John Meyers
Service Manager
Escondido, California
The thing that attracted me most to Xtime was how much better I can manage the resources in my service department. Using a DMS like ADP or Reynolds & Reynolds you lose control because of the human factor. With Xtime, I have control over when appointments can be booked, and how many customers can be booked at any one time. The system automatically blocks out times as we schedule appointments, so my employees simply can't overbook/underbook the service department. Like most dealers, we used to have lines of cars in the service drive every day. Our policy was to stagger appointment times, but getting the employees to follow policy is another thing. Now our customers get in and drop off their vehicles much faster. To me, the improvement in customer satisfaction alone makes the service worth the money.
I have had some nightmares with new systems, so I was as cautious as anybody about getting started with Xtime. But I was surprised at how easy it was to get set up. It was remarkably easy to get set up, and Xtime Program HQ did almost all the work. I think I spent an hour or two with them on the phone, and that was all it took. If you're worried about a nightmare setup, relax: it's extremely simple to get started with Xtime.
Of course, a lot of our customers appreciate the convenience of making their own appointments on the Web. That's important, but the greatest benefit at the start is that now everybody in my dealership can schedule a service appointment. It's not just our service advisors and the appointment desk. Our receptionist, our shop coordinator, every employee can make a service appointment for a customer. Even our shuttle driver schedules appointments, and it only took him about a half hour to learn how.
As a Five Star dealer, we utilize the maintenance Logbook and we're required to schedule new customer's first 3,000 mile appointment at the time of the sale. Our sales and finance people used to be reluctant to take time away from sales to schedule service appointments. But now it only takes a minute or two on the computer, and they do it easily.
Xtime has been a great value. It's improved customer satisfaction, it's helped our service organization run much more efficiently, and it's been extremely easy to set up and use. I would recommend it to any dealership.