HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. -

Now the service department advisor or repair technician literally can use new technology and say to your dealership customers, “Here, let me show you!”

On Monday, CDK Global introduced CDK ServiceView, a video and communications tool powered by TruVideo, for dealership service departments using CDK Service and Elead Service.

The company highlighted that this tool is designed to empower service technicians to record and send videos of vehicle inspections and communicate directly with customers regarding recommended maintenance and repairs on their vehicles.

According to a company news release, 2020 study conducted by the CDK found that 55% of customers who bought a vehicle from a dealership said they don’t trust dealers due to frequent upselling of unrequired services and not keeping them informed of updates during the service process.

CDK ServiceView can help dealers directly address these concerns and can help build back trust with the 74% of customers who said they would consider returning to dealerships for service in the future.

“CDK ServiceView is a great example of our continued investments in research and technology focused on helping dealers stay ahead of important retail trends,” CDK Global senior vice president Scott Thompson said. “Our research shows that building trust is key to retaining customers and growing service business.

“Through our collaboration with a pioneer and industry leader in service video technology like TruVideo, we will improve the quality and frequency of communications between service departments and their customers and empower dealers to provide frictionless experiences that build trust through transparency,” Thompson continued.

Features of CDK ServiceView for dealers include:

— High-definition videos created via smartphone that can be sent by text message directly to customers to view at their convenience

— Two-way texting between the service department and their customers to discuss video evaluations and approve or decline proposed vehicle service

— Internal chat function for dealership personnel to ensure fast and frequent communications between departments

— Real-time analytics on tool utilization, customer sentiment and engagement

— Compliance with increasing manufacturer requirements that dealers include video as part of the consumer experience

“In today’s digital age, we see how impactful video is as a way to improve connections between people,” said Dewayne Sanders, who is the service director at North Park Lexus of San Antonio and user of the TruVideo technology.

“Through this tool, we are taking the mystery out of vehicle service for our customers and better engaging them in the process,” Sanders continued in the CDK news release. “This increase in transparency has already shown improvements with our customer relationships and increased our service business by 26%.”