Texas car dealership opens book on inventory so customers can reserve exactly what they want

If GM lowers inventory from pre-pandemic bloated levels once the chip crisis subsides, “I want to be prepared for that scenario,” Martin-Clark said.

“If you’ve got someone lined up the day it gets there, your turn is one day,” she said.

The new process also has broadened the skill sets of the sales team, Salazar said. It helps sales associates learn “how to work the customers to their needs or wants as opposed to just selling them something that’s here,” he said. They can “help the customer find what they’re really looking for.”

Many dealerships have accepted preorders while inventory has been tight, but the easy access to Martin Chevrolet-Buick-GMC’s spreadsheet sets it apart.

“Since I’ve been here at the store for nearly seven years, Janet has always built this transparency with customers,” Salazar said. “Why not empower our customers and give them that information so they feel more comfortable with the process and actually know we’re trying to help them as opposed to just selling the car?”