied to ROs are released only when the department makes its reviews quota. Lopez also instituted SPIFF programs to get customers engaged in the success of their favorite salespeople and service personnel.

In order to receive a bonus, each salesperson at Greenway must obtain three reviews per month – one of which must be on Cars.com.

DEALERSHIP PROFILE:

Greenway Dodge Chrysler & Jeep9051 E. Colonial Dr.Orlando, FL 32817

General Manager: Conrad LetsonInternet Sales Director: Ricky Lopez

Key Reputation Management Stats

• 4.7/5 stars on average with 225+ Dealer Reviews on Cars.com

• 3x as many shoppers from Cars.com made purchases since the store’s Dealer Reviews rollout

• Customers have driven 90+ minutes to work with specific Greenway employees based on reviews that mention their names.

How Greenway Does It

• Buy-in from senior management

• Integrated into recruiting and training programs

• Tied to performance metrics and compensation

• Process implementation and recognition across all departments

“For one contest we ran, I offered dinner for two at a nice restaurant to the associate who got the most reviews that month,” Lopez said. “Customers were really excited that they were in a position to help someone take their significant other, friend or family member out for a special dinner.”

How One Negative Review Paid Off Big

The F&I process can take extra time for first-time buyers, so when one customer missed out on a used van he was interested in, he took to Greenway’s reviews pages to communicate his disappointment.

“He was angry that the vehicle was sold, and he warned other customers in his review not to shop with us because he felt that we lied and sold the car out from underneath him,” said Lopez. “It wasn’t true, but we still reached out to him immediately and offered to put him in a better vehicle to make up for any misunderstanding the situation may have caused.”

The customer’s sister came with him on his return visit, and while Lopez wasn’t aware of it at the time, she and her family were in the market for a new vehicle. Greenway’s response to her brother’s complaint and the store’s obvious commitment to customer service gave her confidence to make a purchase of her own.

“We don’t mind if we get a bad review,” Lopez said. “Nobody’s 100% – if you are, people worry you’re writing them yourself. Negative reviews give you the chance to show future customers that you’re committed to making things right in the end.”

Just Getting Started

After just one year of building their Dealer Reviews presence on Cars.com, everyone at Greenway has gotten on board, Lopez says, and the dealership has set a goal of acquiring a total of 1,000 reviews by the end of 2012.

“In our market, potential customers can buy the new vehicles on our lot in five other places at about the same price – we all buy them from the same place, after all,” Lopez said. “Consumers want to know how you’re going to treat them, and most car shoppers are making decisions based on what they see online. The thing that sets us apart from our competitors the most is our reviews.”

“Negative reviews give you the chance to show future customers that you’re committed to making things right in the end.

GREENWAY’S VOLUME-DRIVERS

• Reviews landing page at ilovegreenwaydodge.com

• Point-of-sale cards

• E-mail template with links to review pages

• Strong social media presence

• Personal follow-up videos, created and distributed for free via EyeJot.com

©2012 Classified Ventures, LLC™. All rights reserved.