Weighing the pros and cons of the bullpen layout
A FEW MONTHS AGO, my column on “tables for tablets” looked into how technology could alter the layout of a showroom.
The argument was that mobile devices like tablets could become more prominent and therefore potentially reduce the number of sales stations at a typical dealership.
I argued the implications were positive, since high finish areas and furniture costs could be reduced because traditional transactional spaces (i.e. desks) would be replaced by mobile sales consultants (or facilitators) using tablets throughout the showroom.
This concept seemed to hit a cord, as it resulted in significantly more feedback from dealers across the country than any other column I have written in some time.
Specifically, the concept of the “Bullpen” was quite controversial. Approximately half of the dealers like the idea, while the other half despised the bullpen with a passion.
Which begs the questions: was the bullpen concept of the 1990s a dinosaur? Or was it ahead of its time? Many of us will recall Saturn and Volvo pushing the bullpen concept in Canada. And in the U.S., other brands like Audi made them a central theme with their Hangar Image rollout in the early 2000s.
As a facility consultant, it is not up to us to decide what works. Other than a brief stint as a student — I have never worked at a dealership. However, over the past 20 years, my team and I have visited hundreds of dealerships and have been lucky enough to have “talked shop” with hundreds of dealer principals across Canada
and the U.S.
So take a look and decide for yourself whether the bullpen concept makes for an ideal layout.
PROS
The bullpen concept can make your showroom more compact. Rather than using precious showroom space for sales desks, showrooms can be made smaller or be utilized for other purposes such as vehicle display, customer amenities, or lounges.
Showroom space is the most expensive area of your facility — including the OEM mandated furniture that is more expensive than back office furniture. By moving salespeople off the floor, the high cost per sq.ft. space is reduced and furniture expenses are reduced.
The clutter and ‘stuff’ accumulated by salespeople is out of direct eyesight, and gives a more professional impression to your customers.
CONS
Bullpens keep salespeople off the floor, potentially preventing them from easy interaction with customers. They become social hubs, and can affect productivity. It’s also been said that neutral, or unowned stations in the showroom could end up being hijacked by top performers.
THE SOLUTION (?)
Based on the feedback over the past few months, our office has begun designing bullpen clusters and placing them in different areas on both the main floor and second floor. So instead of having one large bullpen, we are designing two or three bullpens and limiting them to four to six workstations.
This limits larger groups in small rooms which can be both distracting and disruptive to productivity.
Electronic “Up” systems such as “The Next Up”, administered by reception keeps distribution of leads fair and notifies salespeople via text message where they are in the queue. It allows them to plan their breaks and manage their paperwork, without the stress of missing out on assisting customers.
Beyond the pros, cons and solutions, the big question is why this topic is even being discussed.
It is becoming more clear that in the next three to five years, technology will have a tangible impact on how you will be conducting business with your customers.
We have seen studies conducted by J.D. Power that reveal customers trust pricing that comes from a tablet more than any other means of presenting pricing. As more and more digital plug-ins become compatible with your DMS, dealers will have many more options and tools to illustrate value during negotiations.
What is clear in J.D. Power surveys is that customers trust the transparency of electronic systems much more than pricing printouts and hand written quotes. Additionally, studies found CSI increased when tablets were used in the sales process.
Tablets also have the ability to prompt your salespeople to follow your desired processes and best practices throughout the sales cycle. Since a lot of detail is being captured through the technology, there is less need for paperwork and filing systems — which necessitated a work desk in the first place.
We may not see this evolution today, or even in 2015, but it is not far away. And we know that facilities are not built for today — they are built for the next decade.
As showrooms continue to get larger, and investments continue to climb, perhaps the bullpen concept will come back from the dead and become prevalent in your store. It will likely take a few years to figure out if the bullpen is truly a dinosaur, or whether it was, in fact, ahead of its time.
To see J.D. Power data on tablet driven transactions, or better understand bullpen layouts, feel free to email me direct at monte@weis.ca.
