The customer is here and the car is not ready
The customer took the afternoon off. They arrive at two for their handover. The car is on the handover bay, but the number plates are the dealer's trade plates because the new ones were not ordered. The floor mats in the accessory pack are still in the parts department. The fuel light is on.
The salesperson apologises, sends someone to the parts counter, and asks the customer to wait. It is supposed to be the best moment of the purchase. It feels like a scramble.
A handover is a dozen small tasks with different owners
Handover preparation spans sales, workshop, parts, valeting and admin. Each one knows its own part, but the salesperson is the only person who cares about the whole, and they are busy selling.
- Registration and plates are handled by admin.
- PDI, prep and accessory fitting are workshop jobs.
- Accessories and mats come from parts.
- Valet and fuel are done by the valeting team or a porter.
- Paperwork and the handover pack are prepared by sales or admin.
Nothing ties these to the handover date. Each department works from its own list, and if one item slips nobody notices until the day.
What a messy handover costs
The customer's last impression of the sale is the handover, and it shapes what they say in reviews and manufacturer surveys. A franchised dealer may be measured on those surveys.
Delayed handovers take up salespeople's time twice, and handovers rescheduled because a task was missed push back the sale in your figures.
Month end makes it worse. When a large number of handovers fall in the last few days, every department is under pressure at once, and the tasks most likely to slip are the small ones nobody owns: the fuel, the mats, the second key, the locking wheel nut. Those are exactly the things customers notice.
How we build the handover checklist
- When a deal is agreed, a handover record is created from the DMS or on a simple screen, with the car, the customer and the handover date.
- A checklist is generated for that type of sale: new, used, with accessories, with a part exchange.
- Each task is assigned to a department and given a due date counted back from the handover date.
- Departments see their tasks on their own screen and mark them done, with a photo where useful, such as plates fitted.
- The salesperson sees the whole checklist and is warned when any task is overdue, while there is still time to fix it.
- On the morning of the handover, a final check confirms everything is done, and the customer can be sent a friendly reminder of what to bring.
| Task | Owner | Due |
|---|---|---|
| Plates ordered and fitted | Admin | Days before |
| PDI or prep complete | Workshop | Days before |
| Accessories fitted | Parts and workshop | Day before |
| Valet and fuel | Valet team | Morning of |
Anything relating to finance agreements or regulated paperwork stays in your existing process. The checklist tracks that it is done; it does not advise on it.
Handovers that feel planned
The salesperson knows two days ahead if anything is behind. Departments see their handover tasks alongside their other work. The customer arrives to a car with the right plates, the right accessories and a full tank, and the handover is about the car rather than the apologies.
Signs your handovers need this
- Something is missing at most handovers.
- Salespeople chase departments on handover day.
- Accessories are fitted while the customer waits.
- Handovers are rescheduled because a task was missed.
- Handover experience comes up in reviews or surveys.