In today’s extremely competitive automotive service environment, dealerships and service centres are challenged not just to fix vehicles, but to deliver an experience—an experience that’s transparent, efficient, and value-driven for both the customer and the business. That’s where Xtime comes into play: a comprehensive "fixed ops" technology suite designed specifically to help service departments drive efficiency, profitability, retention and customer satisfaction.
What is Xtime?
Xtime is a software platform offered by Cox Automotive that focuses on the “fixed operations” (service, repair, maintenance) side of automotive retail. According to the website, Xtime’s mission is to enable dealerships to “service more vehicles faster, help your team work more efficiently, and increase your service revenue.”
At its core, Xtime offers four major solution modules (Schedule, Engage, Invite, Inspect) that are built to interact with existing systems (DMS, CRM, payment processors) and deliver value across both backend operations and customer‐facing touchpoints.
In short, it is not just a booking system—it is a full suite designed to optimize the entire service department workflow, reduce friction, increase approvals of recommended services, and ultimately boost dollars per repair order.
Key Solution Modules
1. Schedule
With the Schedule module, customers can book available service openings via phone or web, from their computer or mobile device. Xtime emphasises that this helps show customers recommended services, cost estimates, and financing options right up front.
By offering transparent service recommendations and pricing at the point of booking, the dealership builds trust and educates the customer upfront. Meanwhile, the service department gains the ability to fill shop schedule slots more efficiently, reducing idle time and increasing throughput.
2. Engage
The Engage module focuses on creating a more modern, connected service experience for the customer. This includes fast check-in, personalised communications (including texting updates during the service process), online payment options and expedited check-out.
From the customer’s viewpoint, this means less time in the lobby or waiting area, fewer surprises around cost or process, and more consistent updates. From the dealership’s perspective, it means less friction, improved customer satisfaction, and greater likelihood of repeat visits.
3. Invite
Invite is the marketing tool within the Xtime suite. Its role is to re-engage customers based on past service history, declined repairs, or opportunities to bring them back in during off-peak periods. Through personalised messages and offers, Invite helps fill empty shop time, boost repair orders, and increase overall profits.
In an industry where retaining customers for long-term service loyalty is critical, Invite provides a data-driven route to proactively engage customers rather than passively waiting for them to call in.
4. Inspect
The Inspect module supports technicians by enabling detailed vehicle inspections—with clear photos or video—to communicate required services to customers more effectively. This transparency helps accelerate customer approvals of recommended work, improves collaboration among staff, and drives higher repair order values.
By elevating the inspection process (making it visual, accessible, digitised), Inspect addresses one of the major friction points in service operations: customer hesitation or lack of trust when presented with unseen repair needs.
Integrations & Ecosystem
One of the major strengths of Xtime is its integrations. On the website, Xtime highlights that their solutions “integrate seamlessly with a variety of leading technologies, including DMS systems, CRM platforms, and payment processors.”
Because service departments often have a complex stack of software systems (dealer management systems, customer relationship platforms, payment gateways, third-party tools), the ability to plug into existing infrastructure is a key competitiveness factor. Xtime positions itself as part of a powerful retail solutions ecosystem under Cox Automotive, further strengthening its ecosystem credentials. Outcomes & ROI
What really sells a software platform like Xtime is demonstrable outcomes. On the website, Xtime claims that from August 2023 to July 2024, data from all Xtime dealerships shows meaningful uplifts in repair orders and dollars per repair order.
While specific numbers are not fully disclosed in the summary we saw, the promise is clear: more vehicles serviced, fewer hours wasted, and higher revenue per order. The message is: invest in fixed ops technology and you will see returns in productivity, profitability and customer retention.
Why Xtime matters in today’s automotive service landscape
Increasing customer expectations
Consumers now expect service experiences that mirror best-in-class in other retail verticals: transparency, convenience, speed, clear communication, online/mobile booking capabilities, real-time updates. Traditional service departments that rely on phone calls, manual booking, paper inspections, and limited communication are at a disadvantage.
Xtime addresses this by offering modules that handle booking (Schedule), communication & payment (Engage), proactive marketing (Invite) and digital inspections (Inspect). This helps the service experience lift to modern retail standards.
Fixed ops is a critical profitability engine
For dealerships, fixed operations (service, parts, maintenance) often represent a stable revenue stream compared to new-vehicle sales, which fluctuate with macro-economics and supply constraints. Improving fixed ops efficiency and revenue therefore is highly strategic.
By enabling service departments to do more with the same or fewer resources, capturing more approvals of recommended work, and creating reasons for customers to return (via Invite), Xtime helps drive this critical component of a dealership’s business.
Operational efficiency & utilisation
Time is money in a workshop. Idle benches, under‐utilised hours, scheduling conflicts, unclear approvals, poor customer flow—all these hurt margins. Xtime’s Schedule module helps fill open slots with booked appointments rather than walk‐in chaos; the Engage module reduces check‐in/checkout friction; the Inspect module enhances clarity and speeds approvals; and Invite helps back‐fill slower times. Together, this improves utilisation of technician hours, shop bays and resources—driving productivity.
Data-informed decision-making
Because Xtime is digital, it captures data across the service journey: booking trends, conversion of recommended services, communication metrics, customer behaviour, marketing campaign responses. This data enables management to move beyond “gut feel” to data-informed decisions: which services are most often declined? When are slow times? Which customers haven’t returned? This analytical capability can uncover hidden opportunities.
Best practices for implementing Xtime in a service department
To get maximum value out of Xtime (or any fixed ops platform), there are a few implementation and change-management considerations:
Get buy-in from leadership and service lane staff. Deploying tools like Schedule, Engage, Inspect and Invite requires process change—new ways of checking in customers, new communication flows, new inspection workflows. Staff must understand the “why” (improved customer experience + higher revenue) and be trained accordingly.
Define clear workflows. For example: How will customers book? Who reviews the booking slots? How are recommended services presented at booking? What happens when the customer arrives? How is the inspection communicated? How does approval happen? What triggers a marketing message in Invite? Having defined workflows ensures the technology is used consistently.
Focus on customer-facing transparency. One of Xtime’s value props is showing customers what services you recommend and how much they’ll cost—at the time of booking. Emphasising this transparency builds trust and helps overcome repair order “surprises” that cause customer drop off.
Leverage the inspection visuals. The Inspect module supports photos/videos of needed repairs. Technicians should be encouraged (and trained) to capture clear visuals and walk the customer through them rather than just verbal recommendation. This visual communication increases approval rates of recommended work.
Use data to drive improvements. Monitor metrics: booking channel performance, approval rates of recommended services, average dollars per repair order, marketing campaign response (Invite), customer return rate. Establish targets and review performance regularly to drive continuous improvement.
Fill slow times via proactive marketing. Invite module works best when leveraged proactively. Service departments should identify past customers who declined work or haven’t visited recently—and send personalised offers. Filling slow hours improves overall shop utilisation.
Potential Challenges & How to Overcome Them
Change resistance
Staff may resist new software or new workflows (“we’ve always done it this way”). Mitigation: training, clear communication on benefits (less chaos, more service volume, happier customers), early wins by showing improved metrics.
Data integration complexity
Although Xtime emphasises integration with DMS/CRM systems, practical integration can still pose issues (data mapping, legacy systems, training). Mitigation: involve IT/operations early, plan for phased rollout, ensure vendor support.
Customer adoption
Some customers may still prefer phone bookings or walk-ins, be wary of new online processes. Mitigation: keep multi-channel access (phone + web), promote ease of use, ensure booking flow is mobile-friendly and simple.
Consistency
Adoption of new modules is only effective if consistent across all technicians, shifts and locations. It’s easy for old habits to creep back. Mitigation: leadership monitoring, standard operating procedures, regular reviews, incentives if appropriate.
What makes Xtime stand out
It is a full suite targeting all major fixed ops service functions (booking, communication, marketing, inspection) rather than a single-point solution. On the home page: “With the Only Full Suite of Fixed Ops Technology” states this positioning.
It is backed by Cox Automotive, which lends credibility, ecosystem integration and market reach. The site states: “Xtime is part of a powerful ecosystem of retail solutions from Cox Automotive.”
It offers proven data showing ROI uplift (though the exact numbers may require deeper review) which helps justify investment to decision-makers.
It emphasises customer experience and transparency (e.g., recommended services, cost shown at booking, payment ahead of time) which is increasingly vital in service retail.
It integrates with existing infrastructure rather than requiring full software replacement—a practical advantage for many dealerships with legacy systems.
Why service departments in India (and globally) should pay attention
Although Xtime is primarily marketed in the US (note the US address & reference), the principles it embodies are universally relevant.
In India, the automotive aftermarket and service sector is rapidly evolving: customers are more digitally‐savvy, expect transparency, and value convenience.
Service centres that adopt online/mobile booking, digital inspection visuals, personalised communication and repeat‐customer marketing will differentiate in a crowded market.
The fixed ops (service & parts) revenue stream is under-leveraged in many dealerships globally; focusing here with technological tools can yield high returns.
Even if the full Xtime suite is not immediately deployed, dealerships can adopt its core principles: online booking + transparent pricing + visual inspection + proactive marketing.
Future trends & Xtime’s role
Looking ahead, some key trends in automotive service that platforms like Xtime will address include:
Connected vehicles & predictive maintenance: As more vehicles become connected, service centres will have access to telematics and condition‐based maintenance data. Platforms like Xtime could integrate this upstream to book service proactively.
EVs and new service models: With electric vehicles entering service fleets, the nature of service tasks changes (e.g., fewer oil changes, more battery checks). Service departments will need technology to manage evolving workflows—and Xtime’s modular design may help.
Mobile first & customer experience: Customers increasingly expect to manage everything from their smartphone: book service, see what’s needed, approve work, pay online. Xtime already addresses many of these touchpoints (mobile booking, texting, online payment).
Data analytics & AI for fixed ops: The next wave will be using analytics and AI to predict service needs, optimise technician scheduling, personalise offers. Platforms such as Xtime are well positioned—given their capture of service workflow data—to evolve into this space.
Integrated dealer ecosystem: As dealerships consolidate software platforms, having a service solution that fits into a broader retail ecosystem (as Xtime does via Cox Automotive) will become increasingly important.
For automotive service departments looking to modernise, increase efficiency, boost revenue and deliver a superior customer experience, Xtime presents a compelling solution. By covering the major functional areas—booking, customer engagement, marketing, inspection—it offers a holistic approach rather than piecemeal tools. Its promise of measurable ROI, integration capability, and customer-centric features make it a strong candidate for dealerships serious about service excellence.
