Chris Miller's Blog (81)

Communication is the Key to Profits

Very few sales managers would punish a salesperson upon receiving a complaint that they are calling, e-mailing or texting a customer too much. In fact, after assuring the customer that they will have the salesperson stop, that sales manager will probably follow up by giving the salesperson a high five. And, to ensure this communication can happen, most dealerships lay down…

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Added by Chris Miller on February 19, 2016 at 8:43am — 3 Comments

Recalls and the Connected Car: Is In-Vehicle Technology the Answer?

Today’s cars come with very sophisticated technology, including live navigation with traffic and obstacle reports, collision avoidance systems, cell phone integration and wireless connectivity. Automakers are now investigating how they can leverage this technology to communicate any vehicle issues to vehicle owners. The OnStar system already reports vehicle concerns. These…

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Added by Chris Miller on February 5, 2016 at 7:59am — No Comments

Are Manufacturers Going to Self-Regulate Sales of Recalled Vehicles?

If you’re a dealer, no doubt you’ve heard all the buzz concerning recent legislation and regulations about vehicle safety and recalls. Consumers are scared and politicians are responding. With a record number of recalled units over the past 18 months, it’s no surprise that this is a hot topic of discussion and that action is being taken.

 

Dealerships are…

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Added by Chris Miller on January 22, 2016 at 9:22am — No Comments

A Change in Perspective Can Save Lives

Dec 23 was a sad day, indeed. A young man driving a 2001 Honda Accord was killed in an accident when his recalled Takata airbag shattered and he was fatally injured. Honda had previously made two attempts to contact and inform the original…

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Added by Chris Miller on January 8, 2016 at 8:10am — 1 Comment

Is RedCap the Answer to Increased Service Revenue & Customer Satisfaction?

A recent article in Automotive News highlighted a start-up seeking to help dealers offer loaner cars and delivery/pick-up services without the additional expense of staff. RedCap Automotive Technology is a concierge service that provides drivers in…

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Added by Chris Miller on December 18, 2015 at 8:32am — No Comments

New Report Illustrates Proposed Legislation’s Huge Impact on Trade Values

In a newly released report conducted by J.D. Power and commissioned by the National Automobile Association, trade-in value reduction due to proposed legislation could have significant financial impact on both dealers and consumers. The “Used Car Safety Recall Repair Act” will prevent…

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Added by Chris Miller on December 4, 2015 at 8:08am — No Comments

VW Recalls: The Polarizing Effect on Consumers

Unless you’ve been in hibernation for the past few weeks, you’ve undoubtedly been barraged with news and opinions about the VW Recalls. Regardless of the intent of Volkswagen, it’s quite fascinating to observe the polarizing reactions by owners of the diesel engine carrying cars. No doubt the government regulators are going to compel Volkswagen to fix all of the…

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Added by Chris Miller on November 20, 2015 at 8:00am — No Comments

Will the NHTSA Allow Independents to Perform Recall Repairs?

While consumers regularly patronize independent repair facilities, dealers have always been able to rest assured that any recall repair work would remain in their hands. However, according to an article in Automotive…

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Added by Chris Miller on November 6, 2015 at 8:11am — No Comments

Piggyback On Your OEM’s Efforts For Increased Service Revenue

Last month, in an effort to maximize recall completion percentages, FCA US announced that it would offer $100 gift cards, or extra trade incentives, to owners of recalled vehicles if they come in and get the work done. This is the perfect opportunity for FCA US dealers to piggyback on this OEM program to increase service revenue and capture more business.…

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Added by Chris Miller on October 9, 2015 at 9:11am — No Comments

A Huge Move Could Lead To Increased Loyalty & Sales

In an unprecedented move, AutoNation CEO Mike Jackson recently announced that AutoNation will no longer sell any vehicle with an open recall – new or used. According to Automotive News, this effectively grounds up to 10 percent of AutoNation’s…

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Added by Chris Miller on September 24, 2015 at 8:46am — No Comments

Want to Triple Recall Work in your Service Department?

Recall campaigns can easily be one of the most lucrative service opportunities. Sadly, however, most dealers only reach about a third of the potential recall customers in their area. This is because they simply comb through their DMS and any information received from the factory for owners in their PMA. Personally, I feel this is a very shortsighted approach…

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Added by Chris Miller on September 16, 2015 at 8:38am — No Comments

FCA Must Buy Back 500,000 Trucks: Opportunity Awaits

In the largest buy back action in U.S. history, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Fiat-Chrysler America (FCA) have agreed that, in addition to paying a $105 million fine, FCA will offer to buy back 500,000 RAM pickup trucks from consumers. The value FCA has to pay consumers for their vehicles is extremely consumer friendly - the…

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Added by Chris Miller on August 7, 2015 at 9:03am — No Comments

Volvo’s Lifetime Parts Warranty Offer May Increase Service Business & Customer Loyalty

As reported by Automotive News, Volvo is rolling out a lifetime warranty on parts and labor for all vehicles serviced after the factory warranty at any Volvo dealership.  Volvo claims that “the lifetime parts and labor warranty is a commitment to both…

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Added by Chris Miller on July 24, 2015 at 8:16am — No Comments

Recall Fatigue: The Time to Act Is Now

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been battling with lawmakers in an effort to gain additional funding in order to handle – amongst other things – the 33.8 million Takata airbags recalled. In the most recent hearing, the NHTSA Administrator, along with several senators provided…

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Added by Chris Miller on July 10, 2015 at 8:51am — No Comments

LeBron James & The Cleveland Cavaliers: A Story of Loyalty

There’s no better story about the perils of loyalty than that which played out in the summer of 2010. At the time, Lebron James was the most desired free agent in all of basketball. For the prior two seasons, he had been pressured by fans to announce whether he would stay with the Cavaliers, or leave for another team. Cavalier fans were intensely loyal to James, who was a…

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Added by Chris Miller on June 19, 2015 at 10:20am — 1 Comment

Once The Recall Repair Is Done, What Are You Doing To Keep The Customer?

You made the commitment to capture more recall work. You’ve done your due diligence by notifying your customers. You’ve obtained lists of in-market customers subject to recalls that haven’t been to your dealership before, and reached out to them. You’ve spent the time and energy to really saturate your market using every form of communication to maximize your reach. Now the…

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Added by Chris Miller on June 3, 2015 at 8:19am — No Comments

Increase Sales through Conquesting Consumers Motivated by Open Recalls

Following tremendous pressure from the NHTSA, Takata has expanded the recall on its faulty airbags. In fact, it just doubled the number of vehicles that are subject to recall to 34 million – that’s one in seven vehicles on the road today – and the largest recall in automotive history. Since then, consumers have been flooding the NHTSA website, searching to see whether their…

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Added by Chris Miller on May 27, 2015 at 9:14am — No Comments

Using Recalls to Your Advantage

A recent article in Auto Remarketing reports how Penske Automotive Group is using recalls to increase their service business through recall work, but also as an opportunity to sell more vehicles. “I think recall business is good,” Penske Chairman Roger Penske, stated. “We…

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Added by Chris Miller on May 22, 2015 at 8:07am — No Comments

Increasing Recall Compliance Efforts Gets Political

A recent article on The Hill.com detailed how the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers is teaming up with a Republican pollster to survey Americans on why they don’t bring in their vehicles for recall repairs. These actions are in advance of the…

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Added by Chris Miller on May 6, 2015 at 8:37am — No Comments

The Recall Crisis: To a Scared Customer, an Apology can go a Long Way

For many consumers, cars are a necessity. They rely on them to get to work so that they can feed their family. They take their children to soccer practice and their spouses out for nights on the town. Throw in an occasional long-distance road trip to visit a relative or take a vacation, and it’s easy to see how much consumers rely on them. Manufacturers integrate safety messages into their branding. The government tests the vehicles. Consumer agencies review them. And consumers use this data…

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Added by Chris Miller on April 20, 2015 at 12:07pm — 2 Comments

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