4 Ways to Rev Up Powersports Peak Season With a Key Control System

The busy season at a powersports dealership is a whirlwind of activity. Customers are eager to get on the road or in the water to enjoy the great outdoors. To help your customers find the perfect vehicle for their next adventure, it’s important to prioritize the customer experience and avoid workflow interruptions.

During your prime selling period, an efficient key management system can help you in these four ways:

1. Keep Track of Demo Vehicles

If your dealership offers test rides, managing keys electronically allows you to see who has the key to each demo vehicle out at any given time so you don’t keep potential buyers waiting. Faster key access allows staff to spend more time with customers during demos, answering questions and providing a personalized experience.

2. Push Preowned Inventory

National Powersport Auctions (NPA) reports that prices on used inventory are currently strong, but market conditions will likely lead to a shorter peak season. To make the most of this shorter season, NPA recommends that you “aggressively move inventory.” To help you identify preowned stock that’s been sitting the longest, use your key management system to sort inventory by the date it was added to the system.

To help you identify preowned stock that’s been sitting the longest, use your key management system to sort inventory by the date it was added to the system.

3. Secure and Identify Spare Keys

Imagine you’ve sold a bike to a customer, but instead of being thrilled with their purchase experience, they’re frustrated. The reason? You sent them home without the second key because you have a jumble of extra keys and have no idea which is which. To make matters worse, you don’t have the key code to program a new key. A bike owner posted this exact scenario in a forum asking for advice.

With a key control system, you can secure and track keys and any key code cards. When you sell a vehicle, the system will identify the correct key so you can quickly retrieve it, creating a better customer experience.

4. Protect Against Theft

Having your inventory stolen is demoralizing any time of year, but it’s particularly devastating during your busy season. Unfortunately, powersports dealerships are prime targets for theft. According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, motorcycle thefts have risen for the third year in a row, with thieves being most active May through October. Dealers of ATVs and other powersports equipment have also reported seeing an increase in sophisticated theft activity.

Motorcycle thefts have risen for the third year in a row.

To combat this growing threat, implement as many deterrents as possible. Fencing, GPS trackers, and security cameras are all essential security measures. But don’t overlook the importance of strict key control practices.

Here’s a real-world example: A group of thieves targeted a dealership less than a day after the business had turned on its brand-new security cameras. The footage showed the suspects checking off-road vehicles for keys. Fortunately, because none of the keys were left on the vehicles, the thieves left with nothing. This story underscores the critical role key control plays in protecting your inventory and profits.

With an electronic key management system, you can create a smoother workflow and a more positive customer experience. This translates to increased sales, happier customers, and a successful peak season.