Time Change On The Lot
Since the time change last week, I'm reminded of the fact that, for me, the major impact wasn't the loss of an hour sleep. It wasn't even the additional time it gave customers to come and buy a car even later after work. (Although that was pretty awesome!)
The major benefit was getting to line up all of the cars in the daylight. I remember being half blinded by headlights trying to get that first row in line with the second row which had to be in line with the third row. Even with the good lighting we always had, my squinty eyed parking direction left a little to be desired. We could start lining before it got dark, but that just guaranteed that every car would then be moved for any reason...besides a sale!
So let's all rejoice that we get to use just a little more daylight to get that lot looking just right. With the appearance of the lot being a "Silent Salesperson" after hours, every opportunity to make it look even better is always a benefit.
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One of our "best practices" is employees do not not leave until the display lot is properly aligned. Suggestions: Teach all employees how to align properly align the lot; teach all employees to take action throughout the day when they notice a vehicle needs aligned. Make it the topic of a daily morning meeting. Be sure and share any tips that make the job easier.
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Keeping the lot aligned throughout the day not only keeps it looking good, activity breeds activity. It can also be a good team building activity and training exercise. Once your staff has been trained on the basics, allow someone to try something different. Maybe, face the opposite direction. Rotate cars, trucks and suv's on the front row. Switch around point cars. All are ways to give your employees a sense of ownership in the dealership by having input in such a public way.
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Agreed. That is a great opportunity to make sure your dealership looks its best. The time change also allows you to have flexible hours which for some employees can be a good thing. Coming in at 11 AM instead of 8 or 9 breaks the monotony and as you stated helps the customer that works 9-6 flexibility to come in after their workday.
