"I want my vehicle serviced, when can you fit it in?"
Benchmark: 3 days or less
Description:
The Lead Time is the length of time a customer must wait before their vehicle can be seen by your Service Department.
A short Lead Time of two to three days is usually expected and generally accepted by a customer unless they have a serious problem that needs immediate attention.
A long Lead Time of seven to ten days is not generally understood or accepted by a customer and usually results in them taking their vehicles elsewhere.
If your Lead Time is seven days or more on a consistent basis, then you should certainly examine your Utilisation, and you may consider taking on an additional technician if you have the facilities available.
If your Lead Time is nonexistent on a continual basis, then your Aftersales marketing campaigns may need an extra boost to gain additional work.
Example:
Discussion:
Factors that affect the lenght of Lead Time are Utilisation, cutomer retention, and Aftersales marketing. The lenght of Lead Time that your dealership has is really a reflection of the work that is available to you and your ability to cope with its demand.