Even Her Dad Liked the F&I Article Thank you for the wonderful article in your May edition on our API finance and insurance seminar in Lansing, MI. I've had a lot of compliments on it. Your explanation of the material was easy to understand and interesting.
I talked to my father (a dealer in New York State) shortly after the article came out. He said that Ward's Dealer Business was the only automotive magazine he reads cover to cover! That's a big compliment from him!
Kimberly Greenhut National Trainer, API
Her Dealer Dad Instills Respect For Everyone In the July issue of Ward's Dealer Business, Tim Keenan wrote a column headlined, "A Bad Delivery Turned Good." I thought the article was great and would like to respond.
My father, Peter Satterthwaite, is a dealer in the Philadelphia metro area and owns Knopf Motors and Knopf Dodge in Ambler, PA. I can say with great pride that he is part of Mr. Keenan's dying breed. These dealerships have been family owned and operated since 1979. My father has always stressed the importance of never thinking any task is too menial. It never surprises anyone to see him re-arranging the lot, pulling weeds or taking care of problems at the service counter personally.
He is a hands-on owner, and it shows. I am very proud my father has instilled in my brothers and me the importance of treating everyone as your equal and never thinking any job is beneath us.
Heather Smith Customer Relations Manager
Hey, What About the Office Staff? The article headlined "Dealers pay more to keep people" in the July issue of Ward's Dealer Business magazine completely ignored the fact that automobile dealers have office staffs!
I am the office manager at a dealership. I have worked at the same dealership for 25+ years and I find it offensive that you would write an article devoted to dealership salaries/wages and ignore the office staff entirely.
Do you think there would be any automobile dealerships in the entire world if they did not have an office staff to do all their paperwork? They would not be able to conduct business at all if they did not have an office staff.
Traditionally, the office staff at an automobile dealership is considered a "liability" and of very little "importance" to the dealership - as far as "making money" is concerned! However, when you publish an article in your magazine and mention every department of a dealership except the office staff and the detail shop, it is a slap in the face to the office staff (and the detail shop) in automobile dealerships everywhere.
I hope that in the future when you publish articles such as this that you will include the office staff and the detail shop.
Sharon Simons
Editor's Note: Look for it next time.
