Blog - Kimoby

What is a Dealership Engagement System & Why You Need One

Written by Marjorie Latulippe | May 14, 2025

Too many dealerships treat fixed ops like an afterthought, when it should be a major growth engine. If you want to win in today's market, you need to dominate customer pay.

That means staying connected with customers, making service seamless, and giving them compelling reasons to come back.

For years, Kimoby was known as the go-to texting solution-and for good reason. We helped thousands of dealerships cut the phone tag and communicate faster, more efficiently with their customers.

But as the automotive landscape evolved, so did we. Dealerships needed more than just messaging-they needed a smarter, more complete way to engage customers throughout the entire ownership lifecycle.

That's why we created a new category: the Dealership Engagement System (DES™).

It's a modern communication platform that helps your dealership engage more clearly, operate more efficiently, and grow faster by elevating the service experience.

What is a Dealership Engagement System (DES)?

A DES is a smart tool that helps dealerships manage how they talk to customers in service, parts, and loaner car departments. It's the communication hub for your dealership, making sure everything runs smoothly after someone buys a car.

Unlike other systems that just track sales or service appointments, a DES is all about keeping customers happy and coming back.

In the past, dealerships relied on their DMS for internal operations, but they aren't built to engage customers. A Dealership Engagement System bridges that gap. It turns every customer interaction into an opportunity for satisfaction, loyalty, and revenue.

What Does a DES Include?

  • Text Messaging & Automation: Quickly send texts for service updates, reminders, campaigns or repair approvals.
  • Video & Photo Inspections: Show customers what's wrong with their car using short videos or pictures, so they understand and approve repairs.
  • Digital Estimates: Let service advisors send clear, accurate repair estimates via text, so customers can review and approve with a tap.
  • Loaner Car Management: Track who has a loaner car and when it's coming back, with no messy paperwork.
  • Mobile Payments: Let customers pay by text, which is fast and easy.
  • Online Reviews: Automatically ask for reviews and keep an eye on your customer satisfaction score (CSI).
  • Reports & Scoring: See how well you're doing with customer communication using the DES Score™.

What Are the Benefits of a DES

Service needs to be fast, digital, and transparent. That's why a DES isn't just a convenience, it's a necessity.
Kimoby has spent over 12 years evolving alongside dealerships, adding tools like video walkarounds, mobile payments, AI-powered messaging, and more. They are all designed to elevate the service experience.
  • Increase the amount of money you make per repair order (RO)
  • Keep more customers coming back after their warranty ends
  • Make customers happier and get better reviews
  • Cut down on paper and save time
  • Build long-term loyalty

Why is It Important Now

The service department makes the most money for most dealerships. But it's getting harder to keep up.

  • There aren't enough trained technicians
  • Customers are going to independent repair shops
  • It's hard to keep high customer satisfaction scores (CSI)
  • Many departments don't work well together

A DES helps fix all of these problems by making communication clearer, faster, and more personal.

The Dealership Engagement Score (DES Score™)

Our data proves that most dealerships are leaving serious money on the table in fixed ops.

We’ve seen firsthand how dealerships who embrace full engagement can outperform their peers. That’s why we created the DES Score™, to help fixed ops teams understand where they stand and what they can achieve with better engagement.

It looks at:

  • How often you message customers
  • Whether you use tools like videos and mobile payments
  • How easy you make things for the customer

Dealerships with high DES Scores get more service approvals and keep more customers. In fact, increasing your DES Score could increase your Repair Order value by up to 322%. It's the only way to see where you can improve and how much more money you could make.

Final Thoughts

The future of service isn't just about fixing cars. It's about how you connect with your customers.

A Dealership Engagement System like Kimoby helps you modernize, improve customer relationships, and grow your business.

It's not just a helpful tool, it's something your dealership needs to stay ahead.

Want to see how you're doing?

Try the free our Dealership Engagement Score Calculator and find out how much more your dealership could grow.