The Ultimate Guide to the Sold Vehicle Preparation Process

The Sold Vehicle Preparation Process, also known as the Sold Get Ready process, is an essential part of the car buying experience for both the dealership and the customer. This multi-step process helps ensure that the vehicle is in top condition and ready for delivery when the customer takes possession. A well-executed sold vehicle preparation process can lead to a positive customer experience, which in turn can lead to increased customer satisfaction and positive word-of-mouth recommendations. In this blog post, we will delve into the six steps of the sold vehicle preparation process and highlight the importance of each step.

STEP 1: Delivery Date Set

The first step in the sold vehicle preparation process is setting the delivery date. This is usually done when the vehicle is available and the financing has been approved. This is also where Dealer by Design picks up the process. When setting the delivery date there are a few things to consider:

• Service schedule: Availability to perform the required items for vehicles requiring
  significant work. Preowned vehicles that have not been in for a previous safety
  inspection or new vehicles that have not received a PDI may have unforeseen work
  required.
• Parts schedule: Availability of parts may vary depending on the specific add-on and timing of delivery may be affected by structured order and delivery windows.
• Detailing Schedule - If the vehicle requires significant reconditioning, this may slow
  down possible delivery times to allow for proper processes. For clients with specific
  requests, ensure to provide additional notes for detailing staff.
• Financial Services - Required approvals and paperwork can be completed by the
  delivery date. Approvals are often dependent on additional materials and information being supplied by the customer, which any delays on their end will strain the ability to deliver on time.
  
  

With Dealer by Design, to book a delivery appointment, a user hits the + button on the specific day. If the button isn't available, the day has been locked by admin from any additional vehicles. To avoid double booking a sales representative, it's easy to filter by a range of settings.

STEP 2: Insurance Verification

The next step is insurance verification. This step is crucial because the customer needs to have insurance coverage for the vehicle before it can be delivered. For a customer to gain coverage, they'll need to provide their Drivers License number and the VIN of the newly purchased vehicle. For vehicles with a lien due to a finance or lease contract, then lienholder information will also need to be provided by the customer to their insurance provider of choice.

Dealer by Design's embedded feature streamlines this step by offering an instant quote-to-confirmation process, thanks to its partnership with Walnut Insurance. With Dealer by Design's new feature the problem of communicating required information to the customer and then collecting and storing coverage confirmation is eliminated. Not only is the process improved through digital automation, but the dealership create recurring revenue opportunities whenever an insurance policy is marketed and sold through the dealer branded insurance experience. 

STEP 3: Preparation

Once the delivery date and insurance verification have been taken care of, it's time to prepare the vehicle. Each department has its own distinct responsibilities, but the process often requires mutual timing and coordination. Dealer by Design manages this through its customizable Tasks and Forms. This helps to ensure that all departments are on the same page and working towards the same goal.

For Dealer by Design, the default task lists are either department or position based. These lists provide a foundation to start using Dealer by Design, then edit or build new lists as needed. When creating and modifying task lists, you are setting the default tasks for every delivery. Dealer by Design does also support dynamic tasks, which are inserted into specific lists based on Form selections. For instance, if mud guards is selected as an add-on then the Parts task list could receive "Invoice mud guards" and Service could receive "Install mud guards".

STEP 4: Inspection

Before the customer takes possession of the vehicle, it is important to inspect it to ensure that it is in top condition. This step is crucial to ensuring a consistent customer experience. With Dealer by Design, you can keep track of the completion of the tasks, but also drive improvement through the historical auditing system when concerns are noted.

The historical auditing system within Dealer by Design captures all changes to a delivery allowing your staff to review the past events to understand how events unfolded whether it's at time of delivery or months later - the information captured is vital to solving the day-to-day problems that pop up related to the vehicle preparation process.

STEP 5: Vehicle Delivery

The climax of the preparation process is the handoff of the vehicle to the customer, whether on or off-premise. Often, last-minute changes come up that need to be communicated to staff. This is where Dealer by Design's notes and notification system come in handy. With this system, staff can be easily notified of any changes and respond accordingly.

With the hand-off process, a lot is happening and things can be missed especially if you're a new salesperson (which given dealership turnover rates it's a very possible thing). With the built-in task system, Dealer by Design provides the guidance and assurance that all tasks are completed as required for the dealership process. Whatever your dealership's process is, our custom tasks and forms can handle it!

STEP 6: Follow-Up

Once the vehicle is in the customer's possession, it is important to follow up to answer any questions and ask for a review and referrals. Dealer by Design is currently looking for dealers to sign up for an upcoming pilot that will improve the follow-up process and generate revenue from missed opportunities during the sales cycle. The follow-up step is crucial to ensuring a strong sales-to-service conversion rate, which is why Dealer by Design is looking to raise the bar through automation.

In conclusion, the sold vehicle preparation process is a crucial part of the car buying experience for both the dealership and the customer. A well-executed process can lead to a positive customer experience, which can result in increased customer satisfaction and positive word-of-mouth recommendations. Dealer by Design offers a platform that streamlines and simplifies the process, making it easier for dealerships to provide the best possible experience for their customers.

If you're looking to improve the process, specifically insurance verification and follow-up, make sure to contact Dealer by Design - a trial period + easy pricing + revenue streams make it a no-brainer!