Eight months prior, Star Motor Cars, a leading Mercedes-Benz dealership, faced a common automotive industry hurdle: sudden IT staff turnover. “Our in-house IT specialist, who managed everything from system maintenance to crucial marketing email campaigns, unexpectedly resigned,” explained Tom, a key manager at Star Motor Cars. This abrupt departure left a significant void, with the team scrambling to manage essential digital operations. Recognizing the critical need for immediate support, Star Motor Cars leveraged their partnership with DealerSocket, a prominent CRM provider in the automotive sector. Their dedicated Customer Success Manager (CSM) stepped in as a crucial resource, offering expert guidance on leveraging technology to not only overcome this challenge but also to enhance their Mercedes-Benz marketing strategies.
“The DealerSocket CSM was instrumental in quickly empowering me to extract specific, targeted customer lists for our marketing initiatives,” Tom recounted. “They provided a comprehensive walkthrough on crafting effective email campaigns from inception to execution.” Building on this initial support, Tom, in collaboration with the CSM, proactively explored and implemented innovative marketing tactics. A particularly successful strategy focused on precision targeting within their Mercedes-Benz customer base. “We initiated highly focused email marketing campaigns segmented by vehicle age and model,” Tom elaborated. “Specifically, within our Mercedes-Benz division, we capitalized on lease-end opportunities by identifying customers in their final three months of an E-Class lease. This allowed us to send tailored emails presenting attractive upgrade options.”
Employee turnover, particularly within sales teams, is a persistent reality for many dealerships, including those specializing in premium brands like Mercedes-Benz. However, Star Motor Cars has found a robust solution to mitigate the training burdens associated with new sales personnel onboarding. “Sales department turnover is a consistent factor in the automotive retail landscape,” Tom acknowledged. “However, the intuitive design and comprehensive support system of DealerSocket significantly simplifies the learning curve for new team members, even those transitioning from different industries or other dealerships. The readily available training resources and responsive help desk provided by DealerSocket are exceptional. This effectively frees up my time, eliminating the need for extensive CRM training, as DealerSocket expertly manages that aspect for us, which is an invaluable benefit.” For Mercedes-Benz at Star Motor Cars, embracing user-friendly technology and proactive customer support has proven to be a winning formula in navigating staffing transitions and optimizing marketing effectiveness.
