Dealerships are having a tough time acquiring used vehicle inventory at competitive prices right now. Due to recent OEM shutdowns, new car models are sparse. And, even with large rebates, incentives, and low interest rates, consumers are being especially careful with their finances in these tumultuous times and are shopping for used vehicles more than ever…

Industry experts predict that manufacturers’ will continue to double-down on service warranty audits. After all, chargebacks are an additional source of revenue that is sorely needed now. 

Every service manager should take special note of this prediction. Here’s why:

• It is the…

It is no secret that the service department tends to get the smallest part of the dealership’s marketing budget, despite bringing in the most revenue. Some dealers take this for granted with marketing dollars focused on sales. I get it – dealerships originally served as a critical, local arm of the OEM’s distribution of new models. However, due to the…

While some dealerships have done an incredible job of surviving the storm that is the COVID-19 pandemic, in many cases, sales and service have decreased. Customers still want to buy cars and service their vehicles, but a good amount are still in a self-isolation.

As a result, most dealerships have experienced a decline in service revenue at a…

Today's Environment

Do you ever get fed up with the chatbots that keep appearing on websites even after you have shut them down?  Well, many websites could use some chatbot best practices! That is just one of several things I find that need to be fixed on dealer websites to improve the consumer experience.

I don't know how many of you have gone and tried to navigate your dealer website. In many cases it is confusing and an absolute nightmare. It is…

Throughout history, humans have designed and created technology to make their lives easier. From the invention of the wheel itself to the eventual creation of the automobile, to today’s computer-integrated vehicles, we are more dependent on technology to improve our experiences than ever before.

But with that technology comes challenges. Most…

These days, more channels are open for consumers to buy vehicles without leaving their homes. Whether that occurs through dealerships, independents, or online services, it is of concern, from a safety standpoint, that consumers know that their chosen vehicle is safe.

No consumer wants to spend thousands of dollars on a “lemon,” nor a vehicle…

While traveling through Asia, Alexander the Great fell ill. Everyone was afraid to treat him, as they feared that, if they failed, they would be blamed for the King’s death. However, one physician was willing. While Alexander waited for the physician to prepare the medicine, he received a letter informing him that this physician was not to be trusted and…

Today's environment:

Sometimes when I look at an auto dealer website I sit back, scratch my head, and wonder if they have ever scheduled an appointment for dealer service on their website? Not to mention all the bots that pop, and all the flashing offers! It is the farthest from the basic tenets of what makes anything usable today on…

As hard as we try to increase recall completions, there always seems to be a bump in the road. We may soon be in for a pretty big one from the used-car market and there are plenty of signs pointing to this having a major effect on both dealerships and consumers.

According to a recent article in…

Auto dealerships and consumers now have additional layer of transparency to safeguard them from making uninformed acquisitions

Laguna Hills, CA, June 10, 2020 — Recall Masters, Inc., the nation’s leading provider of automotive recall solutions, today announced a partnership with VettX, an automotive industry software provider that enables auto dealerships to…

All automobile manufacturers strive for dominance in the marketplace. Vying for consumer's money, trust, and brand loyalty is an ongoing challenge through a balance of quality, quantity, and a franchised network of dealerships that entice consumers to buy and service their vehicles. The last thing a manufacturer is looking for is bad publicity. However, it…

News has not exactly been great recently. And, I don’t know about you, but I welcome any good news that brightens my day in some way. For that reason, I loved a recent story a friend sent to me from the Charlotte Observer.

It is one thing to be involved in your…

Partnership drives much-needed dealership service revenue by facilitating  recall repairs at no cost to private-party vehicle sellers

Laguna Hills, CA, May 19, 2020 — Recall Masters, Inc., the nation’s leading provider of automotive recall solutions, today announced a partnership with Boost Acquisition, a data and technology developer that connects in-market vehicle sellers with potential buyers at online…

In my last blog, I shared some tips about how dealerships can help protect customers and staff in their service departments during this challenging time. In addition to having the precautions in place, it is important to know how to correctly communicate…

April 8, 2020, Laguna Hills, CA – Recall Masters, Inc., the leading provider of automotive recall data, technology, and communications, today announced the launch of a special COVID-19 Response Kit at no cost for its auto dealer clients. The kit is designed to help improve the handling of service…

Service retention rates in dealerships have been steadily declining over the last three years, according to Affinitiv’s recent Automotive Loyalty Trends study, which analyzed data from more than 1,000 auto dealerships.

In domestic brand dealerships, service retention rates have dropped from 61.2% to 60.2%. At import brand dealerships,…

The problem of how to increase recall completion rates has been a thorn in the side of both manufacturers and dealers for quite some time. Despite numerous attempts from several sources, a majority of consumers fail to pay attention to any notification because they discard the mailers, discount the severity of the recall or simply don’t have the time needed…

As of Q4 2019, RV wholesale shipments were down nearly 17 percent year-over-year, according to RV Road Signs. The good news is that this decline is expected to ease up and gradually diminish to a decline of 3.9 percent by the end of 2020, thanks to low inflation and an expanding economy.

You can still post strong revenue and meet sales goals…

Long Beach, CA —January 31, 2020 — myKaarma, the leading communications and payments software provider for automotive dealer service departments, today announced the launch of Service Cart. The mobile repair recommendation tool is designed to improve customer transparency and convenience by enabling instant approval and feedback from the customer. This results in higher retention, shorter authorization times, a significant…