At the beginning of every year, dealers set new goals and face new challenges. One of the main obstacles preventing the attainment of goals is staff turnover. This time of year, in particular, dealers tend to see the retirement or sudden departure of title clerks, leaving a backlog of paperwork and unregistered vehicles.
Compounding the issue is that young job seekers are not exactly flocking to become title clerks, making it a challenging position to fill. As a result, it can take time to find and hire a new title clerk. This often means the specialized knowledge of the outgoing title clerk is not transferred to the incoming clerk. The new hire has little to no experience and few training resources available.
Title clerks play a crucial role in the seamless transfer of vehicle ownership. Preparing tag and title documents, submitting legal transfer work to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), ensuring accurate application information and verifying collected funds are just a few of their many responsibilities. Without competent title clerks, backlogs can lead to potential late fees, unnecessary audits, and unanswered inquiries from the state.
Yet, dealerships must continue to sell vehicles despite title clerk backlogs, and the knowledge required for this role makes it unsuitable for delegation to receptionists or cashiers. Fortunately, dealers do have several options to address this need.
Offsite Title Clerk Assistance
Some dealers outsource their title work to companies offering offsite assistance. The benefits of this solution include access to experienced title clerks without the expense of additional in-house hiring, an economic win when internal resources are strained.
One challenge dealerships can face when outsourcing is communication between on-site and offsite staff. However, experienced title clerks should be very proactive at promptly communicating their needs to file paperwork.
Floating Title Clerks
Dealers can turn to specialized companies that provide floating title clerks for temporary, on-site assistance due to vacations, longer leaves or job transitions.
Benefits of this option include the ability to fill staffing gaps with skilled title clerks quickly and increased flexibility for short-term needs. Additionally, since floating title clerks are already experienced, they require less training time and can ramp up their workload quickly.
This option may require attention to higher per-use costs and uncertainty related to the availability or dependence of the floating title clerk. However, an experienced partner should be able to set expectations in this regard.
Title Clerk Staffing
Companies offering title clerk staffing services can find and hire new dealership clerks. Outsourcing this recruitment task can save significant time for internal staff, including managers and accounting personnel, who would need to set aside time to review resumes, call candidates and conduct interviews.
An experienced title clerk staffing partner knows the qualifications and temperament necessary to hire for this position successfully. While the overall impact remains positive, finding the right candidate can take time and may involve a fee.
If your dealership is experiencing a painful backlog due to a shortage of title clerks, one or more options will likely solve the problem. Whether seeking immediate assistance, temporary coverage, or a permanent solution, each option has its merits and considerations. The ability to quickly adapt to staffing challenges ensures that critical roles such as title clerks do not interfere with the sales and registration process of vehicles.
