From Aftersales to Ownership: A Keyloop perspective

The automotive industry is evolving, and so is the way we think about the post-purchase experience. At Keyloop, we’re moving away from the traditional term aftersales and we’re moving towards Ownership. We believe this term fully reflects the vast opportunities this phase has to offer. By looking at aftersales through an Ownership lens, we’re able to maximise on both lead generation and customer loyalty. 

By shifting focus from a purely sales-centric view to one that prioritises the customer experience, dealerships can unlock tremendous potential—not only by optimising resource management and workflows, but also by ensuring customers receive a seamless, personalised service throughout their vehicle’s lifecycle.  

Ownership is no longer just about maintaining vehicles, it’s about building long-term relationships that drive loyalty and future sales. 

The Ownership opportunity 

Many retailers have well-established processes within their Ownership operations, but as our Director of Product for Ownership, Chris Munday explains, there are still opportunities to optimise: 

“Retailers believe they can do more in this space. This is the exciting part of working within Ownership: there’s significant opportunity to create exceptional customer experiences and achieve levels of operational efficiency and profitability that go beyond what we see today.” 

Ownership, when fully optimised, can serve as a powerful engine for driving customer engagement, from offering personalised services to enhancing overall satisfaction across the vehicle lifecycle. 

Harnessing digital and data solutions to optimise efficiency 

Retailers can unlock the full potential of Ownership through digital transformation and data connectivity. Solutions like Keyloop’s Service Hub are at the forefront of this shift. By leveraging seamless integration, retailers can not only streamline their internal processes but also deliver a more convenient, connected customer experience. 

“Digital Ownership solutions provide two main benefits,” Chris shares. “First, they help create a joyful and seamless customer journey. Second, they maximise workshop efficiency, productivity, and profitability by simplifying tasks for staff, while also accelerating upsell opportunities and approvals.” 

As more dealerships embrace digital solutions with omnichannel capabilities, the workshop’s day-to-day activities become more intuitive. From automating repair orders to enabling natural, faster customer communication, the efficiency gains lead to greater productivity and, ultimately, higher revenue per repair order. 

Fostering loyalty through Ownership 

With customer choice at an all-time high, a retailer’s ability to foster loyalty post-purchase is critical. While car purchases are a one-off transaction for most customers, the interactions during Ownership define the retailer’s relationship with the customer. 

“When a customer buys a vehicle, the interaction is fleeting,” Chris explains. “But throughout the lifetime of owning that vehicle, the customer interacts with the retailer regularly. During these Ownership interactions, trust is built. If the process is smooth, transparent, and tailored to the customer’s needs, they will keep coming back, whether for service work or when it’s time to purchase their next car.” 

The Ownership experience, therefore, becomes a cornerstone of loyalty. It’s where retailers have the chance to turn each interaction into a touchpoint that deepens the customer relationship and reinforces trust. 

Innovations shaping the future of Ownership 

At Keyloop, we’re building the next generation of Ownership solutions by drawing on our deep experience in the field. Our products, such as Service Hub, are designed to meet the immediate needs of today’s retailers while keeping an eye on the future. 

“The products we’re developing are built on decades of experience in Ownership solutions,” Chris says. “This means we’re trusted in the market. But we’re also pushing the envelope with new technology, including product design, user experience (UX), AI, and product analytics. We ensure that our innovations are grounded in real-world feedback, meaning the value we aspire to deliver reaches our users.” 

By integrating artificial intelligence, data analytics, and user-centric design, our products are built to continuously evolve, adapting to retailers’ changing needs while driving continuous improvement. 

Service Hub exemplifies how digital innovation can transform the Ownership journey. Built as a connected ecosystem of applications, it caters to the needs of every stakeholder involved in the post-purchase process, from the customer to service advisors, technicians, and workshop controllers. Each of these personas interacts with the platform in ways that simplify their tasks and enhance overall efficiency. 

“Service Hub is designed with one goal in mind: to make it easier for each stakeholder to achieve their objectives—whether it’s making a booking, creating a repair order, clocking time, or communicating with the customer about additional work,” Chris explains. 

But what truly sets Service Hub apart is its seamless integration with our wider Automotive Retail Platform, Fusion. Whether syncing with the DMS, your ecommerce website, accessing retailer data, or interfacing with OEM systems, these integrations enable the kind of personalisation that elevates the experience for both retailers and customers. From tailored service reminders to targeted offers, the ability to draw from multiple data points makes the customer journey smoother and more personalised. 

The future of automotive retail lies in maximising the potential of Ownership. Retailers who leverage digital data solutions, are not only improving efficiency and driving profitability but are also laying the foundation for long-term customer loyalty. As Chris notes, “The Ownership journey is where retailers can really shine. By optimising it, we can help them unlock value that benefits both their operations and their customers.”