We’ve all been there: sitting in a dealership waiting room, scrolling through our phones, and watching the clock tick by. No matter how nice the coffee machine or how friendly the staff, your customers would rather be anywhere else than waiting for an appointment.
So what if you could reduce this “dead time” for your customers while also unlocking unique revenue-generating opportunities for your dealership?
At CheckMy Driver, we’re seeing more dealerships and service departments leverage our express check-in flow to improve their customer experience, boost staff efficiency, and sharpen their sales approach.
The Auto Industry’s Problem with Friction
When it comes to the customer experience, friction shows up at different spots throughout the sales process. According to the CDK Global 2025 Friction Points study, 61% of shoppers said they completed the entire sales process in two hours or less– up from 54% the previous year. But more shoppers experienced waits at nearly every step of the buying journey– notably the test drive, price negotiation, and vehicle selection.
Where Shoppers Waited the Most
% of Dealership Customers Who Waited at Each Step
This is what lies at the core of the dealership’s friction problem. The challenge isn’t just about completing a deal quickly; it’s about eliminating the moments that cause customers to mentally check out and get annoyed. That’s why offering options like express check-in can have such a significant impact on customer experience, giving the shopper a greater sense of control over their time.
How Express Check-In Changes the Game
Traditionally, when a customer comes into the dealership for an appointment, their first stop is the front desk for check-in. Depending on the visit, this may mean confirming their identity, providing information on their vehicle and its needs, or verifying insurance. This can lead to frontloading within the department, creating significant delays and long lines during busy times.
With CheckMy Driver, dealerships can give their customers the tools they need to complete the bulk of the work from home. Then, once they come in for their appointment, the dealer can view their pre-filled information to get them checked in faster.
CheckMy Driver’s AI-driven adequacy engine allows dealers to verify their customer’s ID and insurance in less than two minutes before they even set foot in the dealership.
Send your customer a verification link when they book the appointment, and they’ll be able to complete all of the necessary steps from home, on their own device.
Then, once they show up for their appointment, you can open their pre-filled verification and trigger a new check– eliminating a 10-15 minute process from their time at the dealership.
Turning streamlined check-in into revenue
While it’s clear how express check-in can improve internal efficiency and free up staff time, how does it directly lead to increased revenue? There are several ways that auto businesses are translating their check-in process improvements to their top line– including some surprising ones.
Leveraging Customer-Driven Growth
The most obvious impact of providing a quicker check-in process is elevating the customer experience. A smooth, frustration-free check-in process shows that you value your customer’s time, making them more likely to become repeat customers and refer new business.
Because of the flywheel effect of happy customers, this outcome can have a major impact on your dealership’s revenue. In fact, studies find that increasing customer retention rates by just 5% increases profits by 25% to 95%.
Initiating In-Depth Conversations
When your staff isn’t bogged down with paperwork and data entry, their time is freed up for what matters most: talking to customers. Express check-in allows your team to skip the administrative details and dive right into more meaningful conversations.
This is the perfect opportunity to discuss what the customer is looking for, where they’re at in their sales process, and how you can best meet their needs. Creating more organic connections can help you uncover new opportunities and lead to more sales– but only if you have the time to do it genuinely.
Get Strategic with Your Service Offerings
Any experienced service tech knows that a service appointment isn’t just about getting the job done– it’s also a chance to increase sales. With express check-in, your team has more time to engage with customers about their needs. They can have more in-depth conversations about additional service needs, upgrades the customer might be interested in, or even what they’re looking for in their next vehicle.
In fact, one standout trend in auto sales is the rise of the extended test drive. According to 86% of car buyers, a test drive obtained from a loaner vehicle is what ultimately sold them on their vehicle. By providing a courtesy vehicle that you know your customer may be interested in purchasing down the line, you can move them through the buying journey while servicing their vehicle– without adding more touchpoints.
The Bigger Picture: The Future of AI in Auto
Express check-in can have a surprisingly large impact on your business, but it’s also just the tip of the iceberg. Studies show that AI is already having a significant early impact on the automotive industry, with 32% of dealers claiming to have incorporated AI-based solutions into their variable operations. Of those, 46% reported that their lead-to-close ratio improved after applying AI.
Currently, the use of AI in dealerships skews heavily toward sales and lead nurturing, with AI-powered chatbots and virtual sales assistants leading the charge. But there are many untapped opportunities for integrated solutions like CheckMy Driver to improve efficiency and power insights with AI.
By streamlining the fundamental processes of your dealership today, you can unlock short-term gains while also laying the groundwork for a more data-driven and efficient organization.
