Your dealership, even on its slowest days, can still feel busy. Data shows that car dealerships sell approximately 14 million new cars in the United States each year, which breaks down to around 38,356 cars sold each day. With each vehicle sold comes mounds of corresponding paperwork — both for your customers and for the government to process. Even getting one number off on your paperwork can stall the purchasing process. Knowing what mistakes are most common, however, can keep you ahead of the game. Here are some of the most common mistakes we see (and how to avoid them).
Common Dealer Paperwork Mistakes
Improper sales worksheets
Throughout the sales process, the pricing of a car will fluctuate depending on a lot of factors. Fees, credit information, third-party payment plans — these all have to be accounted for during the complete sales cycle. However, with so much changing in agreements, it’s not uncommon for inconsistencies to arise on a form or two. This can lead to frustrations and incorrect math, especially when the final number isn’t what the customer expected at the end of the financing process.
Poor quality copy of driver’s license
When buying a car, a customer’s driver’s license will be copied a dozen times or more. However, it’s important that each copy of that driver’s license is legible. A few tips for the driver’s license: avoid color copies, and always make the copies at a larger size. You should also make sure the name on the ID matches the name on the contract. Names might not match if a customer was recently married, for example. You should get confirmation of the marriage (if that’s the case), or check the AKA on the credit report and notate that information accordingly.
Wrong car data
VINs, car years, and even the make and model of the cars can get confusing, especially after a lengthy sales process. You have a lot of cars on your lot; it’s not uncommon to get tripped up over your inventory. However, wrong information — even listed wrong on one bit of paperwork — can lead to a snowball effect.
How to Avoid These Mistakes
Double (or triple check) everything
This seems like the simplest solution to most of these problems. Go over your work before signing off. Have the customer confirm their name, payment information, final sale price, and address.
Train your employees
Your employees won’t know what they don’t know. Proper training can help them learn what mistakes to keep an eye on. This also makes them more proactive when it comes to filing paperwork.
Know and use the process
Dealerships often have an overarching process or way to do things. That process can sometimes feel tedious, but cutting corners often leads to something slipping through the cracks. If you keep bypassing those processes, those cracks get deeper. Before you know it, you’ve got bigger headaches than a lengthy (but comprehensive) sales process. Know the recommended paperwork process, and remember: “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
At OATA, we understand that mistakes happen. That’s why we offer comprehensive clerking services to dealers who need the extra hands (and eyeballs) to check for mistakes. Simply use our drop off services or submit the paperwork online with the appropriate data, and we’ll fill out the correct paperwork for your dealership. We make registration processes quick and easy with a friendly, experienced staff. Give us a call at 407-574-5484 or get in touch with us online.
