DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — DMEautomotive has launched Mobile Loyalty, a new mobile app-enabled customer loyalty program targeting today’s “always-on” customer. The app is designed to help dealerships capture greater loyalty and increase service retention and visits from an increasingly mobile, increasingly disloyal dealership customer.

Using email and mobile app messaging with push notifications, the new program is able to reach customers on the go — and on their smartphones — with loyalty rewards. New enhancements to Driver Connect, DMEa’s consumer-facing, dealer-branded mobile app, enable consumers to easily track loyalty points and receive loyalty rewards from their dealership right where they are increasingly active, on their mobile apps.  

“The average dealership’s service visit interval has increased from 140 to 145 days, costing dealers an average of $91K in lost revenue each year – meaning customer loyalty is more critical to dealerships than ever,” said Mike Walther, president and CEO of DMEautomotive. “We created our new Mobile Loyalty program because our research and experience proves that mobile-centric programs mean better business and that loyalty programs increase retention. By enhancing Driver Connect to join seamlessly with our loyalty program, dealers can start driving even more customers into service bays and showrooms.”

Customers using DMEautomotive Mobile Loyalty receive mobile app push notifications and emails informing them of their reward eligibility. They can easily track their points and future rewards through the app, including points for dollars spent on sales and service at the dealership. After reaching dealer specified thresholds, customers receive gift certificate that they can claim via the app.

According to DMEautomotive, customers who use a dealer-branded mobile app are 73% more likely to purchase a vehicle and will spend 7% more on a vehicle purchase. And customers who download a dealer-branded mobile app make 25% more dealership service appointments.

Less than half of consumers are likely to visit a dealership for “bread and butter” core maintenance services within the first two years of ownership, officials noted. Within 7 years, only 13% of customers will select dealerships for these services. But, on a more positive note, 62% of customers surveyed expressed an interest in joining an automotive loyalty program according to data from DMEautomotive.