MINI USA to Improve Service, Marketing and Dealer Profits
While the US is MINI’s largest market, I often wonder if the Woodcliff Lake outpost has much weight in MINI’s strategic decision process. Based on a recent post from [Automotive News](http://www.autonews.com/article/20141110/OEM02/311109964/duncan-aims-to-improve-service-ads-dealer-profits), this however doesn’t prevent MINI USA’s VP David Duncan from wanting to revamp key operational areas in the near future. Read on to learn more about MINI USA’s plans.
The Chief Motorer for the Americas is a long-time BMW employee and has had many roles at MINI USA in the past, including: Dealer Network Development, Product Strategy, Sales & After-Sales. Within the coming months, his goal is to focus on the following key operational areas:
– Customer Experience
– Dealer Profitability
– Regional Marketing
– Used and Certified Sales
If you’re an avid [White Roof Radio](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/whiteroofradio.com-mini-cooper/id77840861?mt=2) listeners, you’ve already heard about MINI USA’s strong push to increase the Customer Experience, especially in the after-sales area. In effect, dealers have received discretionary budgets on top of what is allocated to fix cars and to make sure MINI customers remains happy customers. While we can’t share specific examples, some of those perks are truly exceptional.
The other three programs are scheduled to launch in January 2015. The intent is to offer dealers better margins on more expensive models, to roll-out regional marketing programs and to adjust the scope of used and certified sales.
Although it is difficult to say how the last three programs will benefit current and prospective MINI owners, the renewed focus on Customer Experience is welcome. I’ve complained many times in the past regarding MINI Service. Part of it is because some dealers favor financial gain over customer experience and part of it is because it remains difficult to find people (i.e. employees) that share MINI USA’s core values.
If you have any Customer Experience stories that you’d like to share, head over to the comment section.
<p>Got a free battery installed a couple weeks ago when the one on my 3 year old MINI died. They said something about “motoring experience”. Was afraid it was going to cost hundreds due to them having to reprogram the MINI at the same time.</p>
<p>or the term might have been “mini obsession” – something like that.</p>
<p>I referred a friend to my MINI dealership after she commented on how good my Paceman looked. She bought a loaded Countryman S the same day she test drove it. She definitely mentioned my name to her salesperson….oh, sorry…Motoring Advisor. I have yet to receive my referral reward despite several emails to the dealership. The purchase occurred back in September.</p>
<p>“I have yet to receive my referral reward “</p>
<p>I wasn’t contacted after a recent referral (loaded Countryman, extended warranty and maintenance plan). I assumed there wasn’t a formal referral program in place.</p>
<p>Related, it’s amazing to me how much brand capital walks in and out of a MINI dealership mostly unexploited (read squandered?).</p>
<p>I wonder if the referral program is still in existence.</p>
<p>Depends solely on the dealership. How it worked when I was at a MINI dealership was that the new customer had to specifically mention that they were referred by X customer at the time of the sale. The dealership’s accounting dept would then have us the Motoring Advisor reach out to the original “referrer” and request their social security number after explaining how the referral program worked. At this step about 50% of the people turned it down. This info was needed by the dealer to pay out a referral check due to tax purposes (if you referred so many X number of people, they would provide a 1099 of some kind at the end of the tax year). There was no connection between the referral program and MINI isa, it was solely up to the company that owned the dealership.</p>
<p>The customer also had to be a new customer, not someone that already owned a MINI or was already working with the dealership when they suddenly knew someone that owned one and was looking to collect money.</p>
<p>Thanks, Chris. All those conditions were met in my case. I’ll have to reach out again to the dealership to see if they are still running the program. If they weren’t, all it would have taken was a quick email or phone message telling me that was the case.</p>
<p>No prob, hopefully it works out :)</p>
<p>I was expecting something more along the lines of a Thank You note than a check.</p>
<p>(It’s all about engagement opportunities and customer experience. When MINI – or any other company – doesn’t reciprocate a customer’s enthusiasm the outcome is rarely long-term loyalty.)</p>
<p>I drive out of state to purchase/service the two Clubmans I have owned since 2008 after a bad experience with the MINI dealer in my own state. It’s the nature of the car business there are excellent dealers/MA’s/SA’s and then there are those who don’t embody the ethos of MINI.</p>
<p>How about adding more MINI dealerships in the country. I currently reside 2 hours from Chicago and 2 hours from Grand Rapids where the nearest MINI dealerships are located.
This is hard to justify purchasing a MINI where quality and reliability issues are common and don’t want to deal with the hassels of long drives to the dealership for repairs ! Sorry MINI, this is a dealbreaker for me !!!!</p>
<p>Were you aware of MINI’s re-unite program? if you are 100 miles or more from the nearest dealership, they will send a truck with a loaner on it (by availability of course) and exchange it with your mini to bring in for repair. Under warranty repairs, this service is provided free to you.</p>
<p>Hey Chris ! Thanks for the heads up !!! I never knew !!! When I was at the MINI dealership and mentioned my concern being so far away from my house, the sales person did NOT mention this program to me at all ! Thankfully, we have folks like you who are aware of this programs begin offered by MINI. I will definitely keep this in mind when I visit the MINI dealership and when the new Clubman comes out !!!</p>
<p>My only complaint would be to increase the network of dealerships. The really need one in Boise Idaho. They would end up selling a lot more cars if they could cover the US where every customer would have a dealer within 300 miles.</p>