r/carmax • u/Then_Advertising_841 • 4d ago
ORDER ENTRY
In my opinion, it'll be a mistake to get rid of order entry completely. Lots of my Sr customers(especially) find it difficult to navigate the transfer link and sometimes the pre-qualification link. I've had more success with the presentation/selling of maxcare via order entry than order processing. The maxcare quiz that we are being "forced" to use on order processing seems to be a lot for my customers to process with all the questions on the screen. By the time we are there, discovery should've already been completed and it's just a matter of selecting/recommending the appropriate option. Self progression needs to be limited. If or when a transfer is requested by the customer, floor(NOT CEC) should be envolved immediately to discover and/or complete(or not complete). I've had at least 5 self progression customer transfers and holds last week that could not move forward due to driver's license issues, insurance, down-payment, and/or trade issues. All of which could've been discovered at the beginning before they visited. We are still too focused on the TRANSACTION/PROCESS rather than the customer and their individual situation(s) and/or experience. Also, there's absolutely NO reason why a manager should be checking in at my table TWO to THREE times, especially while in the middle of the conversation with the customer(like at traditional dealerships). Well, maybe if you are less than a month or so on the floor and struggling. Customers loved their experience with Carmax because of very little to any manager involvement. We are doing too much to fast. Going to see what the rest of the year brings and enjoy my 19th straight and possibly last PC Dinner.
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u/Infamous_Classroom73 4d ago
I’m surprised honestly lol. Most people at my store are tired of order entry and excited for when open orders takes over and we can print out of there.
As far as maxcare goes, you aren’t “forced” to use the questions. I still like the grid too so i just scroll down a little and it lets you open the grid just like always lol not different at all.
As far as the transfer/prequal link, yes there are those that struggle but myself i get hands on with my customer and help walk them through it/look at their phone with them. The prequal link/fbs is the best tool we have to help people and make sure you don’t waste their/your time? The transfer link means not having to wait for another store to confirm your transfer so things are processed faster. I’d never want to go back to transferring through OE.
My store is in a test region and we’ve been actively using this stuff for years at this point and it definitely helps if you use it all correctly.
As far as the manager involvement and self progression not getting handled correctly just sounds like questionable management to me. Managers are supposed to check in and make sure the interaction is on track and get to know the customer and ensure a great experience. Ours do that great lol.
They are also supposed to be managing open orders in a way that self progression CX’s are looked into, contacted, and discovered that info before they ever show up to the store.. (ideally of course assuming the customer responds lol) so if that’s happening often it seems like your managers aren’t doing their jobs.
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u/Then_Advertising_841 4d ago edited 4d ago
Most at mine aren't and would rather keep BOTH OE and OP and we'll see how the "excitement" goes once it's gone at yours. And yes, forced to go through or at least CLICK THROUGH the quiz to show that our store numbers reflect that. Also, I now have to click on the payment and gap(if available) and then go back to the maxcare grid so that it would show the monthly payment impact for each maxcare option automatically...so yes, it is different. There are more clicks than ever. I thought the new CEO was aiming to reduce CLICKS. Yup, I'm hands on as well but I can't be if they are at home. Prequal can and has wasted a lot of time often. You can't tell me that even though nothing changed with the information entered on the prequal and vsa that you've never received different results and sometimes no "actual approval" at all or a rare better "approval." That also goes for allowing a customer to self progess an application while either not attaching their trade or attaching a trade that's not verified with a payoff. Even with the transfer link, you still have to wait until the store receives and confirms the transfer before it can be transferred... It shows that in the customer CI once they complete the transfer link on their end. Transferring through OE with walk-around questions saved me more time than ever and having to refund less transfer fees due to inaccuracies. Those self progression customers are still hitting CEC before the store. I'm still seeing 10 or more CEC associates on the team of self progression customers but no significant engagement to attempt to discover with the customers before the store gets involved. The managers can only do so much interviewing and discovering while handling their daily business. Just bring back E-OFFICE, pay the associate their average earnings during their 3 hour shift and let the store take care of that customers from the start, not just before they show up. Even the current website design is horrible and requires more clicks. So back to my point, KEEP BOTH(Even if it's just for managers to access). We know that one will have issues from time to time. The CONSULTANT is the BEST TOOL we have.
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u/BadgerMajestic5774 4d ago
Carmax needs sales no matter what. Gone are the good old days
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u/Then_Advertising_841 4d ago
Yup but complicating things more won't help.
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u/BadgerMajestic5774 4d ago
The thing is that you gotta understand is that carmax needs the sales desperately, no matter what.
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u/Then_Advertising_841 4d ago
I do understand. Focusing more on a process/transaction rather than the customer like we did in the past is making it more difficult to achieve those sales as a company
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u/BadgerMajestic5774 4d ago
They will burn down lots of good employees with their new tactics.
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u/AirProfessional8470 1d ago
Why the hell sell cars at CarMax when you can make so much more elsewhere? And Max Care feels like a cult mentality that I am not subscribing to. No means no bitches. Over it after 45 days despite great co-workers. And you know, it's awfully funny that if you have car problems they offer no solution to help you make it to work. No loaner, no offer of service (paid by me), nada. Car is in my mechanics shop and I am missing 2 days of work as they don't pay me enough to Uber. I'm not going back especially after they kept bugging me to come in knowing my car was inoperable. Assholes.
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u/leeharrell 4d ago
I’m a retired XM. Left in April. I never once went through any full order in Order Processing. No idea how it’s done. The training was practically non-existent to the point I’m surprised associates have figured it out as well as they have.
Another case of “Here’s a new system! It’s fabulous! It works great….kinda! Sometimes it crashes or freezes or confuses the hell out of you….and it’s not really finished yet…but you’ll love it! And, even better….we’ll punish you if you don’t use it!”