I had a BHPH dealer in Houston tell me “I hate my DMS and you have a much better product, but I could just never switch systems.”

This was surprising because this is a forward thinking dealer who is not scared of new technology. He was early an early customer of a new CRM and underwriting software, but he grimaced upon thinking about switching DMSs.
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After probing more, we found two reasons causing his anxiety:

• Losing his data

• Training his staff
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He had heard horror stories of data conversions gone wrong. Dealers unable to tell the customer the right payment schedule and balances. Customers furious, thinking the dealer was trying to take advantage of them. Perplexed staff trying to learn a new system. Employees yelling at the owner for switching away from what worked.
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Switching systems does not have to be painful. Sure, there will typically be a week long adjustment period. Switching systems seems painful, but only because existing systems have not done it well. A DMS should do the following in a conversion:
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Ensure that all of your data is migrated accurately. We recommend the following steps:

• The DMS should import your data into a test environment and spot check the data with you a month in advance. You should check:

• Total payoff, amount collected, insurance, promises to pay, past due amount, sidenotes, insurance information, payment schedule, and customer information at a minimum

• The DMS should do another test if the data was not 100% accurate

• Get your data the night before go-live and run it into a test environment
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Ensure your staff is set up for success:

• The DMS should train your staff in person for at least the first two days. Someone from the DMS should be there to ensure the first deals, payments, and other customer calls go smoothly

• You should have a clear point of contact (sometimes referred to as a Customer Success Manager)

• They should pick up the phone whenever you call

• You should have access to a clear help library for self-support
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LeftLane takes pride in ensuring conversions are smooth. It is a point of pride for us. Reach out to us if you are interested in learning more about the switching process.