Pub. 4 2015-2016 Issue 4

Spring 2016 19 unheralded, but here’s the thing: registration and titling may not have the cache of digital marketing, but in today’s fast-lane speed of car sales, how it all comes together after the deal is done is among the most important aspects for dealer and customer. Indeed, arranging the documented purchase of a vehicle in this environment takes software-driven efficiency and personnel-managed expertise. It takes high-powered technology built around a smooth and always-on connection between experi- enced title clerks and a state DMV system– sup- ported by a service that takes care of mundane tasks and ensures speed, accuracy, and flexibility. Registration and Titling: A Traditional Transformation Since 2010 or so, the registration and titling side of automotive retail has made significant steps toward integrating with the online to in-store expectations of Millennials – and all car shop- pers. With increasing mandates by State DMVs to move away from traditional, paper-based methods and adopt online processes, dealer- ships are revamping the way they handle these transactions. It’s frankly a required efficiency standard, and not just due to government mandates: increasing sales volumes, shrink- ing gross profits, evermore complex laws and stringent requirements around the security of consumer data make technology-driven registration and titling a simple fact of life. Indeed, if dealerships fail to provide accurate and timely registration and titling services, they will eventually be faced with unhappy customers, disgruntled lenders, possible State fines, and penalties. Case in point: California stipulates that all dealers have a National Motor Vehicle Title Information System Report (NMVTIS) to show consumers, and since 2006, the State has adopted a Car Buyer’s Bill of Rights that includes transparency into the registration and titling process. Creating an Online to In-store Environment of Registration and Titling Efficiency In order to meet the expectations of today’s car buyers, satisfy State requirements and improve non-sales staff efficiency, dealerships must provide a connected and comprehen- sive service that emphasizes speed, accuracy, experience and a flexibility that scales to meet the ever-changing needs of today’s car buyers: Speed: Critical to handle increasing sales volumes, with a simple-to-use interface that anticipates the needs of data entry. Accuracy: Mistakes cost time and that hurts efficiency. A good system should have checks and balances in place to help ensure that sub- mitted work is flawless. Experience: Nomatter how advanced the tech- nology, only a service provider with deep expe- rience in the field can keep pace with changes to the complex world of vehicle titling and DMV regulations, compliance and PII mandates. Flexibility: Today’s registration and titling services should be able to handle in-state and out-of-state requirements equally well, and must be able to get titles released fast on vehicle trade-ins. Times are changing. And with those changes come new expectations from customers who approach vehicle purchases in an on-the-goway. That underlines the need for speed, accuracy and seamless integration across all dealership operations, from showroom to the registration and titling office.