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VinSolutions

VinSolutions

Overview

What is VinSolutions?

VinSolutions, a Cox Automotive company, offers a suite of CRM and operational support applications for auto dealerships.

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Learn from top reviewers

A Decade with VinSolutions.

Rating: 7 out of 10
April 28, 2022
IncentivizedVetted ReviewVerified User
VinSolutions is our CRM - Customer Relations Manager. It is used in our sales department (the service uses a different platform). Vin is our go-to for interacting with custome...
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Verified user
Manager
VinSolutions6 years of experience

VinSolutions can do it all, if that's what you want.

Rating: 8 out of 10
October 13, 2021
IncentivizedVetted ReviewVerified User
Our auto group uses VinSolutions as our CRM across 18 locations in 3 states. We use this software to manage lead and prospecting activity for our sales and service departments...
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lane CAMPBELL
Manager - Sales
General Sales Manager
Fitzgerald Auto Mall
VinSolutions6 years of experience

VinSolutions- Well worth the price for dealer management and inventory management

Rating: 10 out of 10
August 24, 2021
IncentivizedVetted ReviewVerified User
VinSolutions is being used as a complete customer retention management tool by our sales force. They use it to log leads, keep track of sold vehicles, know when to follow up o...
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Verified user
Director
VinSolutions8 years of experience
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Product Details

What is VinSolutions?

VinSolutions Technical Details

Operating SystemsUnspecified
Mobile ApplicationNo
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Comparisons

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Reviews From Top Reviewers

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(1-3 of 3)

VinSolutions can do it all, if that's what you want.

Rating: 8 out of 10
Incentivized
October 13, 2021
lC
lane CAMPBELL
General Sales Manager
Fitzgerald Auto Mall (Automotive, 1001-5000 employees)
Vetted Review
Verified User
VinSolutions
6 years of experience
Use Cases and Deployment Scope
Our auto group uses VinSolutions as our CRM across 18 locations in 3 states. We use this software to manage lead and prospecting activity for our sales and service departments. It solves issues related to poor communication, follow up and integrated sales operations across many locations. For executives, VinSolutions offers enterprise level reporting, showroom activities and lead processes. For retail managers, the multiple activity views allow us to manage our processes and results no matter how the lead is generated or concludes. We track all phone, web, chat and visit activities.
Pros
  • indicate the next lead action needed
  • offer real-time views of lead and visit progression across multiple showrooms
  • internet lead management
Cons
  • reporting. My primary sales activity report has changed twice and is far more complicated and less valuable
  • trainers seem to be too focused on how to use Vinsolutions deeply and perfectly as opposed to effectively
  • the current task-nagging process is FAR too cumbersome and requires FAR too much tending to process. Yes, I know it can be customized.
Likelihood to Recommend
VinSolutions is a very deep application that can do it all, if that's what you're looking for. It is well-suited for active lead management. The reporting functionality could use some drastic simplification.
Most Important Features
  • lead management
Return on Investment
  • lead management leads to higher closing ratios
  • lead source reporting increases ROI
  • user management allows very fine tuning at the location level
Alternatives Considered
I have never used a full-suite CRM with this depth prior to this experience.

A Decade with VinSolutions.

Rating: 7 out of 10
Incentivized
April 28, 2022
Verified User
Manager in Marketing
Automotive Company, 201-500 employees
Vetted Review
Verified User
VinSolutions
6 years of experience
Use Cases and Deployment Scope
VinSolutions is our CRM - Customer Relations Manager. It is used in our sales department (the service uses a different platform). Vin is our go-to for interacting with customers, making notes, working leads, etc. All leads from all sources enter into VinSolutions and notify the proper employee/s to start communicating. We use it to email customers about everything and anything, we make notes and tasks for employees so as not to forget things. Essentially, VinSolutions is super important for the sales department. In Marketing, I also use VinSolutions to pull customer lists to be able to market to them in email campaigns.
Pros
  • Receiving leads from all website and third-party sources, and notifying employees when leads come in.
  • Looking up reports. There are premade reports, and you can create your own reports to pull, or even to pull automatically at certain times.
  • Settings roles and authorizations for employees, so they do not have too much access to alter the way they want to use it, but it's set upper manager's request.
Cons
  • 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.
Likelihood to Recommend
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).
Most Important Features
  • Communicating with customers and documenting it.
  • Receiving and processing phone/internet leads.
  • Reviewing and analyzing reports for ROI and employee training opportunities.
Return on Investment
  • 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.
Alternatives Considered
I have not personally used other products.
Other Software Used

VinSolutions- Well worth the price for dealer management and inventory management

Rating: 10 out of 10
Incentivized
August 24, 2021
Verified User
Director in Other
Automotive Company, 51-200 employees
Vetted Review
Verified User
VinSolutions
8 years of experience
Use Cases and Deployment Scope
VinSolutions is being used as a complete customer retention management tool by our sales force. They use it to log leads, keep track of sold vehicles, know when to follow up on clients who previously came in to look at vehicles, it tracks above line and below line gross plus and incentives on vehicles in inventory. When combined with the rest of the X timeline of products, it is immensely helpful.
Pros
  • 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.
Cons
  • Could be easier to use - not the most intuitive setup I have seen.
  • Realistically, it feels like VinSolutions and vAuto could be combined into a single product.
Likelihood to Recommend
It is extremely well suited for any sales atmosphere, particularly within the automotive industry, where you need a CRM that logs contacts, reminds of needed updates, and keeps track of sales and gross profit. Because of the cost involved, it would not make sense in a very small sized dealer, but any medium to large dealers would benefit from its use.
Return on Investment
  • By tracking front and back end gross openly, it seems to incentivize sales people to try harder to hold onto money.
  • It does a great job of ensuring customer satisfaction by reminding sales associates to follow through on sales and follow up post-sale.
  • Reporting functions make it easy to track leads, hand them off to different reps who are possibly better suited to complete the sale.
Alternatives Considered
I really have not used any other product like VinSolutions, it was the first program of its type that we evaluated and it does everything we want, with no downsides that are noted. Because of that, along with the integration into the other programs we use in other aspects of the business, this was a one and done deal. We did look briefly at Reynolds and Reynolds, but as seems to be typical with them, they offer a great product but at an enormously higher price.
Support Rating
10
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!
Other Software Used
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