The reason we build case studies around our dealer’s experience with Nextup is that we come across all kinds of unique situations and needs. Some dealerships are looking to increase CRM input, some are trying to solve employee turnover, some want accountability, most are looking for more sales. In the case of Lexus of Edmonton, they weren’t actively looking for a solution to any particular known problem. There lies the intrigue for this particular case study.
Why would a dealership be looking at a product like Nextup when nothing needs fixing?
About Nextup
The Nextup Up System was created 11 years ago in Anaheim, California. It assists dealerships in monitoring and measuring team performances while ensuring effective customer engagement in the showroom, in the finance office, and in the service drive. There are four components within the Nextup platform: Engage: focused on Sales, Drive: tracking and auditing the test-drive; Transact: geared towards Finance; and Maintain: targeting Service activities. Nextup provides in-depth tracking for customer engagement processes and provides insights to improve both customer service and time management.
If It Ain’t Broke, Evolve It!
Mat Miller, General Manager of Lexus of Edmonton, explained that while the dealership had never relied on an open floor they needed to marry better data and analysis with the long-standing customer experience standards that made the store great.
“We’ve always had a controlled sales process here, never had an open floor. So for us to grab onto Nextup was actually really great. I think what the dealership was looking for ways to access more transactional data and tracking. We wanted to paint a better picture of the activities on the sales floor.”
“It was about elevation for us. We’re such big believers in training and coaching. We’re able to look at the back-end. We’re able to use the data and look at the time people are spending and [any] areas where they may be missing. To have a tool like Nextup, it gave us the opportunity to spend the best amount of time with people when they weren’t waiting for that extra [walk-in] opportunity.
Our Success Is At The Door
Lexus of Edmonton’s Founder, Herb Anton, built an environment of excellence on a simple gesture.
“We have a policy at our dealership where you hold the door for every person that walks in. I think when you set that expectation with your guest, if you ever miss, I think it’s a real let down. So I think the technology behind Nextup’s platform has really kept us even more on top of this facet of our operation, like the SMS features that allows for easier communication between managers and sales team, letting them know where they are in the queue. It’s a big responsibility, and nothing drives a dealer principle crazier than if somebody has to grab the door handle on our building and have to open it themselves.
But it is not possible without having Nextup. It really isn’t.
Everything [with Nextup] is tied to your smartphone and it’s tied to a kiosk. It’s the only way we can ever really accomplish this ‘wow factor’. It seems so simple, opening a door, but it’s kind of a lost art in society.
The only way we can be successful and accomplish that 100% of the time is by having a tool like Nextup to manage people and ensure that they’re at the right place, at the right time, so it never gets missed.”
2 Teams – One Message
Dealership sales teams have new software, training, and strategies thrown at them with regular frequency. Miller describes why his team didn’t suffer onboarding fatigue.
When teams embrace process through accountability, great things can happen. An incredible experience was built at Lexus of Edmonton just by opening a door. Change isn’t hard to achieve when you move and act as one organization.
“It’s one thing when people in the organization give a message, it [only] goes so far. But when you have those outside voices reiterating those same points and explaining that, our team bought in right away.
I think we’ve got a good culture in our store. People knew that we weren’t doing things unless it was for the betterment of the dealership. And then having the voice of Nextup and the support and training out of the gate, to really unroll it, we were off the ground and running in no time.”
It's critical for us to be successful, make sure we're not missing people ever and ensure we're getting enough managed activity out of our sales team. The Nextup has become the most important tool for us to ensure that we can serve our guests with an unparalleled level of excellence.
