MGS takes CRM to a new level

Advertisement feature from MGS (Marque Group Solutions)

Providing automotive retailers and OEMs with data driven CRM products and services that manage the customer journey from enquiry to sale and throughout the vehicle ownership cycle, MGS (Marque Group Solutions) is now expanding its portfolio with the launch of new products this summer.

Last year marked a significant turning point for the company, with offices in the UK, New Zealand and Australia, when it brought together the well-established automotive brands Vital Software, THREE60 CRM, aura and AutoPlay to form MGS.

Its CRM solutions include integration of data management, cleansing, lead aggregation, automated marketing, online service booking, lead prioritisation and customer experience. 

Andy Donaldson, sales director, said: “Wherever a customer happens to be in the purchase journey or ownership cycle, we can’t assume that one step will automatically lead to another. Customers are now making highly informed decisions before having direct contact with the dealership itself and we make sure retailers are providing the right information to give them the confidence to take the next step. We provide retailers with complete control of the customer lifecycle from start to finish, delivering a connected CRM experience.”

Working with more than a third of the UK’s franchised retailer network and six OEMs, MGS has the capability to aggregate data from every DMS provider on the market. The company cemented its position as a leading automotive CRM expert with the launch of its popular free MGS Health Check, shortlisted in the AM 2023 Awards ‘best new product or service’ category.

In 2022, MGS undertook 115 Health Checks covering 555 franchise locations providing retailers with comprehensive insights and personalised recommendations for optimising their performance.

“We help retailers work smarter rather than harder,” explained marketing and insight director Heather Scutchings. “Our data-first approach gives retailers the confidence to focus on the actions that really matter, delivering efficiency, eliminating wasted spend and driving better outcomes alongside improved customer experience.”

The Health Check delivers such impressive results that a full data cleanse is commissioned in most cases. Across the board, MGS has found that on average, retailers risk £60,000 of wasted opportunity as a result of inaccurate data. More than a quarter (27%) of DMS MOT due dates are out by 30 days or more vs DVSA and 17% of aftersales customers seen in the last three years no longer own the vehicle.

Scutchings added: “Getting the data foundations right is fundamental to the success of any CRM activity. Sending service booking reminders to people who no longer own the vehicle is a complete waste of money, whilst communications sent at the wrong time not only frustrate the customer but translate into missed opportunities and lost business for the retailer.”

Lead Scoring

To drive efficiencies and enable retailers to deploy their teams’ focus far more smartly, MGS applies lead scoring algorithms to increase conversions. MGS 360 Call Manager identifies customers most likely to make a service booking based on previous history, location to the dealership and a host of other variables. The impact of prioritisation boosts call conversion by up to 70%.

Lead Manager, launching this summer, will provide similar insights to sales teams. Lead Manager will aggregate inbound leads and measure customer engagement with sales campaigns through website tracking providing a score as part of the process. Once the threshold has been reached, it triggers an alert to sales executives prioritising the lead and prompting a follow-up.

Scutchings said: “The software allows the retailer to engage with the customers at exactly the right moment to increase the likelihood of conversion. The system aggregates multiple sources of customer history and behavioural data to provide the sales executive with as much information as possible to ensure conversations are compelling and meaningful.”

Service plans

With its proven CRM pedigree in the aftersales arena delivering a host of products and services such as online service bookings in addition to its data analysis, MGS saw an opportunity to work with service plan provider and long-term partner EMaC to realise ambitions to offer a service plan to every customer of the retailers it supports.

Scutchings said: “The rationale has been to offer service plans to car buyers and renew when they reach the end of the agreement, but the approach has been sporadic at best. We’ll be offering service plans to every customer, automatically deploying personalised and timely quotes at key customer touchpoints during the ownership cycle.”

Through this EMaC service plan integration, retail customers are automatically provided with a tailored quote and personalised monthly payment plan with a one click activation.This seamless approach reduces barriers to sign up and increases service plan sales.

Support

To ensure retail clients continue to fully capitalise on MGS products, a six-strong performance management team liaise with end users on a regular basis. The team provides insights and guidance so retailers can be confident they are optimising everything available in the extensive MGS toolkit.

Inevitably, GDPR is central to the MGS approach and algorithms in its system have been developed to automatically communicate with the customer according to their preference before moving onto additional channels if there is no response. In fact, MGS sees a noticeable jump in conversions by adopting this approach.

Holdcroft Group

Family-owned retailers and AM award winners this year Holdcroft Group, which represents brands including Volvo, MG, Hyundai, Mazda and Honda, throughout the Midlands and the North-West, took advantage of the MGS Health Check and were so impressed with the results that the group commissioned a full data cleanse. With its data in the very best possible condition, Holdcroft were confident in rolling out a mix of CRM services provided by MGS.

Commenting on the results of the Health Check, Kieran Nizzer, group marketing manager, said: “Not only did the report highlight the areas with the biggest opportunities, it also offered clear and actionable recommendations to bring our data to the next level.

“Working in partnership with us and tailoring their approach to fit our needs, MGS provided the perfect CRM solution, enabling us to take control of conversations and prioritise calls across the customer journey.

“Their data-driven approach gives us the confidence to take the right actions to drive efficiency and profitability, boosting booking success and retention rates. MGS have had a strong positive impact on our business, working alongside us as trusted partners to drive demonstrable ROI.”

Retailers are invited to book a free MGS Health Check or find out more about any of our services by contacting enquiries@marquegroupsolutions.com or by calling 0330 808 1268.

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