If you have flown recently there are two unescapable and related facts: (1) nearly every seat is full and (2) nearly every seat is priced differently. This is because airlines realize that planes taking off with empty seats represents lost revenue that will never come back. Our service bays and technician time are pretty much the same – idle time is revenue lost…

If you’ve been in the retail automotive industry for any length of time, you’ve seen how inaction is thought to be the best course of action. With today's evolving retail world where consumer’s can order oil and battery changes on Amazon, I’m sure there are many more changes that Amazon is hatching for the automotive industry.  If your attitude is that you are making money…

LONG BEACH, California –April 5, 2018-- --myKaarma, the leading communications and payments software provider for automotive dealer service departments, today announced it has received a $15 million investment led by Kayne Partners, the growth private equity group of Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors, L.P., an alternative investment firm managing $26 billion in assets. The investment will be used to…

When consumers search for vehicle service options in your area, does your dealership’s website appear on the search engine results page (SERP)? For most dealers, ranking organically for search terms is difficult because their websites are optimized for sales and not necessarily for service. Additionally, it’s difficult to compete with aftermarket service centers that have…

LONG BEACH, Calif.,-- April 2, 2018-- -- myKaarma, software that helps dealerships communicate better with their customers at every stage of the service process, right from check-in through to payment, today announced that Mercedes Benz of North Palm Beach stopped using their regular phone system in service and now puts every call, text and email through myKaarma. The system keeps a record of every customer interaction, is fully searchable…

There is nothing more frustrating to a customer than being told a repair will take X amount of time - only to be informed later that it will take longer. To those who work in busy dealership service departments, this happens frequently. Customers come in for one thing and, during the multi-point inspection, additional issues are found. Or, as can sometimes be the case, a…

According to a recent article in Automotive News, Motorcars Honda in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, believes that the future of franchise dealership profitability lies in efficient vehicle service, and as a result it’s service…

The buzz today among vendors in the automotive industry is all about making the car buying transaction faster and more convenient for the consumer. I get it. Consumers think it takes too long to buy a car, so technology companies are inventing ways to trim down that transaction time. Sure, it may make car buying an easier and more convenient experience for consumers which,…

By many historical measures, service opportunities have never been greater for auto dealers. In the last decade auto sales have boomed, creating an unprecedented service opportunity tailwind for the next decade. More factory scheduled maintenance programs are driving initial service visits. Increased CPO volume has created more reconditioning and used vehicle service…

Rewards programs are indisputably a staple in common society. Most retailers have them and consumers have come to expect them.

The problem is that most retailers view rewards programs as an expense, rather than a revenue generator. Sure, there are discounts and other things that come along with rewards programs – and those are the “expenses” some retailers…

Do you think retail is changing, or do you believe that continuing to do the same thing will allow you to prosper as you have for decades? Certainly, the auto industry disruptors must be a wake-up call, at the very least. But is it enough of a wake-up call? We’re watching entire industries pretty much go out of business or forced into radical change because of companies that…

The never-ending question is… what does it take to earn customer loyalty? Of course, the answer changes all the time and that is what makes loyalty so confusing and difficult.

As technology continues to develop and improve, consumers have more access to information and aggressively compare prices and services. Businesses are constantly on their feet…

Retaining a position is always harder than achieving it. This applies to sports, life, culture, and of course – the automotive industry. Every business has its specific features; however, what we all strive for is to keep our customers happy. Every dealership today needs to meet consumer expectations even before they show up in the store.…

A ‘tentpole’ event at your dealership is one of those big-deal events that you really want to be successful. It could be a sale, holiday event, new product promotion or a community event that you’re sponsoring.

Tentpole marketing is a strategy that generates social buzz around your event that drives traffic to your dealership or to the event you’re…

Does anyone remember when some car dealers didn’t think websites were valuable? It really wasn’t that long ago. Now, every car dealer from the largest to the smallest independent has one.

Even some manufacturers didn’t feel like they “needed” to own their own name on the Internet. Take the epic battle Nissan had with a gentleman who owned a computer company…

Occasionally, when creating a great customer experience a business will have to go above and beyond for its customers. These little WOW moments can easily take a repeat customer and make them loyal, or even take a loyal customer and make them into a brand advocate.

Author and thought-leader…

The automotive industry as we know it is undergoing a transition. From electric cars, to ride sharing, to autonomous cars, the landscape is rapidly changing. With consumers demanding convenience, and technology that radically changes the customer experience, we should brace for a decade of disruptive change.

All this change sometimes makes it difficult to…

People are motivated by many different things. Some by money. Some by time off. But one of the most universal ways to motivate an employee is by recognition. For the most part that recognition comes from external sources; perhaps a customer compliments the employee either in person or via an online forum – then management reacts and shares that feedback with the employee…

When a person wants to buy a vehicle, a dealership is the first place they think of. When a person needs to get their vehicle serviced, a dealership is not necessarily the first place they think of. For service, there’s plenty of choices and competition for dealers.

That’s why service marketing is more important than ever. Historically in dealerships, service…