In my household, our family motto is “teamwork makes the dream work.” You’ll hear it ring out when we’re doing yard work, cleaning up the dishes, or playing a pick-up game outside. But I realized — this applies to our industry as well.
We all get better when we share the innovative ideas and best practices implemented in our dealerships. Every day, people are amplifying automotive, and that’s what drives the Automotive Amplifiers Content.
For the second year, we invited dealership employees from across the country to submit their innovative ideas and best practices for a chance to share them with the industry at Reynolds Retail Summit: Amplify 2025. It truly is a chance to be part of the team that is building the automotive dream.
It was hard for our judges to pick just five finalists, but
they finally narrowed it down. Here is a preview of what they’ll be presenting on August 19 at Amplify 2025.
Strengthening Decision-Making with Data
Across the board, operational improvements and growth are experienced when dealerships leverage the real-time data available to them. Implementing and leveraging their tools — whether a dashboard, CRM, or service analytics tool — enabled numerous dealerships to make data-driven decisions that led to improvements in customer satisfaction, process, and overall transparency.
For one finalist, building and using a real-time data dashboard gave them visibility into their vehicle sales — who sold it, when it was sold, and what the delivery status was. Though once reliant on “outdated, hard to read, and prone to error” spreadsheets, the shift to real-time data brought them increased efficiencies, higher revenue opportunities, and more personalized customer experiences.
A Personal Approach to Service
Losing additional service business due to insufficient tracking and follow-up can be a significant issue not only for profitability, but also for customer retention. It often takes a proactive approach to capture the true value of these missed opportunities.
For another finalist, proactivity came in the form of pushing promotions, tracking RNDs, and targeting competitive-make vehicles. They found that a more targeted marketing approach increased service revenue, “with RND follow-ups driving conversions and occasional vehicle sales.” It also provided them with greater insight into why customers are or aren’t interested in recommendations, which they log in their CRM. Through these efforts, they’ve expanded their customer base, boosted retention with existing customers, and driven dealership profitability.
Driving Excellence Through Digital Workflow
Digital workflows are instrumental in transforming operations, allowing dealerships to increase efficiency, save costs, and meet customer expectations. But that’s a challenge when departments and stores within a group are stuck in manual mode.
One finalist was tired of “delays in documentation, re-signing of contracts, and longer wait times in F&I… [which] created frustration and reduced the overall satisfaction during a key moment in the customer journey.” So they transitioned from fragmented, manual processes to standardized digital workflows.
Across locations, they were able to eliminate redundant scanning, increase system utilization, and gain greater visibility into deal status. The way they see it: “Shorter wait times in F&I, fewer contract corrections, and a more frictionless customer experience at every step.” They’re saving $50,000 on printing costs and seeing a 40 percent reduction in internal document processing time.
This just breaks the surface of the rich innovation happening every day across automotive retail. As retailers, you know better than anyone how fast the landscape is evolving — and how critical it is to stay ahead.
Secure your spot at Reynolds Retail Summit: Amplify 2025 to hear these best practices explained during the Automotive Amplifiers Contest. Our judges will select two winners to take home the trophy and receive a donation to a charity of their choice, extending their impact beyond just automotive.
Don’t miss this opportunity to stay at the forefront of innovation and set the pace for the future of automotive retail.
