Case Study
The Challenge
Customer relationship management (CRM) is one of the most important software decisions for automotive retailers; it’s second only to a dealership management system (DMS). That’s why it took Walser Automotive three years to decide to switch systems. It wasn’t triggered by impulse or emotion. Instead, they took the time to vet different CRMs objectively to ensure the right partner was selected, not just the right software.
The main priority was selecting a partner that understood the company business, its culture and goals. Other requirements included:
Ease of use. Simply designed interface to improve software understanding, usage and adoption rates.
Modern communication. Robust sales engagement toolkit to cut through today’s noise, especially for younger consumers.
Software that helps sell. Find a CRM system that goes beyond a simple scorekeeper and instead offers technology that instills discipline and engagement to help sell more cars.
Walser Automotive Group has been family-owned and operated since 1954. The company has grown to 26 dealerships located in Minnesota, Kansas and Illinois, and was recently ranked 48th in the 2021 Top 150 Dealership Groups in the U.S. by Automotive News.
- Web: walser.com
- Type: Auto Dealer Group
- Locations: MN, IL, KS
- Software: DriveCentric
The Strategy
After looking at all the top automotive CRMs, they found most legacy systems lacked visibility into deals as they were happening and were complicated to use, even for routine tasks.
DriveCentric changes the way Walser Automotive Group views retail. With its CRM, Engagement and Automation Hubs, DriveCentric is the only sales platform that met all the requirements for a new system.
DriveCentric provides enterprise and store-level solutions that improve how the organization is managed with better visibility of lead awareness, streamlined team structure and accountability at all levels. In addition, it empowers dealership leaders and sales staff to manage deals as they are happening, not waiting until after the opportunity is lost.
DriveCentric brought excitement to the Walser team for a much smoother transition. As each store went through the onboarding process, the companies worked together to ensure:
- High-level demonstrations and training sessions were available to accommodate schedules
- Deadlines were managed proactively to meet and achieve go-live dates
- Roles and template settings were built consistently for easy management
- In-depth training and support with quick responses from the DriveCentric team ensured a painless transition
No legacy system gives you a direct line to accountability. DriveCentric is really the only CRM set up this way.
The Results
Walser Automotive has completely transformed its culture, digital process and customer experience by using DriveCentric.
- Visibility has improved. Managers have full visibility in the CRM, including sales activities, real-time customer responses and engagement, integrated videos and communications in one location and the Daily Activity Report pulse check.
- Responsiveness is faster than ever before. The sales force has been wholly restructured to ensure the sales process supports Genius AI and the growing number of customer conversations.
- Engagement is higher than ever imagined. The simplicity of the interface and modern engagement toolkit has elevated conversation levels and appointment percentages – the staff is even adopting follow-up tactics learned from Genius AI.
- Data that’s insightful. Data that is cleaner and easier to maintain ensures the company can coach its teams, evaluate store needs and identify best lead sources more accurately and effectively.
Bonus. Most impressive is how easy it is to dive into customer follow-up, especially video, AI and text. The bonus is the relationship between Walser Automotive and DriveCentric -- it finally feels like a partnership, not just another vendor.
DriveCentric is not just a pretty interface; it’s a weaponized tool that allows managers to coach a team during the game, so the game’s not over by the time they’re able to make a difference.
