Driving Retention and Transforming Aftersales with a Strategic CRM Process

Introduction

Ron Brooks Motor Group, a reputable dealer of automotive brands Suzuki and Toyota, faced a challenge. Despite a commitment to technological advancements, their aftersales communication process proved ineffective, and they lacked a comprehensive CRM strategy. This case study outlines how I implemented a practical and strategic marketing solution that addressed immediate aftersales concerns and also laid the foundation for sustained growth.

About the Client

Ron Brooks Motor Group, a family-owned dealer group representing Toyota, Suzuki, Omoda, Jaecoo and XPENG across four locations, has a history of providing exceptional service to both private and business customers for over 60 years. Facing the challenge of underutilised CRM processes in the aftersales departments, the Group Aftersales Manager sought a solution to improve customer communication and streamline their marketing efforts.

The Challenge

Ron Brooks’ Group Aftersales Manager identified a critical challenge – a lack of CRM process within the aftersales departments across the four locations. Despite working with an automotive technology partner, the existing marketing team lacked the resources and expertise to implement necessary processes ensuring timely and targeted communication with existing aftersales customers.

The goal was to establish a comprehensive process for sending automated aftersales reminders via direct mail, email, and SMS to customers, as well as fully integrating and automating the contact strategy for service plan communications. The existing marketing department was stretched, and the internal resources were insufficient to execute the necessary strategy.

Why Ron Brooks Motor Group Chose Anderlea Butters Marketing Consultancy

With over 15 years of experience in the marketing industry, including 13 years in the automotive sector, I’ve got a thorough understanding of the challenges faced by automotive dealer groups like Ron Brooks Motor Group.

I’ve worked at a senior level for franchised dealer groups representing automotive brands such as Alfa Romeo, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Jeep, MG, Nissan, SEAT, ŠKODA, Suzuki, Toyota, Vauxhall, and Volkswagen.

Ron Brooks Motor Group understood that by partnering with me, they were working with a trusted professional who would take the time to understand their business and deliver effective marketing strategies.

As a Chartered Marketer and a Chartered Institute of Marketing Member, I’ve got the expertise to work strategically within businesses and I remain up to date with the ever-changing marketing industry.

The Solution

To address the challenge, an omnichannel marketing solution was implemented. This consolidated all aftersales follow-up requirements into a unified system, with varied timelines for Service Plans, Vehicle Health Check (VHC) records, and upcoming routine vehicle services and MOT tests. A customised contact strategy for aftersales communications was developed, ensuring that the dealer group communicated with customers at precisely the right touchpoints in the aftersales journey, ultimately increasing retention and aftersales performance.

A suite of over 100 highly customised aftersales correspondences was created for direct mail, email, and SMS, tailored to customer status, vehicle type, and manufacturer, ensuring relevance and personalisation.

The strategy also embraced digitalisation by incorporating links for immediate booking in digital and SMS reminders, reflecting the transition towards a more digital focus

The Results

The comprehensive communication strategy led to increased retention and aftersales performance. By connecting with customers personally and providing targeted messages, Ron Brooks Motor Group improved customer engagement, building stronger relationships. The bespoke communication strategy contributed to improved customer satisfaction, as customers felt well-informed and cared for throughout their aftersales journey. By targeting the right customers, with the right messages at the right time, Ron Brooks Motor Group improved marketing effectiveness and streamlined resource allocation.

Recognising the constraints within the stretched marketing department, I took the lead on the project, providing much-needed relief to internal teams. This allowed them to focus on core responsibilities while benefiting from my automotive expertise. The external marketing consultancy I provided accelerated the implementation of the communication strategy, utilising my experience to overcome challenges efficiently and minimising the time it took to roll out the new strategy

I got in touch with Anderlea after a spell working with her a few years ago. She delivered excellent work in a very timely manner and didn’t grumble once when we amended changed and titivated the brief. She really knows her stuff and has huge enthusiasm for what she does.

We will certainly continue to use her excellent services, and I look forward to working with you again.

Richard Martin – Group Aftersales Manager, Ron Brooks Motor Group

Conclusion

Ron Brooks Motor Group’s experience demonstrates the impact of implementing strategic marketing strategies. My hands-on and personalised approach, from optimising CRM processes to implementing customer-centric solutions, resolved aftersales challenges and improved the overall customer experience.

The measurable outcomes – increased customer engagement, positive reviews, and improved retention rates – highlight the value of a partnering with an outsourced marketing director experienced in overcoming the complexities of the automotive industry.