Most service drives today are simply masking their true problems on the service drive. This week, Jeff tells a personal story about trying to tackle a problem by masking it or seeking "fairy dust", when in reality it was only enabling the problem more! We are all guilty of pushing problems aside, but this week, Jeff will show you how to recognize the problem, when to seek a solution, and how to solve it for good. 

Copyright 2019 Wm Jeff Cowan

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Lease Approval Ratings Dip to 67.6%, The Lowest Since May 2018

CINCINNATI, OHIO (February 7, 2019) – Swapalease.com, the nation’s largest car lease marketplace, reports car lease credit applicants registered a 67.6% approval rate in January, a decrease from the December rate of 71.4%.

January experienced a slightly lower number of applicants with qualifications for taking over another person’s lease contract during…

The process of purchasing a phone system is not to be taken lightly. Phone calls into dealerships outnumber Internet leads by four to one, and many studies show that dealers are not able to handle both the volume and routing of incoming calls in a way that meets customer expectations.

When you're buying a new phone system your top three goals are:

1) Understand what capabilities your dealership needs

2) Research which phone systems will meet these…

In this modern age of transparency, dealers can get somewhat confused on the subject of pricing. Should they provide upfront pricing on their website, or ask customers to engage with their site first before receiving the dealership’s best price?

The industry is pretty divided on this topic, with consultants, trainers and others on both sides…

Lack of Strength in January Could Preview a 2019 Market with Less Momentum than in 2018

Black Book, a division of Hearst that provides industry-leading used vehicle valuation and residual value forecast solutions, released its Used Vehicle Retention Index for January (115.4), falling -0.7% from December’s listing of 116.3. The Index has now declined two months in a row. Click here…

Do you have a few showroom guests that object to a write-up, even after they’ve…

Welcome to this week's edition of Black Book Market Insights, with in-depth analysis of used car and truck valuation trends and insights straight from the auction lanes. Click here to download the full…

We’re back with another video in our series, Quality of Life!

Bringing you up to speed, we’ve been hearing all about the ever-evolving process of the relationship business. And this week, we’re going to tell you something you may not have heard yet. We CANNOT rely on repeats and referrals.

We want you to have a community first, and the referrals…

Mason City Iowa, February 5, 2019 -- DealerBuilt, a leading provider of automotive Dealer Management Systems (DMS), today announced that it has expanded its integration with Channel Partner Spiffit to help auto dealers improve operations in sales, service, and accounting, and to drive more…

A key to implementation and execution in Google Ads’ space is to secure no less than 80% impression share for your name in the geographies where you sell and service vehicles.

Many dealers ask what would happen if I didn’t buy my name. Or better yet what would happen if I didn’t spend any advertising money or, more often than not, what if I…

Net Promoter Score is nearly 2X industry average, indicating overwhelming customer loyalty among auto dealers

Albany, N.Y. – February 4, 2018 – Auto/Mate has achieved a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of +59 on its 2018 customer loyalty survey conducted in Q4 2018. This score places Auto/Mate above some of the most respected brands in the world and is nearly double the software industry average of +31. The score is also 31 percent…

$5 million for a Super Bowl spot in 2019. That’s what the big brands are paying for huge visibility. There is arguably no better way to reach 100+ million people.

All in, there were 5 automotive OEM’s in the mix.  Audi delivered details…

Owning a recreational vehicle or RV provides sense of pride, freedom, excitement. It is one of the expensive possessions for an individual and provides an opportunity to go on some of the best roads across the country. It is the most desired vehicle for people who love to travel with comfort while feeling like home. Ownership of recreation vehicles such as motor homes, fifth-wheeler, travel trailer and more are considered to be one of the most expensive purchases. The recreational vehicle…

Buying a commercial vehicle is one of the biggest investments for an individual next to their home. These commercial vehicles are source of bread and butter to most of the owner but they often forget that this valuable possession can also be used while dealing with some financial emergencies.

Generally, when stuck in financial crisis which demands instant flow of cash, people often borrow from unauthorized sources…

A charcoal canister is an important part of the engine which absorbs the vapor of the fuel before it gets released in the outside environment by the emission system. It plays an integral role in keeping the environment clean and safe from the toxic carbon emissions as it redirects them back in the fuel tank. You must know when the right time is to replace a bad charcoal canister to make your engine function properly.

Here are 7 symptoms which may help you identify a bad charcoal…

Welcome back to our video series, Quality of Life!

Last week, we began to dive head first into Ali Reda’s sales process. We asked the question, “How does he do it?”, and you better believe there’s more to tell.

Ali explains to us in this week’s video that his process is based on relationship sales. It’s very…

-by Sally Whitesell for Dealer Service Magazine.

Never underestimate the importance of a professional greeting!

Nothing sets the tone for an exceptional service experience more than a warm welcome. I’m not just referring to your client’s experience, but also your advisor’s experience with each individual.

When we start off by making…

San Francisco is famous for fog. The city’s given a nickname to its fog - Karl. Karl the fog even has an Instagram account with 243k followers.

As I traveled back from the NADA Show 2019 held in San Francisco, I’m reminded that our industry resides in a fog of Digital…

As front-end margins continue their decline, dealers are more reliant than ever on fixed ops revenue. Fortunately, the opportunity to maximize service revenue has never been greater for dealerships.

In the last decade auto sales have boomed. Factory maintenance programs are driving more initial service visits. Increased CPO sales are creating…