Picture this. A customer comes in for an oil change. Your tech finds they desperately need new brakes and tires, a $2,000 job. It’s a legitimate safety issue. You present the estimate, and the customer’s face drops.
They say: “I know I need it, but I just can’t do that right now.”
This isn’t just a feeling, it’s a reality. A recent Federal Reserve report found that 35% of American adults couldn’t cover an unexpected $400 expense with cash. With 6 in 10 Americans living paycheck to paycheck, you’re fighting a losing battle when asking them to approve a $2,000 RO.
The customer drives away in an unsafe car. You lost a $2,000 RO and another case of declined service. Nobody wins.
How to Make Service Affordability the Default
For years, the only answer was a clunky, high-interest credit card application. The game has changed. Modern Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) is the new standard of convenience.
When that customer sees the $2,000 estimate on their phone, right below the total is another option: Pay over time. As low as $110/month.
With one click, they can apply for a flexible payment plan, often with 0% interest, right from their phone. This makes mobile payments for dealerships a powerful tool for closing sales.
How to Make “Yes” Easy:
- Introduce it Proactively: Don’t wait for the customer to say no. Include payment plan options directly on every estimate you send. Frame it as a standard convenience you offer everyone.
- Train Your Advisors: Make sure your advisors are comfortable explaining it as a simple, helpful tool. “Just so you know, we have flexible payment options on all of our work. You can see the details right here on the estimate.”
- Emphasize the Simplicity: The best part for your dealership? You get paid upfront and in full. The BNPL partner handles the financing and assumes the risk. It’s zero extra work for your office manager.
By partnering with Affirm, Kimoby offers an all-in-one solution that makes implementing BNPL in your service department a breeze. Learn about the 8 ways you can use Kimoby Pay to make service more affordable.
Joel Courchaine, the GM at Elk Grove Subaru, understands this is the new standard of customer service. It’s not just about fixing cars, it’s about solving your customers’ problems. And their biggest problem is often cash flow.
The Payoff
Stop letting price be the reason a customer drives away unsafe. When you make repairs more affordable, you increase your ROs, improve your close rate on major repairs, and show your customers you’re on their side. You become a trusted partner, not just a place with high prices, which is key to improving dealership retention.
Curious about how BNPL integrates with your DMS and payment process? Let’s chat. We can walk you through it in 15 minutes.
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