In the fast-evolving automotive service industry, efficiency, transparency, and customer experience are no longer optional — they’re essential. That’s where Xtime comes in. As a cutting‑edge automotive service experience platform, Xtime empowers dealerships and service operations to streamline workflows, increase revenue, and deliver exceptional customer satisfaction.
In this article, we dive deep into Xtime: what it offers, how it works, its benefits, key features, integrations, success stories, and how your dealership can start leveraging Xtime today.
What Is Xtime?
Xtime is an integrated software suite tailored for fixed operations (fixed ops) in automotive dealerships. It’s designed to optimize service processes — from scheduling and inspections to customer engagement, marketing, and more. The goal: enable dealerships to service more vehicles, improve efficiency, boost retention, and maximize profitability.
Xtime is part of the broader Cox Automotive ecosystem, which means it integrates well with many industry platforms and tools.
Why Xtime Matters for Dealerships
Before exploring the specific modules, it helps to see why Xtime is such a difference-maker:
Operational Efficiency: Xtime helps manage shop workload, reduce bottlenecks, balance capacity, and automate processes.
Revenue Growth: By facilitating transparent upsell recommendations, better customer communication, and re-engagement campaigns, Xtime helps increase repair orders and dollars per RO.
Customer Experience: Customers today expect digital convenience, transparency, and communication. Xtime’s tools enable online scheduling, real-time updates, clear inspection visuals, and online payment.
Integration & Ecosystem: Because it ties into DMS, CRM, payment, and other systems, Xtime becomes part of a seamless workflow rather than a standalone silo.
Measurable ROI: Dealers using Xtime often see strong returns — more throughput, more customer retention, and improved service department performance.
The Core Xtime Modules (Solutions)
Xtime is not a one-size-fits-all product; it comprises several modules (or product lines) that work together. You can adopt one or more depending on your dealership’s needs:
1. Schedule
The Schedule module allows customers to book service appointments online (via phone, computer, or mobile). It shows available openings, allows them to select services, see pricing projections, and even finance options.
Dealerships use Schedule to manage shop capacity intelligently, reduce idle time, and prevent overbooking. Because customers see transparent estimates up front, trust is built from the first interaction.
2. Engage
Engage helps with customer check-in, communication, and checkout. It supports features like:
Personalized check-in workflows
Text notifications and updates during the service
Online payment before completion so customers can move on quickly
Flexible communication channels
With Engage, dealers can keep customers informed and reduce friction in the service experience.
3. Inspect
Inspect is Xtime’s vehicle inspection and recommendation tool. Technicians can capture pictures, videos, and detailed notes about needed repairs or maintenance. These inspection visuals can be shared with customers, making it easier for them to understand and approve recommended services.
Inspect helps build trust, speeds up approval, and reduces back-and-forth friction. Technicians and service advisors stay more aligned and efficient.
4. Invite
Invite is Xtime’s marketing and re-engagement engine tailored to service operations. With Invite, dealerships can send personalized messages, offers, or reminders to customers based on their past visits, declined repairs, or service history.
This helps fill downtime in the shop, bring back customers who might otherwise go elsewhere, and generate incremental revenue via smart, behavior-based marketing.
Key Features & Add‑Ons
Xtime’s modules include many features and add-ons to enhance capability and customization:
Video & Multimedia: Incorporate videos, annotated images, or visual walk-throughs in your inspection or recommendation communications.
Express Multimedia: A streamlined version of multimedia reporting for faster turnarounds.
Rideshare (powered by Lyft): Offer courtesy rides or shuttle options through integrated rideshare.
Service Quoting: Provide upfront quotes for services and repairs.
Intelligent Diagnostics: Advanced diagnostics tools to assist in identifying issues more quickly.
Payment Options & Flex Pay: Flexible payment and financing options built into the workflow.
Service Tracker: Let customers track the status of their vehicle in real time.
Intra‑Dealer Chat: Internal communication channel among staff in the service lane.
Service Pricing Tools: Tools to configure service pricing rules, manage margins, and adjust dynamically.
These features help tailor Xtime to your dealership’s workflow, size, and customer expectations.
Integrations: Making Xtime Part of Your Ecosystem
One of Xtime’s strengths is how well it integrates into the dealership’s existing systems. Some of the integration capabilities include:
DMS Systems: Integration with dealer management systems helps sync appointments, repair orders, customer data, and parts.
CRM Platforms: Customer data and communication flows can be synchronized for consistent outreach and personalization.
Payment Processors: Seamless payment capture, authorization, and reconciliations as part of the service workflow.
Other Cox Automotive Tools: Since Xtime is part of Cox Automotive, it works well with other Cox products and services.
Third‑Party Tools: Additional integrations ensure Xtime can plug into virtually any tech stack without forcing disruptive changes.
By integrating with your existing systems, Xtime avoids duplicating data and reduces friction from switching platforms or siloed tools.
Real Results & Testimonials
Xtime highlights several dealer success stories and ROI data that show its impact:
Some dealers report nearly 50% more dollars per RO (repair order) after implementing Xtime’s full suite.
In real-world usage across dealers from August 2023 to July 2024, additional repair orders and increased revenue are common outcomes.
Scott Haddock, Service Director at Chapman Honda Tucson, noted that with the Lyft and Xtime integration, courtesy rides take just 3–4 minutes — boosting customer satisfaction.
Matt Ketchum, Service Manager at Ferman Volvo, said: “I wouldn’t want to work at a dealership that doesn’t use Xtime.”
Dawn Newsome, from Vaden Automotive Group, shared that since incorporating Engage into their service lane, they transformed processes and improved write-ups.
These testimonials underline how Xtime isn’t just theoretical — it delivers tangible improvements in operations, revenue, and customer satisfaction.
How to Get Started with Xtime
If your dealership is ready to adopt Xtime, here’s a roadmap:
Assess Your Needs
Identify which modules (Schedule, Inspect, Engage, Invite) will most benefit your operations and customer experience first.Request a Demo / Evaluate
Use Xtime’s “Get Started” or “Request Demo” options to explore interactive demos of modules.Plan Integration
Work with your IT / operations team to map data flows between Xtime and your DMS, CRM, payment system, etc.Train Staff
Use Xtime’s training resources (live training, self‑guided modules) to ensure technicians, service advisors, and back-office staff can adopt it effectively.Launch in Phases
Consider rolling out modules step by step — for example, start with Schedule + Inspect, then Engage, then Invite.Monitor & Optimize
Use the insights and analytics built into Xtime to review usage, measure ROI, adjust workflows, and continuously improve.
Challenges & Considerations
While Xtime offers powerful capabilities, dealerships should keep in mind:
Change Management: Staff adoption and buy-in are essential. Any new software introduces change friction.
Data Quality & Integration: Ensuring clean, synced customer, vehicle, and service data across systems is critical.
Customization vs. Complexity: Over-customizing can add complexity; balance flexibility with maintainability.
Upfront Investment: While ROI is promising, there is a cost and resource commitment to onboarding, training, and integration.
Customer Digital Readiness: Some customers prefer traditional channels; ensure options for both digital-first and human-assisted workflows.
Xtime is more than just another service shop scheduling tool — it’s a full-fledged automotive service platform that aims to transform fixed operations from reactive to proactive, from fractured to seamless, and from opaque to transparent.
It helps customers book service easily with Schedule.
It enables techs and advisors to communicate visually and clearly via Inspect.
It ensures customers stay informed and friction-free through Engage.
It brings repeat business and re-engagement via Invite marketing workflows.
Add‑ons and integrations enable customization, diagnostics, payment, multimedia, and real-time service tracking.
Strong ROI and dealer testimonials affirm that Xtime can deliver both operational and financial benefits
