As the automotive industry reels from the recent cyberattack on CDK Global, this episode of Inside Automotive welcomes Kathryn Schifferle, founder and Chief Vision Officer at Work Truck Solutions, to share her expertise. With hundreds of dealer partners across the country, Schifferle offers a unique perspective on the challenges and solutions facing dealerships in the wake of this unprecedented breach. From immediate responses to long-term strategies, Schifferle’s insights are crucial for navigating this complex crisis.
Takeaways
- Schifferle highlights the swift actions taken by Work Truck Solutions to support their dealer partners. Recognizing the disruption in lead management systems, her team quickly identified affected dealers and provided alternative ways to capture and process leads. This proactive approach ensured that customer needs were still met despite the digital setbacks. Schifferle emphasizes the importance of having contingency plans and being able to revert to manual processes to maintain business continuity during such crises.
- The attack underscores the necessity for heightened cybersecurity measures across the automotive industry. Schifferle points out that large companies with robust security systems can be vulnerable. She advocates for a collective industry-wide commitment to taking cybersecurity seriously, including comprehensive training and stringent protocols. This incident serves as a wake-up call, urging dealerships to reassess their digital dependencies and invest in more robust security infrastructures to protect their data and customers’ information.
- Maintaining customer trust during and after a cyber attack is crucial. Schifferle notes the importance of transparent and effective communication with customers, reassuring them about the steps to secure their data. The ripple effects of a breach can lead to increased consumer hesitancy in sharing personal information online, highlighting the need for dealerships to build and maintain robust trust relationships. By learning from this crisis, dealerships can refine their customer service and digital engagement approach, balancing technological advancements with the human touch.
Check out our full coverage of the CDK cyberattack here.
“No dealer that I've talked to is looking across the street and saying, 'Thank goodness it wasn't our store,' and feeling confident that it won't happen tomorrow.” – Kathryn Schifferle
