Service Discounting—Take Control of Your Bottom Line

In today’s retail environment, customers are expecting a deal and often choose their purchase based on the amount of savings they’ll get as opposed to the actual cost of the item or service they are buying. This trend is no different in the automotive service business.

Many dealerships spend a large portion of their operating budget on marketing. This is a key factor in not only maintaining current business but attracting new customers. The majority of this marketing includes either a special price or discount on vehicle service to bring customers through the door.

So, the investment has been made in marketing, and a portion of these customers will inevitably bring these coupons through the door when they come in for service. The next step is to ensure not only that these discounts are applied to the customer’s repair, but also that they are accounted for properly.

This task can be very daunting with the excess of coupons in the marketplace (i.e., dealership coupons, OEM programs, website discounts, etc.) and the many different types of discounts available (i.e., total bill, parts only, labor only, etc.). Managing this part of your daily business can make or break the bottom line and have a huge impact on your expenses.

With Autosoft FLEX DMS’s Define Discounts module, you have full control over the discounts and specials you offer. To get started, follow these steps:

Access the Define Discounts screen: Service > System Setup > Define Discounts

Assign Discount Code / Description

Assign a code and description that the service advisor can select from the discount list when closing the customer repair order. This code ensures the correct discount and its attributes are selected to coincide with the provided coupon.

Select Discount Types

Select whether the discount applies to the total repair order (Customer-Pay portion) or by individual repair lines. For example, a total repair order discount could be a “5%-OFF Senior Discount” and a repair line discount could be a “$19.95 Oil Change.”

Total repair order discount

• Discount by a percentage of the total price or by a flat dollar amount
• Set separate parameters for labor and parts amounts

Individual repair line discount
Choose from options to:

• Discount a repair TO a flat amount
• Discount a repair BY a flat amount
• Set separate labor and parts discount percentages

Select “Common To All Repairs” Options

Set even more options for any discount:

• Include Sublet and Shop Supplies with Labor discount
• Include G.O.G. with Parts discount
• Set G/L for Labor and Parts discount

Get Password Protected

Take even more control over your discounts by making a user’s password required to apply a discount to the repair order.

Print a Report

You also have the option to print a report of all discounts for quick reference.

Let your Autosoft FLEX DMS and the Define Discount module help manage your discounts and ensure proper usage, accurate accounting, and an increased bottom line!

Author

Debby Palmiter

About Debby Palmiter