August 2020
Auto Dealers Showcase: How to Make Your Next Live Remodel a Success
Whether you are upgrading your dealership on your own or through a mandated reimaging initiative, updating your dealership can be critical to future growth. However, a week, a day, or even an hour your business is closed to customers can have a significant impact on your bottom line.
You can continue to operate your business during a remodel, but it takes careful planning. At Peter Schwabe, Inc., we draw upon decades of experience in creating comfortable, safe environments for our clients’ customers and employees during the construction process. Here are a few things we’ve learned over the years that can help your next remodel project run smoothly.
1. Determine Your Goals. Make a list of top priorities for your commercial renovation. Some common examples include:
• Bring in more customers
• Update your dealerships image
• Increase building size and/or employee efficiency
• Optimize space in your building
• Improve employee morale
2. Communicate with your customers and employees. Use your project as a reason to reach out to customers and employees and get them excited about your investment in your business. Use social media, press releases, your website, and even old-fashioned postal mail to communicate how the remodel will impact them. Include important information like how the upgrades will benefit them, or instructions related to parking, entryways, etc.
Continue to communicate with your stakeholders throughout the process to keep them engaged in and excited about your changes. Most importantly, ensure your customers that you are conducting business as usual during the project, and that you are taking measures to keep them comfortable and safe.
3. Schedule your project during slower months. Despite your – and your general contractor’s – best efforts to minimize disruption, noise, odors and dust will inevitably be part of your project. Scheduling your remodel during times when you have less foot traffic not only minimizes the impact on customers but allows contractors to move more efficiently. Consider scheduling your project during winter, when general contractors and subcontractors are generally less busy; this could potentially save you money and speed up the process.
4. Create comfort zones. Customers need to feel comfortable and safe during your project. An experienced general contractor will know how to securely separate the section under construction to maintain the cleanliness and safety of the rest of your site.
5. Offer an incentive. Give customers a reason to stop in during your construction process. A service coupon or trade-in incentive can help them forgive the minor inconvenience of some extra dust or noise during their visit.
6. Plan ahead. A preconstruction meeting with your general contractor will help eliminate surprises and unexpected delays. During this meeting, you will:
• Ensure permits have been acquired
• Plan for parking, traffic, delivery and pickup, and entrance disruptions
• Rearrange critical work areas and customer traffic
Are you planning a remodel or an addition sometime in the next several months? Have you set your goals and begun to plan? If so, now is the time to start looking for a contractor. Working with a commercial contractor that has experience in your industry is essential to a successful outcome. Your commercial contractor can help you plan a project that will meet your needs and goals for your dealership and business.
At Peter Schwabe, Inc., we help our clients to carefully plan their commercial renovations. We have over 90 years of experience working with commercial clients to plan and implement a successful remodel. To make an appointment to discuss your vision and your goals for your dealership, contact us today:
Michael Gilbert, Director of Business Development, mgilbert@pschwabe.com or 262-352-9786.
Project Profile: Umansky Motor Cars - Milwaukee Porsche North
Peter Schwabe, Inc. transformed this 22,000 square foot Porsche dealership in Glendale, Wisconsin, into a state-of-the-art Porsche facility. The owner's goal was to improve the functionality of the space while meeting the Porsche facility standards. Because this was a live remodel, it was critical that we adhere to a strict schedule and not impede on current dealership operations. Following the success of this project Umansky Motor Cars selected Peter Schwabe, Inc. for the remodel of and addition to the Service Department at its Mercedes-Benz/Sprinter dealership.