The Company

Walser Automotive Group has been family-owned and operated in Minnesota for over 60 years, where they pioneered their ‘Best Price First’ philosophy, offering the lowest price they can on every vehicle from the start, no hassle or haggling required. It’s the Walser way!

Walser Subaru in Burnsville serves the entire Minneapolis area, where their dedication to customers extends long after the sale as the go-to new and used Subaru car dealer.

The Problem

With the current microchip shortage, many brands have had to slow down production, adding to an already increasing inventory shortage as consumers have returned to market and are purchasing at a higher rate. Even when there isn’t an inventory shortage, it’s understood in the automotive industry that margins are made in the service bay, which is why it is especially concerning that:

“Service seems to be an area in a dealership that’s forgotten more often than not from a marketing perspective.”Alex HermeGSM

Walser Subaru needed to maximize the potential of their in-stock inventory while putting more focus back on service.

The Solution

Walser Burnsville Subaru uses Outsell’s Virtual Customer Engagement platform to send dynamic sales and service content to remind customers of service and maintenance opportunities while sending ongoing monthly communications to keep the dealership top of mind. This includes equity content to stay ahead of potential upgrade momentum and trade-ins. Outsell’s AI-driven platform allows Walser Burnsville Subaru to focus on in-market servicers, which helps avoid wasteful marketing spend.

Walser Burnsville Subaru also utilized Outsell’s On-Demand Campaigns to find customers who might be interested in trading in their car or making a new purchase. Outsell’s Find-a-Trade-In feature prioritizes outreach to customers who may be interested in making a change and allows dealers to stock inventory by acquiring that used vehicle. The Similar Payments feature shows customers vehicles for which the monthly payments would be the same as what they have now, encouraging them to use their equity to make a new purchase.

“Outsell’s service campaigns help bring service ‘out of the dark’.”Alex HermeGSM

The Results

From June 2020 through May 2021 (12 months), Walser Subaru’s service campaigns average:

• 35 linked ROs per month, coming from customers who had not serviced in over 180 days.
• $6,211 per month in gross profit per month from lapsed servicers alone.

Walser Subaru’s sales & on-demand campaigns generated:

• 33 linked sales from “Prior Service Only” customers, resulting in $38,780 in total gross profit over the last 10 months (Sep. ’20 through June ’21).
• 77 linked sales from on-demand campaigns (move-a-model, find-a-trade/equity finder, and similar payments), resulting in $79,140 in total gross profit over the last 7 months (Dec. ’20 through June ’21).
• Of all Walser Subaru’s linked sales with Outsell, this accounts for 35%.

Walser Burnsville Subaru continues to see measurable results with Outsell’s data-driven, personalized omnichannel solution. Until inventory improves in 2022 and beyond, the use of on-demand campaigns will be a crucial component for driving service and acquiring more vehicles to fill their lot, all part of an ever-expanding partnership with Outsell.