Socket to ‘em

FireSocket, a software company providing solutions for automotive dealers, today announced significant enhancements to its enterprise-wide customer relationship management platform DealerSocket. The upgrade focuses on the automotive service department and includes dynamic appointment scheduling, service management and follow-up support tools.

FireSocket focused the new features on the areas of automotive service and repair, stating within the release announcement that “as much as sixty percent of the average automotive dealership’s profits” come from these departments.

According to FireSocket CEO Jonathan Ord, the company channeled energy into the “industry-wide challenge” of optimizing service scheduling, a phenomenon known as “pace of play.” Managing the schedule of vehicles against specific technician and resource availability is a problem of some complexity for nearly all dealerships. “Most don’t fare well,” said Ord. “Controlling and managing the pace of service is one of those ‘make or break’ issues in creating the ideal customer experience for a service department’s customers.”

Touted upgrades to the DealerSocket platform include improvements and/or augmentation to service calendar, media mail, survey functionality, roll-up reporting, and loaner and rental vehicle functions.

Based in San Clemente, Calif., FireSocket is a CRM software provider focused on providing the DealerSocket platform. Today almost 500 dealers use the DealerSocket solution in sales, customer communications and service department operations.