Stevinson offered shuttles and loaner cars to service customers, but those solutions presented problems. Customers might wait 45 minutes to an hour for a shuttle ride home, and the service department had more customers than its fleet of shuttles could handle.

While customers loved the loaner car option, it came at a high cost. The Porsche and Jaguar dealership maintained 45 of them, at a cost of $1,500 annually per car.

“We had to find something better,” says Stienecker. “I have personal experience with Lyft as a rider, and it’s always been good.” The Lyft interface is so easy to use that the staff needed very little training. “I just told them to use it,” he says. “They were all familiar with how ridesharing works.”

Steinecker chose Lyft as an option for service customers, and saw several improvements over shuttle use. Customers appreciate the faster service — average wait time for a Lyft ride is three to five minutes. Lyft drivers are courteous and professional, which is also important for Stevinson customers.

Lyft has also reduced dealership costs. By replacing shuttles with Lyft rides, Stevinson saves more than $6,000 per month. Today, Lyft handles 97% of customer transportation, so the Porsche and Jaguar dealership is also looking at reducing its fleet of loaners.

Free Lyft rides also help increase revenue. When customers know they can expect convenient transportation while their car is at the dealership, they’re more willing to bring their cars in for service. Since adding Lyft, the service center has added $7,000 per week in new revenue.

Lyft helps the service department operate efficiently, and makes Stienecker’s job easier, too. “The management interface is really simple,” he says. “You don’t even have to think about it.”

Looking to the future, Maloney sees ridesharing becoming even more prevalent. “No one’s ever going to call a travel agent or use their desktop again,” she states. “People just want options and that’s exactly what ridesharing provides.”