Not Preloading Key Replacement? Maybe You Should….

Preloads seem to be the classic ‘love it or hate it’ scenario with most dealers. There is a misconception that preloading anything will automatically turn-off the customer or make the dealership look shady by adding something that was not requested.

But could there be a preload that is CRAZY beneficial and something every customer should be thankful is included with the purchase of their new car?

Yep. Key replacement.

It’s one of the least expensive ancillaries you can offer and every car you sell has the uber-expensive remote fobs that NO ONE wants to pay to replace. And lease customers? Just remind them missing keys are charged at turn-in...they will be happy to have it.

The truth is some customers may not be ready for a high dollar preload and that’s ok. Key replacement is easy to sell on the sales floor and should always be priced with a reasonable margin in mind.

Offer to every new car buyer, both finance AND lease. Advertise it as a branded benefit of buying at your store...that you understand the replacement cost of a key fob is too expensive and your dealership makes sure you never have to take on that cost.

Or something like that…

Have the sales team trained up to let the customer know what the exact cost is to replace the key on the models you sell. Have an invoice handy. Be ready to paint the picture of what it’s really like to replace one.

The average new car remote key fob runs about $300 or more depending on the manufacturer. Offering this with every new car purchase should be a no-brainer for your entire inventory. Besides, making a few thousand more per month in profit is always good, right?

Click here to see how you can add truKey to your inventory today.