Desking made easy
Then there’s DealerSocket's next-generation Desking solution, which operates within the CRM as an in-app program and provides a seamless and customizable workflow. Dunn likes how DealerSocket’s CRM offers multiple ways to pull customer details into the Desking tool, including through the mobile app.
The desking process can start the moment a customer lands on their vehicles of interest. All that’s required is a single click of a button to view the customer’s information, a calculations worksheet, and payment options — all on one screen. Dunn appreciates how easy it is for his sales managers to move from the Desking tool to updating a customer profile or initiating follow-up without ever leaving the CRM.
Dunn notes that the dealership’s previous desking tool was cumbersome and made it difficult to track writeups, and he knew he was missing opportunities. "Our writeups are now tracked through DealerSocket’s CRM," he says, adding that he now has an accurate view of his store's closing ratio since his team isn't waiting for a commitment before writing a customer up. "Just the fact that we have written up a deal is a huge KPI for me.”
“I now know I have an engaged customer if I have trade-in and credit information,” he adds.
More than 80% of Inskeep Ford's deals start with internet and phone leads, so the ability to desk deals remotely is essential. DealerSocket’s Desking tool makes it easy for his team to create and print a proposal in the traditional manner or send it digitally to customers via text or email. The digital form is interactive, allowing customers to select their payment preference and send it back via a submission form. A big advantage is the alerts his team receives the moment a customer interacts with the offer proposal.
“It’s nice to be able to get a proposal in front of a customer that displays taxes, payment estimates, and trade-in allowance in a clean, easy-to-read presentation," Dunn says. “That gives us a competitive advantage over dealerships that tell customers it’s going to be this amount, plus taxes, plus fees, plus, plus, plus. Taxes, fees, and undisclosed charges are anxiety points for customers.”
Dunn also appreciates the Desking tool’s accuracy and transparency. “The combination of my inventory control feeding into the Desking tool gives me confidence that I’m on the right vehicle at the right price, and I can get an accurate quote quickly to the customer.”
That's especially important for a family-owned dealership that has operated in the Greenfield, Ind., area for more than 60 years and relies heavily on repeat business and referrals. Managing customers from one system makes it easy for Dunn's team to work together on deals. “Confusion kills deals, so the more we’re on the same page, the better off we are,” Dunn says.
