Every repair order, recon car and phone call, in one system.
Status Plus and VAL connect to your DMS for status texts nobody has to type and after-hours bookings. Recon Plus uses inventory feeds to show which cars are stuck.
Call summary
Taylor · 7:48 p.m.
Taylor asked why their 2024 Ford Escape was still in the shop. VAL checked the repair order and explained that it was waiting on parts.
- Repair status
- Waiting on parts
- Handled by VAL
Ford Cars of Jonesville
Ford Cars of Jonesville: Jordan, your F-150 is ready for pickup. See its status here. fcj.link/s/8KQ2
Thanks. I’ll be there at 4:30 p.m.
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Recon Plus takes inventory from vAuto, VinCue and DealerLink feeds.
Customers can check status without calling.
Status Plus sends a text when a repair order moves to a customer-visible step. The link opens a live status page showing where the car is in its visit.
- The step change sends the text.
- Automatic updates go out as the car moves through the customer-visible steps on your board.
- Customers can follow the visit.
- The status page shows a timeline of the steps your store makes visible.
- Replies stay with the customer.
- Customers reply to the text, and advisors see the conversation in the customer feed.
Ford Cars of Jonesville
Ford Cars of Jonesville: Jordan, your F-150 is in service. Follow its progress here. fcj.link/s/8KQ2
Your F-150 is ready for pickup. You can collect it today before 5:30 p.m.
Thanks. I’ll be there at 4:30 p.m.
2025 Ford F-150
- Checked in, done
- Inspection, done
- In service, done
- Ready for pickup, current step
- Picked up, not started
After-hours calls can end with an appointment.
VAL answers service calls after hours, then books, reschedules or cancels appointments in your DMS. It gives repair status and takes a message when it can’t help.
- Bookings use your available slots.
- VAL offers exact times and an available advisor who can take the caller’s vehicle.
- Customers can change their plans.
- VAL reschedules or cancels an appointment after the caller confirms.
- Unanswered transfers get a follow-up.
- If nobody answers a transfer, VAL returns to the caller, takes a message and creates a staff alert.
Call summary
Riley · 8:16 p.m.
Riley called after hours to book an oil change for a 2022 Ford Explorer. VAL booked Thursday at 9:30 a.m. and texted the appointment details.
- After hours
- Appointment booked
- Handled by VAL
Frustrated callers show up in your follow-up inbox.
VAL flags frustrated callers with follow-up alerts in Actions Required, where staff can filter by advisor.
- Alerts show the severity.
- VAL creates follow-up alerts with a severity level and a summary of what needs attention.
- Advisors can find their follow-ups.
- Filter Actions Required by advisor and read or unread status to find calls that need a response.
Call summary
Morgan · 4:42 p.m.
Morgan was frustrated that nobody had called about their 2021 Ford Edge. VAL took a message and created a high-severity follow-up alert.
- Frustrated caller
- High severity
- Follow-up needed
Every recon car has a step and a clock.
Recon Plus shows each car’s current step and time spent there, with a vehicle timeline behind it. The production report turns time in recon into holding cost using the daily rate you enter.
- The next person gets an alert.
- Text or push alerts tell the next person when the car is ready for their part of the work.
- The used car manager approves work.
- Work moves through inspection, parts pricing and the advisor’s estimate to manager approval.
- Holding cost shows in the report.
- Enter your holding cost per day to see what time in recon is costing.
Time in step
2022 Ford Escape
Detail
6h
2021 Ford F-150
Parts
2d 4h
2023 Ford Explorer
Approval
1d 2h
2024 Ford Maverick
Inspection
3h
Holding cost this week: $1,840
Shoppers can book straight from the special.
Service Specials Plus puts a built-in scheduler and a call button on each offer. “Save Offer Now” texts the offer and a return link to the shopper’s phone.
- The offer opens its own scheduler.
- Shoppers choose their vehicle, services, advisor and time, with the coupon applied automatically.
- A call is one tap away.
- “Book by phone” opens a call to the store from the offer’s Start Here panel.
- The offer stays on their phone.
- “Save Offer Now” texts the coupon code and a link back to that specific offer.
Ford Cars of Jonesville
$69.99
Synthetic Oil & Filter Change
Synthetic oil and filter replacement for your next service visit.
- Schedule Service Now
- Book by phone
- Save Offer Now
The next advisor can see the whole conversation.
Status Plus puts texts, calls, notes, emails and VAL activity in one customer feed. The advisor can read the history before replying or calling back.
- Texts and emails stay in view.
- Read customer messages in the same feed as calls and staff notes.
- Calls have a record.
- Review call recordings and two-speaker transcripts before calling the customer back.
- VAL activity joins the history.
- VAL calls and texts appear in the Status Plus customer feed alongside the team’s conversations.
Casey · 2023 Ford Bronco
Customer feed
Text · Today 9:14 a.m.
Thanks. I’ll drop off the Bronco on Thursday.
Call · Today 9:10 a.m.
Casey confirmed Thursday’s appointment and asked about drop-off.
Note · Today 9:02 a.m.
Casey prefers drop-off to waiting.
Email · Today 8:54 a.m.
Casey asked whether shuttle service was available.
VAL · Today 8:40 a.m.
Booked Thursday at 9:30 a.m. and texted the details.
Status Plus connects your DMS to the service tools.
Status Plus connects to your DMS and powers VAL, Service Specials Plus and Service Menu Plus. Recon Plus can run on its own, taking inventory from vAuto, VinCue and DealerLink feeds.
Your DMS
- CDK Global (including Fortellis)
- Reynolds & Reynolds
- Dealertrack
Inventory feeds
- vAuto
- VinCue
- DealerLink
Service, recon and deals each have a place.
Status Plus runs service with VAL, Service Specials Plus and Service Menu Plus. Recon Plus tracks inventory through recon; CIT Plus tracks deals through funding.
Your store’s steps become the steps on the board.
Status Plus and Recon Plus use the steps, rules and notifications your store sets. Status Plus also lets you configure customer texts, scheduling teams, advisor capacity and MPI templates.
- Your steps define the board.
- Set steps in both products, then choose which Status Plus steps customers can see.
- Your texts use your wording.
- Set Status Plus text templates and quiet hours for customer messages.
- Teams and capacity shape the schedule.
- Set Status Plus teams by make, model and op code, with advisor capacity and temporary capacity.
- Your MPI follows your template.
- Configure Status Plus MPI templates for the inspections your technicians perform.
You can hear how VAL handles a customer’s call.
Request a personal test link on the VAL page; the team emails it within a few hours, or one business day at the latest. Then call VAL as a customer would.
- Book a service appointment.
- Reschedule an appointment.
- Check your vehicle’s repair status.
- Ask which service specials are available.
Built by a former dealership GM, Dixon Technologies starts with the problems dealers face every day. About Dixon
The next step is seeing it work on screen.
See the repair-order board, customer status texts, recon hand-offs and a VAL call. Bring the problem your team keeps working around.