In today’s automotive retail landscape, fixed operations—service, parts, and retention—make up nearly 49% of dealership gross profit. To thrive, dealerships must offer fast, transparent, and digitally enabled service experiences. Xtime, part of Cox Automotive’s Retail360 suite, delivers a cloud-native Service Experience Platform that seamlessly integrates scheduling, customer communication, inspections, and marketing into one cohesive workflow.
Trusted by more than 7,000 franchise dealerships and endorsed by 44 global OEMs, Xtime powers over 2.5 million service appointments monthly, generating over $6 billion in annual service revenue.
The Spectrum Platform: Four Modules That Transform the Service Lane
Launched in 2016, Xtime’s Spectrum platform brings together four integrated modules—Schedule, Engage, Inspect, and Invite—designed to enhance every touchpoint of a dealership service experience.
1. Schedule
Delivers 24/7 web and mobile service booking with live technician availability. Scheduling menus can include promotions, recall reminders, previously declined service, and courtesy ride-share or shuttle options. This module helps maximize early upsell opportunities and reduce manual call traffic.
2. Engage
Provides tablet-based check-in/out tools that let advisors conduct walk-arounds, show menu pricing, access vehicle service history, collect digital signatures, and process payments—all while sending real-time text/email updates. This improves efficiency, trust, and RO introduction rates.
3. Inspect
Supports media-rich multipoint inspections with annotated photos and videos. These branded inspection downloads are sent to customers, leading to approval often within 7 minutes. A real-time Service Tracker keeps customers updated during the repair process.
4. Invite
Automates SMS and email campaigns to reach customers about recalls, declining services, or seasonal maintenance needs. Invite helps reclaim lost revenue and reinforce long-term retention.
2025 Enhancements: Messaging, Multimedia & Performance Metrics
On January 17, 2025, Cox Automotive released major updates enhancing communication tools, inspection media quality, analytics, and workflow integration.
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Messaging Center: Two-way texting and bulk service communication
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Upgraded video & image capture: High-res, noise-filtered, subtitle-enabled inspection videos branded for dealerships
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Real-time performance dashboards: Track ASR (Additional Service Recommendation) conversions and campaign effectiveness
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Tighter DMS system integration and simplified reporting for more efficient operations
Dealers using enhanced multimedia inspections commonly report ASR approvals in as little as seven minutes, significantly improving repair order revenue.
Integration Ecosystem: Connecting Retail360 & AI Scheduling
Xtime is built into Cox Automotive’s Retail360 ecosystem, integrating with DMS systems like Dealertrack, CDK, and Reynolds & Reynolds, as well as CRM systems such as VinSolutions. This harmonized infrastructure ensures consistent pricing, service history, and scheduling across dealership departments.
Innovative integrations include Fullpath’s ChatGPT-powered chatbot, allowing customers to book service via chatbot or website, syncing automatically into Xtime. Another powerful tool is Impel AI, enabling automated conversational appointment scheduling that operates outside business hours—all seamlessly updating the Xtime schedule.
Business Impact & ROI: What Dealers Report
Data from August 2023 to July 2024 shows measurable success with Xtime:
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13.3% increase in service retention
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$110 average lift per Repair Order (RO)
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Up to 46% more overall revenue per RO when all Spectrum features are fully implemented, especially with media-backed inspections
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Sub-7-minute approval windows enabled by visual inspection tools.
These results stem from streamlined workflows, prioritized upsell recommendations, and effective marketing automation.
Real Dealer Feedback: Strengths and Struggles
Positive Insights
Dealers value Xtime for its polished interface and customer transparency:
“Xtime as a customer‑facing tool is clean, crisp, and user friendly.”
“Xtime is way better than CDK Smart.
Other users appreciate the seamless communication between parts, techs, and advisors, and the ability to visually show customers needed work via media-rich inspections.
Common Challenges
Many users report performance issues when quoting heavy parts jobs or interfacing with DMS systems:
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UI lag and forced scrolling after adding parts, especially with large quotes
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Service lines and pricing inconsistencies if parts sync fails with CDK or Dealertrack
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Implementation friction: Xtime requires comprehensive staff onboarding to perform effectively
“XTime does not work unless everyone does it.”
Some workflows require double entry or workarounds, depending on dealership integration strategy and staff discipline.
Best Practices for Rock-Solid Deployment
To maximize Xtime’s full potential, dealerships should:
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Invest in on-site onboarding with Xtime Performance Managers for system configuration, pricing logic setup, and integration mapping.
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Drive full-system adoption across advisors, technicians, parts, and BDC staff to minimize workflow gaps.
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Stress-test heavy quoting and inspection workflows early to surface latency or integration issues.
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Customize scheduling menu logic for recalls, promotional offers, and previously declined items.
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Leverage real-time dashboards to monitor metrics such as ASR conversion, average RO lift, inspection penetration, and campaign performance.
Who Should Consider Xtime?
Best suited for:
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Mid-to-large franchise dealership groups with high service volume
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Teams focused on reclaiming declined service and recall revenue
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Service lanes that employ visual inspection tools to elevate customer communication
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Dealerships already using comprehensive DMS/CRM platforms where integration can support unified workflows
Things to consider:
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Rollout can be labor-intensive and requires cross-departmental alignment
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Some advanced modules may require additional subscription investment
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ROI depends heavily on disciplined, consistent usage by all staff
Summary: Strengths vs Limitations
| Strengths of Xtime | Potential Drawbacks |
|---|---|
| All-in-one Spectrum platform (Schedule, Engage, Inspect, Invite) | Requires detailed onboarding & team alignment |
| Proven RO lift: +13.3% retention, ~$110/RO, up to 46% revenue boost | UI sluggishness with large parts quoting |
| Media-based inspection tools accelerate approvals | May involve double entry if DMS sync not seamless |
| Messaging center and AI scheduling enhance communication | System performance depends on full adoption |
| Integrated with Retail360 ecosystem and AI tools | Advanced modules may increase monthly costs |
Xtime offers a powerful, future-focused solution to transform dealership fixed operations from fragmented and manual into cohesive, transparent, and high-revenue workflows. Its Spectrum suiteSchedule, Engage, Inspect, and Invite guides customers through a seamless journey, from booking to service to follow-up.
When implemented with intentional onboarding, department-wide adoption, and strong technical integration, Xtime delivers significant value in retention, revenue, and customer trust.
