When my friend, Erica* took her vehicle to the dealer recently, the needed repairs were performed quickly and competently. Yet, when the CSI survey came, she rated her overall experience three stars: “just okay.” Why not five stars: “excellent”? Well, because frankly, they didn’t earn it. This was the result of a couple very significant––and…

When my friend, Erica* took her vehicle to the dealer recently, the needed repairs were performed quickly and competently. Yet, when the CSI survey came, she rated her overall experience three stars: “just okay.” Why not five stars: “excellent”? Well, because frankly, they didn’t earn it. This was the result of a couple very significant––and…

Automotive Recall Solutions Innovator Adds Industry and Technology Leader to its Executive Team

April 23, 2019, Laguna Hills, CA – Recall Masters, Inc., the leading provider of automotive recall news, data, training, and communications, today announced the appointment of…

Every day, dealers are faced with multiple decisions about various facets of their business. Among them: constantly trying to decide if they should invest in buying leads to conquest more consumers or if they should spend more to retain existing customers. At the same time, they often lack the information required to choose the best course of action. In fact,…

How long does it take to build customer loyalty? It might start with a great sales experience, but if a customer feels like they've been taken advantage of in the sales process, it will be hard convincing them to come back for service. True customer loyalty is built over a period of several years in the service drive.

But providing a great…

As countless studies will attest, the effectiveness of texting, email, social media, and multiple other digital…

All too often, dealers are hesitant to make an investment in training new and Preowned salespeople because turnover in the sales department can be as high as 70 percent according to NADA. Service, however, has always been most dealership’s foundation for profitability. That’s where the phrase “service absorption” comes from.

For the most part,…

For car dealers, the opportunity to create loyal customers might start with a sale, but true loyalty is created in the service department. According to a 2017 IHS Markit study, the average length of car ownership is nearly seven years. That's a long time to maintain a relationship with someone until the next sales cycle.

So, the focus must be…

According to a recent article in Automotive News, investors and car dealers have shifted their focus to the used-car space because dealers have more pricing and profit controls; something the digital retailing space is forced to focus on.…

Auto Dealers Increase Service Leads Over 200% With Mobile Text Coupons

PACIFIC PALISADES, Calf., December 20, 2018 -- In response to the rapidly growing number of consumers currently using the internet via mobile devices, fusionZONE Automotive, LLC., today announced a new tool for auto dealers, Mobile Text Coupons. With Mobile Text Coupons, customers no longer have to use their desktop…

Customers don’t necessarily arrive at your dealership expecting a great experience. When it comes to service, many dread a higher-than-normal repair bill. They expect to hear additional maintenance is needed, but don’t want to spend a lot of time at the dealership and can get annoyed if made to wait longer than anticipated.

Whether this…

Besides producing industry-leading automotive software, the company has also created a unique workplace that recognizes and incorporates the value of play

CLEARWATER, FL – November 14, 2018 – AutoLoop LLC, the leading provider of auto industry marketing, sales, and service solutions, announced today that the company has received the 2018 “Workplace Culture Program of the Year” award from Tampa Bay Tech, Florida’s largest…

I think it’s fair to say that automotive technicians are getting harder to find. These days, less people are choosing a career in automotive repair, even though technicians make great money and many need little or no formal college education or previous experience. Look at independent repair facility employment ads and you’ll no doubt find plenty of messages stating, “no…

The good news? To date, automotive sales have remained stronger than many analysts originally predicted, with customers of all ages continuing to buy both new and pre-owned vehicles. Considering some of the earlier ominous forecasts, it’s no wonder numerous retailers are breathing a collective sigh of relief.

The not-quite-so-good news, at least for those…

Have you ever noticed how the market values dealerships versus how it values Software as a Service (SaaS) businesses that derive income from the same automotive revenue stream? SaaS businesses such as CDK trade at mid-20x P/E ratios while dealers trade at 4-6x operating profit.

One major reason for this disparity is because SaaS business revenues are…

Arguably, one of the most important marketing channels any dealership has is their website. Think about it. How much money do you spend simply to get customers there? When you combine all marketing efforts including, but not limited to, SEO, SEM, some third-party listing sites and more, dealerships spend tens of thousands of dollars (or more) per month.

Once…

When it comes to sales and service transactions in the retail automotive industry, a main strategy in acquiring new customers or repeat business has always…

Today one of five vehicles on the road are under recall. This year alone there have been 46 million vehicle owners notified of a recall; seven million of which are not related to the Takata airbag issue.

Recalls represent a significant revenue opportunity for dealership service departments. Whenever a customer comes in for a recall repair, there’s an…

I frequently write about how, in my opinion, dealerships would be wise to expand their thinking and change attitudes towards recall customers … and not just recall customers, but all customers

The customer experience is key to building customer loyalty, increasing referrals and securing repeat business. It is also one of a dealership’s most important…

In my last blog, I discussed how dealerships can lose significant profit by failing to merchandise vehicles efficiently. Simply put, you can’t sell something nobody knows you have. And, with thousands of competing vehicles available to car buyers online, a stock photo or “photo…