Florida Dealer Group Deploys Xtime Software
Xtime, Inc., one of the leading provider of CRM solutions for service operations, recently announced that the Ferman Automotive Group of Tampa, Fla. has committed to a group-wide rollout of Xtime's flagship software product, ServiceCRM.
Xtime's ServiceCRM software combines consumer web scheduling, service BDC automation, advanced shop control and sophisticated service marketing into one complete and unified solution for automotive service departments. By combining these features into one, easy-to-use, affordable system, Xtime gives automotive dealerships the ability to schedule and manage more service appointments per day, increasing profitability through increased customer-paid service.
"Xtime's software makes it easier for the customer to do business with us, over the telephone and through the Web," said Keith Britts, fixed operations director for Ferman. "With the information it provides us, we can monitor the flow of the business. It provides reports about how much business we're missing. It gives us information in real time that the regular database can't give us."
By upgrading their service departments with the Xtime appointment scheduling system, Ferman provides its customers with a 24 x 7, guaranteed Web-appointment capability, providing Ferman a significant advantage over its competition.
"We've seen a 100 percent improvement in our web appointments," Britts said. "And we haven't begun to advertise that we have this service. In the last month, we've made 855 web appointments without telling anyone. Right now, it allows us to control our shop, help our customers and sell."
In the past five years, dealership service operations have experienced increased challenges. With decreased warranty claims, lower profits on new car sales and customers that demand higher levels of service, dealers are scrambling to find new ways to increase revenue.
Xtime's software is a customer-relationship management (CRM) solution specifically designed to address the challenges a service department faces in generating, capturing, and managing customer demand.
"We're very excited to be in broad deployment with Ferman Automotive Group," said Xtime CEO, Neal East. "As the largest dealer group in Florida, they're clearly leaders in their field. They are aggressive users of our product and provide us with excellent feedback that we have used to evolve and improve our product."
Even though service departments generally excel at fixing the vehicles they sell, many are discovering competitive weakness in all aspects of their customer interactions, including answering the telephone effectively, coordinating outbound marketing campaigns, accurately managing shop capacity and providing excellent in-store customer service.
A remote call center harnessing the power of Xtime's ServiceCRM can support a dealership with all inbound phone support, outbound marketing campaigns and real-time online appointment booking, while effectively managing shop capacity.
"With Xtime, we have a consistent process and consistent appointment scheduling," Britts said. "There's better flow through the shop and a consistent experience for the customer."
About Xtime
Xtime is the leading provider of CRM solutions for automotive service operations. With over 700 dealerships and over 1,000,000 appointments booked, Xtime's ServiceCRM is designed for maximum performance and value. By merging and automating consumer direct bookings with full service BDC capabilities and sophisticated shop management, dealerships realize significant increases in customer satisfaction while maximizing service drive throughput and profitability. Privately held, Xtime's investors include Draper Fisher Jurvetson, RPM Ventures and Innovacom, the venture capital arm of France Telecom. Xtime is based in San Mateo, Calif. and can be reached at 650-653-4000, or www.xtime.com.
About Ferman Automotive Group
Ferman Motor Car Company and its affiliated dealerships sell and service 13 automotive brands from 18 locations in the Tampa Bay area of west central Florida. The company sells more than 12,000 new and over 6,500 used cars each year. Fleet sales reach almost 600. Brands sold at Ferman dealerships include Acura, BMW, Buick, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, GMC, Jeep, Mazda, MINI, Nissan, Pontiac and Volvo. Ferman also sells new Harley-Davidson and Buell motorcycles at three dealerships in Hillsborough and Pasco County. Ferman is one of the nation's oldest family-owned and operated automotive groups in the nation. Founded in 1895, the company employs approximately 1,000 men and women. For more information, call 813-251-2765 or visit www.ferman.com.
SOURCE: Xtime, Inc.