One of my favorite questions to ask dealership owners and managers is the magic wand question: “If you had a magic wand that could change or improve anything in your dealership, what would it be?”
I have heard some strange answers over the years.
Top contenders:
- Not having to work with my spouse (let’s look into marriage counseling).
- Getting rid of Great Uncle Joe in parts (I get that Thanksgiving might be awkward, but you own the business).
- Getting a puppy for the dealership (full support, just send me pictures afterward).
Once we get past the funny ones, the answer usually boils down to the same thing: owners want consistent revenue, fewer employee issues and a business that does not completely take over their life.
Enter the villain of this story: The slow season. Because every good story needs a villain, yours shows up when the phones stop ringing.
The Villain: The Slow Season
You know the feeling. The phones go quiet. The service bays are empty. Your techs are sweeping floors that are already clean. You start thinking things like, “Why did I ever do this in the first place? A vacation sounds nice right about now. Maybe I should send my techs to Grandma’s house to fix her HVAC.”
Before you start using your credit line like a teenager with their first debit card, take a step back. There is a better way to fill the gap and it starts in your service department, the one place that can turn your off-season into opportunity.
The magic wand for your slow season slump is your off-season service special.
Now, I get it. The words “off-season service special” do not exactly light a spark in your customers’ souls or yours until you see the money rolling in. However, done right, the service special can be among your most profitable and repeatable systems.
Step One: Know What You Are Actually Selling
In service, your inventory is time.
In parts, your inventory is parts.
In sales, your inventory is all the shiny new RVs on your lot.
In service, though, your technicians’ time is the inventory to manage.
Here is the good news: service typically runs at margins of 50% to 60%, which is better than any other department in your dealership. The bad news is that you have to sell it.
Your off-season program comes into play to sell your service department.
When the slow months hit, the temptation is to wait it out or bury yourself in “projects.” Instead, sell your time. Fill those bays before the lull hits and your off-season suddenly does not feel so off.
Why Off-Season Service Matters
When you think about why someone buys an RV, what comes to mind? Maybe you are thinking about adventure, freedom, family or the dream of escaping your neighbors for an entire weekend.
Maintenance is the area that is not on consumers’ minds when they buy that shiny new RV.
RV ownership is built on emotion, on the possibility of what could be. When you sell an off-season service special, you are not really selling service. You are helping consumers protect their dream they bought into.
The off-season is when your customers finally have time to handle maintenance and make sure their RV is ready for the next adventure. Let’s stop calling it an “off-season service special” and call it something that sounds fun, like:
- Spring-Ready Maintenance
- Adventure Prep Package
- Road Trip Confidence Check
You are not selling oil changes. You are selling peace of mind when consumers take their first trip of spring.
The 3-Year Rule
As much as we would love for this to be an easy button that fills your schedule overnight, it takes time. Three years, to be exact.
Consumers want to know one thing anytime they receive something new from your dealership: Can I trust you?
Nowhere is that more important than in service. They have been burned before, missed deadlines, experienced bad communication and/or surprising bills. You have to earn their trust.
Here is what a dealer’s process usually looks like.
Year One of Offering a Service Special
Start: This is exciting! Cue the confetti.
Midway: Wow, this is a lot of work.
End: Okay, I will give it one more year.
Year Two
Start: We learned a lot last year. This time will be better.
Midway: More customers, but not a huge jump.
End: Maybe this is not worth the work.
At the end of year two, most dealers quit, but this is exactly when the magic starts.
Year Three
Start: Fine, I will try it again.
Midway: Holy smokes, we are booked solid.
End: I will never skip this again.
Like rolling down a grassy hill
in summer, momentum builds over time. The longer you stick with this special, the faster momentum grows. Your customers talk, refer and trust. That is how you turn “slow season” into your best season.
Here is the good news. Building an off-season service program does not have to be complicated. You do not need a new department, a fancy plan or a marketing agency that has never stepped foot in a service bay. You just need a simple, clear program that gets people to act now instead of later.
We use the classic good/better/best setup, but in this case, success is all about timing. The sooner a customer raises their hand, the better the deal they get.
One final thing before we jump in: always talk about your offer in dollars, not percentages.
“Save $200” means something. “Get 15% off” makes people’s eyes glaze over.
Also, skip using the word “free.” Nobody believes “free” actually means free. If you want to add value, give it a number. A $99 roof inspection says, “This has value,” and people get it.
Step 1: Start with Your Spring-Ready Package
Every dealership needs a foundation. For RV dealers, your foundation is your Spring-Ready Maintenance Package, the core list of services every RV should go through before the first trip of the season.
Here’s an example you can start from:
- Oil and engine fluids check and change for motorhomes
- Roof seal inspection (and minor reseal if needed)
- Chassis bearing repack and inspection
- Battery and electrical system check
- Slide and awning lubrication and inspection
- Brake, tire and suspension check
- Propane system and safety inspection
- Plumbing and water system check
Add a $99 roof inspection to every package. The inspection is an easy add-on, builds trust and helps prevent one of the most expensive and frustrating problems a consumer can have.
Once your package is outlined, you can set up your tiers.
Step 2: Build Your Three Tiers
The tiers are where the magic happens. You are creating urgency without heavy discounts. The earlier consumers schedule, the better the deal they receive.
Tier 1: Early Birds (Best Deal)
Offer: $200 off your Spring-Ready package plus a $99 roof inspection included
Why it works: You reward early action and fill your bays before the slowdown even hits.
Tier 2: Mid-Season
These offers are meant for your “I meant to do that earlier” consumers.
Offer: $100 off your Spring-Ready package plus a $99 roof inspection included
Why it works: The offer keeps your service department momentum going and provides steady work through the middle of the slow season.
Tier 3: Last Call
These offers are meant for your procrastinators, the ones who show up with a to-do list and a prayer.
Offer: Full price plus a $99 roof inspection and a $49 Road Trip Confidence Check, a quick safety review before they hit the road.
Why it works: You are still adding value, but you are also protecting your margin. These appointments also keep your schedule full right up to peak season.
Step 3: Set Boundaries and Make It Real
A few things to remember when you roll out the service special:
- Cap the Early Bird spots. Keeping your early bird slots limited keeps urgency high and protects your profit.
- Show what is included in each tier. People respect transparency.
- Upsell intentionally. Once consumers are booked, offer upgrades such as a generator tune-up or interior detailing.
- Train your team. Everyone in the dealership should know how to talk about the service special naturally.
Here is a simple script that works: “We’ve got our Spring-Ready package running right now, full inspection, fluids, roof check. If you book today, you will save $200 and get a $99 roof inspection included. Want me to get you on the list?”
The easier your team can say it, the more likely they will use it.
How to Tell People About It
You have built the perfect program. Now you actually have to tell people about it.
Start early because it takes four to six weeks for marketing to gain traction. If you want results in January, start by Thanksgiving. Remember, consumers need to see something seven times before they act.
Use a hybrid approach that mixes old-school and new-school. We are talking about using postcards, texts, calls and maybe even an email that is actually helpful.
Here is our favorite: a postcard with a text (or a call).
Send a postcard to everyone who has bought from you in the past three to five years. Add a QR code to the postcard so you can tell when people start scanning. Then follow up with a friendly message like: “Hey, this is Sara from Sara’s Magical RV Dealership (I am still workshopping the name). Just wanted to see if we can get your RV scheduled for spring maintenance before the rush hits.”
Do not mention the postcard, or you will sound like a stalker. Just be friendly and helpful.
When we use this hybrid approach, we see 25% to 30% of customers book the service. That is not a typo. One dealer even asked us to send fewer postcards because they had too much work! Results like that are what dreams are made of.
Keep the Momentum Going
Here is where you turn this from a promotion into a system.
Track who books during your off-season program. The consumers booking service appointments are your A-list customers next year. Send them thank-you texts in spring (“Because you serviced early, you are already road-trip ready!”). Offer the consumers loyalty perks for being repeat early birds.
Do not forget your team. Tie technician bonuses or contests to off-season bookings. Keep your technicians turning wrenches, not hanging drywall at Grandma’s.
The Easy(ish) Button That Works
Off-season service specials are not about a one-time sale. They are about building a rhythm that keeps your bays full, your customers happy and your sanity intact.
The first year feels clunky. The second feels like work. By the third, you have built a machine.
Whether you do this yourself or let a team like ours handle it for you, just stick with it.
The only thing worse than an empty service bay in February is realizing in March that Grandma’s HVAC still is not fixed.
Sara Hey is the vice president of business development at Bob Clements International. She has worked in her family’s business and with family-owned dealerships over the last 10-plus years.
