BMW of North America (BMW NA) worked with us to create a dealership experience that is as memorable for its customers as the quality and performance of its cars. Premium brands are well aware that market share can rise or fall based on customer perception, but BMW wanted to go beyond vague generalizations about customers. BMW wanted to know about the journey of their own customers, and how each customer touchpoint served to enhance or detract from the overall dealer experience. BMW NA’s business case was built on our Customer Touchmap: after an in-depth analysis, we presented a detailed breakdown of BMW NA’s customer engagement points, dealer processes, and data collection — from pre-sale to initial ownership. A new corporate-wide Sales Performance Management (SPM) initiative was then designed and delivered to drive sales through a superior and continuously improving experience.

Our support of SPM began through an evaluation of the customer life cycle at the dealer level, scoring individual dealer performance in lead management, showroom traffic control, lease end, new vehicle delivery, and initial ownership. In addition, the evaluation included a human resources component designed to address management issues and ensure that a dealership’s personnel were empowered and inspired to exceed customer expectations. We conducted interviews and researched each dealer to identify unique opportunities in process and resource improvements. Recommendations and action plans were more readily adopted, because they tied corporate goals directly into improvements that were relevant to an individual dealer’s operation. At the same time, we worked with BMW NA’s own marketing teams at a corporate level, to help them build a consultative relationship with their dealerships. A leadership plan was then implemented to cultivate a collaborative partnership between BMW’s field teams and the management at each dealer. Continuous measurement and improvement could then be achieved, driving accountability and cooperation for timelines and outcomes.

Management within each dealer reports that this tailored approach translates into improvements that are directly relevant to the customers and employees at each location. Dealerships may be operated differently across the country, but BMW has created a way to maintain focus on the type of consistently exceptional experience that keeps customers loyal.