If you cater to them, ride-hail drivers will come

Bill O'Flanagan, president of Reedman-Toll Auto Group in southeast Pennsylvania, recognizes the need to cater to the ride-hail driver market.

"More people in urban areas may be flipping to ride-share from cars, but cars aren't being used less," he said in a pre-pandemic interview. "If we're not reaching out to the ride-sharing community, we're losing service business."

To better cater to ride-hail drivers, it is important to understand their schedules and needs, Reedman-Toll Vice President Daryl Kessler says.

In late 2018, the group created a standalone, six-bay service area with a dedicated service manager for ride-hail and fleet service at its central Langhorne, Pa., campus.

It also includes a lounge, parking areas, extended hours and a host of driver amenities.

The purpose of the facility was twofold, Kessler says.

"We want them to come in and use the lounge, to hang out or take a break, get to know us," he says.

And, he believes, familiarity and good customer service will lead to ride-hail drivers using his dealership for their service needs.

The investment has paid off. Before the coronavirus pandemic hit, Kessler said that ride-hail drivers spent an average of around $200 per visit. Service revenue from ride-hail at the Langhorne location was around $30,000 per month, Kessler said.

"They're going through three years of service in one year," he adds. "Every maintenance item is three times as frequent — tires, filters, anything maintenance related."

The experience prompted the group to launch similar but slightly smaller-scale initiatives at its stores in Drexel Hill and Springfield, Pa., in 2019.

Ride-hail service revenue at the Springfield location is now $15,000 to $20,000 per month.