DealerSocket’s IDMS combines its web-based design and custom reporting for a DMS solution designed to help independent and BHPH dealers be successful. IDMS gives web-based access with mobile capabilities, configurable workflows, and more than 50 third-party integrations.
N/A
VinSolutions
Score 7.6 out of 10
N/A
VinSolutions, a Cox Automotive company, offers a suite of CRM and operational support applications for auto dealerships.
The sales system (Black Bird) is amazing, but if you're looking for a service scheduling solution, keep moving, this is not helpful. Their support doesn't even know what their program can do, online scheduling for guests is AWFUL, and the list goes on and on. Our business didn't even keep it a year because it was that frustrating for our scheduling team, for guests booking online, and ESPECIALLY for our service advisers and service managers.
It is well suited to customer communication - emails/calls/texts. It helps with all those. You are able to get personal by adding notes to remember in the future, or tasks to complete down the road. It keeps history, so no salesperson can argue who did want and who gets the credit. Essentially, it is the final word - if the employee doesn't record it in Vin - then it didn't happen and anyone can help a customer. Seems to be less appropriate for actual marketing-related activities (as mentioned with their campaign manager).
Tracks sold logs, desk logs, offers, etc. so there is no confusion over what was offered or by whom.
Gives a clear, concise list of sold vehicles, who sold them, and front and back end gross for easy reference.
Trade appraisals are clearly visible, along with who appraised them, so there is no potential for misunderstanding between the sales managers, GSM and GM.
The service scheduler is mediocre at best. It offers very little control over what's coming in and is extremely clunky.
Adding a new user is a terrible experience for service. They need to be added to the BlackBird side, then to the scheduler as an adviser, then given permissions as a user, then given override permissions. It's way too complicated.
Their support team knew less about their scheduler than I did. I was almost training them within a week.
Because VinSolutions is able to pull customers lists, they also made a campaigns manager that allows you to create marketing emails and send them out. However, after the initial launch they never updated it, it seems. It would be the best thing...if it was 2005.
This customer lists that I like to export to upload into my own email software, I can't get the actual list myself - I have to contact my Vin rep for them to give me. These lists are not the same, nor have the same filters, as the report lists that Vin does provide dealers. So, I prefer the other.
Technical support, general customer support, implementation support are all top notch. All representatives from the company check in every couple weeks to make sure all is going well; if there is a problem, I generally have a solution given within hours if not soon; and they are friendly, easy to understand, and do a great job. Well done!
We were using CDK CRM for the sales side of things, which was greatly outdated and DealerSocket absolutely blew it out of the water. However, we were using Xtime for service prior to the switch and after just 10 months, we are back to our original system. We wanted to integrate both sales and service within the same system, which is why we went with DealerSocket, but it's not worth all the trouble it brings.
Not sure about our financial investment in VinSolutions, but we have been with them for over 10 years, so our management keeps choosing it over other options (we have reviewed others in the past recommended by our dealer group).
Positive impact on keeping our customers...ours. This avoids sales consultants recording their customers in some random ledger of their own...and then taking that list with them when they leave - especially to another dealership. This ensures that each person is the dealership's customer, and not the salesperson's customer.
History is recorded, and we never know what we need until we run into an issue. VinSolutions is our go-to for many past communications and transactions. It provides a 'road to the sale' story that managers can pull up to help them navigate concerns.
