Your customer came in (or over the phone) and placed a partial payment on a vehicle that the dealership has not received yet. This means the customer has agreed to the structure of a deal. We should have a credit application in the system for the customer and have done our best to gather all the necessary information for the deal. The vehicle is either in “F” or “A” Status in the inventory management system. 

• “F” Status- Freight status. This means the vehicle has been built and is on its way to the dealership. Check DealerDaily for approximate delivery dates and current status. Generally the vehicle will be within a month.

• “A” Status- Allocation Status- This means the vehicle has been awarded to the dealership, but is still in the process of being built prior to transport. Check DealerDaily for approximate delivery dates and current status. These vehicles are generally 60-90 days away depending on the plant the vehicle is built in. 

We cannot schedule a delivery until we know exactly when the vehicle is going to arrive. It is the salesperson's job to keep their customer up to speed on the status of their vehicle until it arrives at the dealership. This ensures a strong relationship and positive customer experience. Keeping your customer up to speed every step of the way will help flush out last minute changes or scheduling conflicts that may result in a loss of sales. 

Thoughts:

The goal of the task process is to keep the customer informed of the status of their vehicle and make sure we have all of the necessary information to ensure a smooth delivery of the vehicle. 

 We do not want to over communicate or under communicate with the customer through this process, but we do want to have all of the information ready:

• Copy of Valid ID

• Copy of Registration (if trade)

• Original Appraisal of Trade (if necessary)

• Copy of Credit Application

• Receipt of Partial Payment

• Active Insurance Card

We will have to check over any trade-in vehicle when they come in. It needs to be in the condition it was appraised in and finalized at the point of delivery. You will also need PennDot copies of the License/ID and an insurance card for the new vehicle at the time of delivery. 

Setting this up properly and communicating delivery date expectations are all crucial parts of a smooth delivery. 

Be sure to note VinSolutions of the delivery updates from DealerDaily and the folder status each time you receive a task. You should also set the communication frequency and expectation with the customer during the first status update call. From there, be sure to set specific tasks or note that you’ve checked the record accordingly. 

** Your manager will be receiving tasks to follow up with you. Make sure your notes are tight to avoid unnecessary confusion **

Wordtracks:

“Hey Jake, I wanted to check in and let you know your Camry is still being built. Right now my system is showing it’s about 3 weeks away from arriving at the dealership. Would it be best to check in on the phone or would you prefer a weekly update by text?”

“Hey Brian, I just got an update that your Prius is expected to arrive at the dealership in approximately 7 - 10 days. I have all your information and we will be ready for everything on our end when the vehicle arrives. Would you prefer I text or call you to set up a firm delivery date and time?”