Service Drive Acquisition Success in the First Full Day Live With MOTO(drive)
Most dealers assume a service drive program needs months to pay off. Mike Crothers explains why it doesn't, and who in your store can actually make it work.
Service drive acquisition does not need a long ramp. A Volkswagen store in Utah bought a car out of service on its first full day live on MOTO(drive).
That first deal was handled by a salesperson, not a dedicated service acquisition person.
Mike's view is that dealers already have what they need: service customers, salespeople, and sales managers. The missing piece is technology that connects them and finds the customers ready to move forward today.
Other stores have seen steady early results, like a Subaru store in Illinois that bought eight cars out of service in its first 25 days and a Ford store in Wisconsin that bought 10 in 30 days, mostly trades.
MOTO(drive) was built to add service acquisition without blowing up your existing process.
If you are thinking about a service drive program, the first question is usually how long does service drive acquisition take to work. Most dealers expect a long ramp: hire a buyer, retrain advisors, rebuild the process, then wait and hope. Mike Crothers, CEO of MOTO(acquire), puts it plainly: you don't have to wait 60 days to have success with service drive acquisition.
His proof came in a text message from a dealer. A Volkswagen store in Utah launched MOTO(drive) on a Monday. On Tuesday, their first full day live, they bought a car right out of the service drive.
How long does service drive acquisition take to work?
It can start working on the first full day. The Utah store did not spend weeks tuning a new department before it saw a deal. The customers were already in the drive, and the store had a way to find the one who was ready.
The part Mike calls out as the coolest: the deal was handled by one of their salespeople. It wasn't a service acquisition person. That matters, because the people you already employ can close these deals.
It is not a one-off. Mike shared a few more early results:
A Subaru store in Illinois bought eight cars out of service in its first 25 days.
A Ford store in Wisconsin bought 10 cars out of service in 30 days.
As Mike points out, most of these are trades, so they are pretty profitable deals. A service customer who trades in is a used car you didn't have to buy at auction plus a vehicle sale on the same deal.
Can you buy cars out of service without a dedicated buyer?
Mike's take: "Sometimes service acquisition can be overcomplicated." A lot of programs get built around a new hire, a new desk in the drive, and a new set of steps for advisors. That is a lot of moving parts before you buy your first car.
MOTO(acquire) starts from a different belief. Dealers already have what they need:
Service customers coming through the drive every day
Salespeople who know how to work a deal
Sales managers who can appraise and desk it
What's missing is the right technology to connect all of them and find the customers who want to move forward today. When that connection exists, a salesperson can take the deal without a separate service acquisition role in the middle.
Where MOTO(drive) fits
Mike says the team spent the last 12 months building MOTO(drive) and trying to make it as simple as possible. It handles service drive acquisition using DMS data and automated texts, and it pushes VIN and miles to your inventory tools. When a customer is ready, your sales team is alerted.
MOTO(acquire) integrates with all major DMS platforms and many others, including Tekion, Dealertrack, CDK, Reynolds, and Auto/Mate. If your store uses a DMS that is not integrated yet, MOTO(acquire) will build the integration.
Across stores using it, MOTO(drive) stores consistently buy about 1% of their repair orders without dedicated service acquisition hires. You can see more on the MOTO(drive) product page, browse the service drive acquisition video hub, or watch how a dealer group profits from service acquisition.
Buy more cars out of service without boiling the ocean
If you want to buy more cars out of service without totally blowing up your process, changing everything, and having to boil the ocean, Mike's ask is simple. Send him a message, find some time with the team, book on motoacquire.com, or reach out directly.
Frequently asked questions
How long does service drive acquisition take to work?
It can work much faster than most dealers expect. A Volkswagen store in Utah bought a car out of service on its first full day live on MOTO(drive). Mike's point is that you don't have to wait 60 days to see results.
Do I need to hire a dedicated service buyer?
No. The Utah store's first service drive deal was handled by one of their salespeople, not a service acquisition person. MOTO(drive) stores consistently buy about 1% of their repair orders without dedicated service acquisition hires.
Will service drive acquisition change my whole process?
MOTO(drive) was built to be as simple as possible and to work with the people you already have: service customers, salespeople, and sales managers. It uses DMS data and automated texts, then alerts your sales team when a customer is ready.
Does MOTO(drive) work with my DMS?
MOTO(acquire) integrates with all major DMS platforms and many others, including Tekion, Dealertrack, CDK, Reynolds, and Auto/Mate. If your DMS is not integrated yet, MOTO(acquire) will build the integration.
Are cars bought out of service profitable?
Mike notes that most of the cars these stores bought out of service were trades, which makes them pretty profitable deals. You get the used vehicle and a sale from a customer who is already doing business with your store.
Find out what's sitting in your service drive
See how MOTO(drive) stores consistently buy about 1% of repair orders without adding a service buyer. Start with the service drive readiness questionnaire.
More on Service Drive Acquisition
Full transcript
You don't have to wait 60 days to have success with service drive acquisition. Yesterday I got a text message from a dealer that uses MOTO(drive). On Monday we launched them, and on Tuesday they had acquired a car right out of the service drive. This is a Volkswagen store in Utah, and in their first full day live on MOTO(drive) they bought a car.
What's really cool is it was handled by one of their salespeople. It wasn't a service acquisition person. Sometimes service acquisition can be overcomplicated, but we spent the last 12 months building this tool and trying to make it as simple as possible. We believe dealers have what they need already, which is service customers, salespeople, sales managers, and they just need the right technology to connect all of them and find the customers who want to move forward today.
There's a Subaru store in Illinois who in their first 25 days bought eight cars out of service. A Ford store up in Wisconsin bought 10 cars out of service in 30 days. And most of these are trades, so pretty profitable deals. So if you're a dealer looking to buy more cars out of service without totally blowing up your process, changing everything, and having to boil the ocean, send me a message, find some time with us, book on our website, motoacquire.com, or reach out to us.