Your customers care about the environment. What are you doing to convince them that you do too?
Environmental awareness is a hot topic across all industries, but especially so in the transportation sector. Automakers are addressing the issues with fuel economy improvements, emissions reductions and of course vehicle electrification and alternative fuels, but many consumers want to see improvements right at the ground floor.
Making the dealership “green” is the responsibility of all employees, and it’s a site-wide effort. It doesn’t have to involve massive overhauls (although it’s likely worth checking the energy savings payback on investments such as solar panels). Instead, small changes around the dealership will produce results overall, as well as give the right impression to your customers. It isn’t so much what is being done, as that everyone is doing it.
In the Office
Even in the digital age, car sales generate a lot of paper, and use recycled brands of paper wherever possible. Put a recycling bin beside every trash can to collect discarded paper as recyclers still have a strong demand for quality paper waste.
Look into the possibility of reusable water bottles printed with your dealer’s logo, which are often available at a relatively low price. In addition to supplying staff, these can be handed out as a promotion to customers, who will always have your phone number handy on them.
Power Down
At the end of the workday, everyone should be shutting down anything that isn’t required to run full-time. Turn off computers, monitors and printers, shut down speakers, and unplug phone charging cords. If anything has a small indicator light illuminated, it’s drawing power even if it isn’t actively working.
Across the dealership, use energy-efficient light bulbs. LED bulbs are initially pricier than regular bulbs, but they last longer and give brighter light while using less electricity. In rooms that aren’t always occupied, such as lunch rooms or washrooms, installing motion detectors that automatically turn lights off and on can help reduce power consumption, which in turn helps the dealership’s bottom line.
In the Lunchroom
If your municipality collects food waste from businesses for composting, set a bin aside in the lunchroom. It won’t be feasible to have a composter on your property, but if there are any avid gardeners on staff, they may want to take waste such as coffee grounds for their plants.
Cleaning Products & Facilities
Put out environmentally-friendly soaps and sanitizers in the washrooms. Hand dryers use fewer resources than paper towels, but if it isn’t possible to install them, look for towels made with recycled paper. Consider high-efficiency toilets and water-saving faucets. When hiring cleaning companies for the building, ask about their environmental practices and use of “green” cleaning products.
Watch the Temperature
Air conditioning is power-hungry, and keeping an eye on the thermostat will help keep costs in check. Those who have to wear suit jackets inside may prefer a cooler temperature, but customers dressed for summer weather won’t appreciate the office being too cold.
Dealerships traditionally have large windows, and direct sunlight can heat up the showroom and get the A/C working overtime. In winter they can run up the heating bill through excessive heat loss. Installing blinds and closing them when the sun shines in will make a difference; translucent ones will get the job done without darkening the showroom too much. Putting insulating film on the windows is another option, and using either one – or both in combination – will give a payback in energy savings.
Get Everyone Involved
Initiate a program for employees to suggest ways to “go green” in the dealership, with financial or other incentives if the plan saves money, either in time or resources.
Now Advertise It!
Customers like dealing with environmentally-responsible businesses, so now it’s time to tell them what you’re doing. Put up signs by the entrances listing what you’ve done, whether it’s energy-efficient lighting, dealership-wide recycling, or other initiatives. You’re in an industry driven by environmental concerns, so let your customers know you’re doing your part.