LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y. — DealerTrack on Monday rolled out comprehensive service price guides designed to aid in offering quick, accurate and consistent estimates. The guides are connected through DealerTrack's current dealership management system for its roster of dealer clients.

The guides are available for all major manufacturers. The company indicated that DealerTrack DMS clients can purchase the guides for subscription price of $135 per month per rooftop. That cost is built for unlimited users.

DealerTrack contends that the cost of these service price guides is less than half of what some DMS providers charge for them for a single OEM.

Company executives reiterated that the service price guides are estimation tools. Guides are available to coordinate with more than 30 different automakers.

"Service price quotes will be consistent throughout the organization, and customer wait time for estimates will be dramatically reduced," DealerTrack stressed.

"With service price guides, service writers will be able to quote a price that matches the final invoice, eliminating any surprises and increasing customer satisfaction," the company added.

The Rydell Automotive Group was part of a pilot program that tested DealerTrack's service price guides. Group executive manager Greg Sorum gave his assessment of the products.

"We have been very impressed with DealerTrack SPG while we piloted the product," Sorum noted.

"Our service department saw an immediate increase in effective labor rate and gross profits, as they were able to more effectively and accurately provide estimates for just about every make and model," he went on to highlight.

"DealerTrack SPG has quickly become an essential part of our service department," Sorum added.

Rich Holland, vice president and general manager of DealerTrack DMS, recapped why these service plan guides augment the company's solution.

"Service Price Guides are a great sales tool that dealerships can use to boost their service sales regardless of the make that pulls into their service drive," Holland pointed out.

"In today's environment, with consumers servicing their cars rather than trading them in, empowering service advisors with the tools to grow their business while building consumer loyalty positively impacts a dealership's profitability," Holland continued.

CDMdata, DealerTrack Complete Expanded Relationship

In other company news, DealerTrack executives also revealed that an enhanced partnership that can assist dealers in marketing their used inventory more effectively, in addition to pricing more competitively has been completed with CDMdata, a Kelley Blue Book company.

These companies explained they now blend DealerTrack's vehicle inventory data and analytics, as well CDMdata's Web marketing and KBB's marketing and valuation services.

The goal is to help dealers provide more accurate vehicle details, images and customized vehicle comments via one data entry point, instead of having to update multiple Web sites.

Through the new product integration deal, DealerTrack is now offering an integrated version of CDMdata's AutoOffice Internet marketing solution directly to DealerTrack AAX customers.

AutoOffice, a Web-based inventory management solution, can be used for pricing, managing, marketing and selling inventory online. The combined tool can simplify the collection of vehicle information, detailed seller's notes and photos and distribution of the listings to online advertising Web sites. 

Through this new integration, executives contend that dealers can price and market inventory, monitor sales and access appraising detail all from one tool. Furthermore, they said it can eliminate multiple points of data entry, increasing accuracy and marketing the vehicle online days earlier. 

"CDMdata and DealerTrack have joined forces to provide dealers with the ability to more profitably manage the vehicle lifecycle from trade-in appraisal, pricing, and marketing all the way to making the sale," explained Mike Romano, chief operating officer for CDMdata and senior vice president of dealer strategy for Kelley Blue Book.

"The combined strengths of the two organizations and their products give dealers the upper hand in their marketing efforts against the competition," Romano added.

CDMdata and DealerTrack began the integration process last October.

"The rules of online vehicle marketing are evolving, and as a result, the technology dealerships use must change to keep pace," noted Raj Sundaram, senior vice president, solution and services group at DealerTrack.

"Having the best and most comprehensive tools to support online marketing efforts will lead to better business decisions and improved profitability," Sundaram concluded.