DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 15, 2015) — Automotive marketing firm DMEautomotive (DMEa), a Solera Holdings Inc. subsidiary, has released the results of a study indicating that vehicle service interval adherence has decreased by 15.6 percent from 2011 to 2014.
The DMEa's “2015 Service Excellence” study, which included 8,000 respondents, pinpoints several potential contributors to the drop, the firm said, including the increasing age of vehicles on the road, level of awareness of recommended oil change intervals and consumer indifference.
Among its key highlights, the study found that 23 percent of consumers surveyed were unaware of the manufacturer's recommended oil change interval, a key target for dealership marketing. Of the 77 percent who were aware of the recommended interval, about 18 percent chose to ignore it and delay the service.
In addition, approximately one third of consumers surveyed who do not follow manufacturer recommendations said they felt service at the recommended frequency is unnecessary.
“Parts and service profit represents a large piece of dealership profit,” said Mary Sheridan, manager of DMEa's research and analytics.
“In fact, 2014 NADA data shows, on average, that it eclipses new and used vehicle sales profit. That's why we continuously track exactly which service customers are being lost by the dealership, and why they're straying.”
She called the data a “call to arms” for dealers to be more proactive and rigorous in their communication with customers, rather than relying on manufacturer's recommended service intervals to bring them into the store.
“A comprehensive in-store service experience that considers customers' needs is a much better strategy for building positive, lasting and more profitable relationships with those customers,” she said.
DMEa is an industry leader in science-based, results-driven automotive marketing, providing turnkey solutions for a variety of organizations.