When Geno Walsh, Executive Manager of Retail Operations for the Qvale Auto Group (QAG), decided to implement a revolutionary single-point, virtual business development center (VBDC) that handled sales and service business across the country, he knew he needed to build a strong foundation of people, process and technology. After a decisive discovery process, he recruited a high-performing team to implement integrated technology solutions and processes, and create a collaborative culture that continues to produce results for the group.

Qvale Auto Group proves success with centrally located VBDC department that spans nine rooftops nationwide and growing.

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The 7 QAG VBDC commitments

Qvale’s VBDC has a set of core values that encompasses everything they do that aligns with the business initiatives of QAG. They are called the Seven Commitments. VBDC agents are expected to apply these commitments to their work day and understand they are non-negotiable.

“The Seven Commitments have been a great bedrock for this team and our culture,” says Walsh. “Everything we do is tied to these values, including pay plans. The result has been phenomenal team work where they all want to be successful, so they share how they are applying innovation with one another.”

The commitments are:

  1. Have the right attitude.
  2. Be of service to team members and clients.
  3. Have an individual and a team definite purpose and goal.
  4. Apply innovation.
  5. Have willingness.
  6. Be productive.
  7. Hold ourselves accountable.

The loose change project

Qvale’s VBDC started out small. After implementing a new CRM partner and hiring four reps, the team started making outbound calls on untouched leads for two stores. By monitoring activities and reviewing the information that was available through the CRM, it was clear that they were on to something great. According to Walsh, there was plenty of data at their fingertips just waiting for someone to crack it all open. Now, 18 months later, they are a team of 28 strong, handling inbound and outbound calls for everything related to sales, service, and vehicle service contracts for nine of their 15 stores, and growing. Their consistent efforts have produced some impressive stats. They reached 31,000 outbound phone calls, 12,000 emails, 11,000 texts and $750,000 of revenue directly attributed to the VBDC in the first nine months of the year.

31,000 calls

12,000 emails

11,000 texts

$750,000.00 YTD Revenue from VBDC

The connected dealer group

Coupling the VBDC with DealerSocket's CRM has enabled Qvale to gain the connectivity they want with their customers and their different dealerships nationwide, even those up to 3,000 miles away from one another. Walsh elaborates, “It’s a holistic approach to being connected. To stay connected to all our stores from California to Florida, you’d either need a really fast jet or you need to have the technology to get you there really fast. That’s what’s made the difference for us.”

Located in West Palm Beach, Florida, the virtual center helps customers from the San Francisco Bay Area to South Florida, and several places in between. However, anyone talking to one of their reps over the phone would never know they were in a different location. Every detail has been vetted out to ensure an exceptional customer experience, down to the local phone number that’s displayed when making their outbound phone calls from West Palm Beach. Walsh recalls a time when one of their dealership’s was struggling with performance and didn’t have a general manager for nearly five months. The dealership ended up being managed at the corporate level with the help of the VBDC. Looking at the data through the CRM, they could identify what needed to be fixed from a process and technology standpoint, and addressed those issues. The store was able to recover and improve performance in both the sales and service departments.

"It’s a holistic approach to being connected. To stay connected to all our stores from California to Florida, you’d either need a really fast jet or you need to have the technology to get you there really fast. That’s what’s made the difference for us."

Geno Walsh, Executive Manager of Retail Operations

Qvale Auto Group

Accountability is key

In short, one of the largest contributing factors to the success of Geno Walsh and his VBDC is his ability to hold his team and the dealerships that comprise Qvale accountable for their success. Walsh understands the importance of connecting the right technology with the right people. “DealerSocket is the greatest accountability machine.”, claims Walsh, “Looking at the reports (data), I can pinpoint which dealerships are just clicking buttons and which dealerships are actually doing what they are supposed to be doing.” In his experience in automotive, he understands it’s hard to have people complete activities consistently for a long period of time and that is why accountability is part of everything they do, from core values to pay plans. He reminds his team every day that the calls they make today may not be fruitful for another three months and that’s why it’s important to complete a lot of activities through phone, email and text. The more seeds planted, the more successes will be had.

"DealerSocket is the greatest accountability machine. Looking at the reports, I can pinpoint which dealerships are just clicking buttons and which dealerships are actually doing what they are supposed to be doing."

Geno Walsh, Executive Manager of Retail Operations

Qvale Auto Group

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