We hope that you and your dealership employees are staying well during this challenging time.
As developments around COVID-19 continue to evolve, we understand you are working hard to figure out how to deal with it while continuing to safely serve customers and employees. Some of our dealer customers have shared steps they’re taking to keep people safe at their dealerships and do more business digitally. We’ve compiled all of them below to help you navigate the ongoing situation.
Staying safe in the dealership:
- Clean high-touch areas frequently, including door handles, counters, computer keyboards, and paper towel dispensers.
- Reinforce the importance of good hygiene (frequent hand washing for at least 20 seconds) to staff, and require anyone feeling unwell to stay home.
- Regularly disinfect your showroom and demo vehicles throughout the day.
- Refrain from shaking hands with customers. A nod, bow of the head, or peace sign shows the same respect while considering one’s health and safety.
- Restrict group meetings of your staff.
Minimize customer time at the dealership:
- Go digital as much as possible. Offer online options for selecting inventory, scheduling test drives, submitting financing applications, and more.
- Limit crowds at your dealership. Bring test drive vehicles to the shopper’s house, conduct off-site or at-home trade appraisals, provide pick up and drop off of vehicles that need servicing, or deliver sold vehicles to buyers.
Keep in mind, these actions don’t replace the need to follow guidance from the Public Health Agency of Canada. Additionally, appropriate responses may differ by location so make sure you’re paying attention to your city’s regulations.
Post an update on your dealership website or send an email to your customer base with information about what you’re doing to prioritize others’ well-being. By being transparent and letting people know what to expect, you’ll instill confidence in your dealership and help alleviate some concerns.
As things develop, keep your lines of communication open and use this time to support your customers and staff.
We hope you stay safe and that your business gets back to normal as quickly as possible. If you have any questions, please reach out to your rep.