· DealerInt Team

How do you enforce override policy at a dealership?

Enforce override policy by requiring mandatory reason capture before approvals. When every override has a structured reason, managers can't bypass policy silently. DealerInt prompts at the point of decision, creating accountability. Dashboards surface policy drift for GMs to address.

Root cause analysis

Dealerships lose margin when overrides go unrecorded or undocumented. Most DMS systems log that an override occurred but not the structured reason. Without reason capture at the point of decision, GMs cannot aggregate patterns or enforce policy. DealerInt fills this gap by prompting for reason codes when overrides occur.

Dealership example

A mid-size dealership noticed gross per unit had declined. Spot checks showed inconsistent override documentation.

  • Override rate (before): 4.5%
  • Override rate (90 days post-DealerInt): 2.9%
  • Estimated recovery: $200K–$400K annually

After implementing DealerInt, override volume dropped and gross per unit recovered. The GM used dashboard data to tighten policy on competitive matches and loyalty discounts.

DealerInt solution mapping

DealerInt captures override reasons at the point of decision via a Chrome extension. Works with CDK, Tekion, DealerTrack, Reynolds & Reynolds, and other web-based DMS systems. No API integration. Dashboards show override volume by reason, department, and location.

Step-by-step fix

  1. 1

    Define policy and reason codes

    Document which override reasons are allowed and what proof is required. Configure DealerInt reason codes to match your policy.

  2. 2

    Install DealerInt

    Add the Chrome extension on all machines where managers access the DMS. Sign in and configure. No API integration required.

  3. 3

    Train managers

    Explain that reason capture protects them and helps the store. The prompt takes seconds. Get buy-in before enforcement.

  4. 4

    Review first week's data

    Check the dashboard for override volume by reason, manager, and location. Use as baseline for policy refinement.

  5. 5

    Tighten policy where needed

    If competitive match dominates without proof, require documentation. Track override rate and gross per unit. Adjust as needed.

  6. 6

    Schedule ongoing reviews

    Review dashboards weekly (managers) and monthly (GM). DealerInt users typically see override rates decline within 90 days.

In summary

In summary: Enforce override policy by requiring mandatory reason capture before approvals. When every override has a structured reason, managers can't bypass policy silently. DealerInt prompts at the point of de... DealerInt captures override reasons in real time. Typical results: 30–40% override rate decline within 90 days. No DMS replacement required.

References

Author

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