premier solutions 2

Toyota Fast Track (aka Premier Solutions 2) is their effort to help Toyota dealers drive customers to our service departments for regular maintenance. You always have to remember that the numbers of mailers they can generate is their driving force not your data accuracy. It's the numbers that generate their profits and they feel that since Toyota is paying 50% who's going to complain. They also count on the fact that as busy service managers we don't have the resources or time to put out our own, so we just go along. What I intend on doing is to offer some information that may make you a better customer and possibly improve your mailings performance.

It's really not too bad a program, but as with most "Factory" supported efforts, it fails to deliver any more that a washed out effort compared to what could be done.

I have used this program from it's inception in the early 90's and since we are forced to participate to collect the 50% co-op, most dealers who are not in the Southeast Toyota or Gulf States Toyota (more on them later) areas use this format.

The following is my eye opening experience with Fast Track and their workings.

They have regional offices to contact, or at least we get that feeling and the rep's are pretty good but don't expect a quick decision or even a return call if you have a problem. Since RL Polk is the force behind the program they aren't used to be questioned and it is the size company that the powers to be at Toyota are comfortable with, so change is really, really, slow.

I had a problem late last year where I added a decimal point (I used the on line forms for updates) and that mistake could have cost me thousands. It was a service that should have sold for $69.95 but went to print at $0.69. The only thing that saved me is the mailing went out late and in a rush to update their internet site Fast Track changed all the expiration dates to end in 2002. My coupon was to be effective for December 2002 until Jan. 2003, their change made the mailing effective from December 26, 2002 to January 1, 2003. The good side of this is I complained enough, this took some persistence to say the least, and received a full credit for that mailing.

Here are some of the other quirks I uncovered:

They have an interesting way of locating the customers from your customer database. They dial in twice a month to update the accuracy of their records (this really is an oxymoron since numbers of mailings not accuracy is the goal). They then use their magic software to place a time/mileage forecast to your customers and generate a reminder when needed. Sounds good but behind the scenes is the problem with how they handle the customers records.

If you have some non-Toyota customers, they will receive reminders, this can be good or bad - your choice. They are supposed to remove any non Toyota owners but some slip through.

If you try to update a wrong mailing address for a customer it won't take effect until the next time the customer comes in for repairs. It seems that their twice a month data retrieval does not update mailing address changes, it's only when accompanied with a new repair order. What this does is puts that customer out of receiving any reminders until they stumble in again for service all the while thinking you did not try to contact them inviting them back.

Fast Track does have a solution for wrong mailing addresses, dropped customers or delete customers. Their internet site has a feature to change any customer information, but with all big companies there is a problem. You may think that once a change is made that it takes place immediately since, surely they software programs talk to each other once the submit key is hit, but nooooooo. Any change you make will take up to 3 months to be in effect so again erroneous mailers are being sent with Toyota and you paying the bill.

Their software does not recognize all address formats. You know that in your dealer the customers information is generated from all sorts of places. RL Polk can only sort the address and correctly address a mailer from the line they designate from your customers file. This is not a fault of theirs since, lets face it there are limitations for software designers, the problem is that they don't share that information of what they need, so corrections can be made then the wait starts until it's actually changed in their mailing lists.

The list of good/bad can go on but since we all get pressure from our Rep's to use the factory systems we sometimes just act like sheep and follow along. If you are not using the first class feature you really don't know how accurate your mailings are or where the money is being wasted. Try going first class for a while the extra money spent (remember you are only spending 50%) to get a better feel for how effective the program is.

If any of you out there are using some other company, liked Planned Maintenance, let me know how it's going. I know that the SET dealers use their own program that is so much better in execution and design, but I'm sure there are ways some of you have been able to tweak the system to get better results.

If you have some input or ideas you want to share please let me know fasttrack@yotarepair.com