Retail

VW dealers battle staff poaching

August 22, 2016 05:00 AM
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Volkswagen retention
Since last fall, when Volkswagen revealed it cheated on its U.S. diesel emissions tests, VW dealers have had to tweak their operations to keep not only customers but sales employees, too. Here are their secrets to success. • Increase used-vehicle inventory, allowing sales staff to sell new and used vehicles. • Hire salespeople from outside the industry. • Focus on a defined sales process and not the scandal. • Create a customer-relations manager position to deal directly with affected customers. • Pay volume and gross profit bonuses; have competitions with cash prizes. • Update sales staffers on VW news, enact their suggestions to keep morale high.

Since last fall, Volkswagen dealers have tried to keep it business as usual despite the German automaker's revelation that it cheated on its U.S. diesel emissions tests.

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