Dealers: Page 102
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Courtesy of WardsAuto
Honda’s New Marketing Chief Aims for Openness, Greater Social-Media Involvement
Using social media to form relationships with notoriously advertising-averse younger buyers and loosening up about the auto maker’s R&D activities are among Michael Accavitti’s priorities.
By Christie Schweinsberg • Nov. 10, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Help Wanted at Saginaw Nexteer
After enduring painful downsizing and the Delphi bankruptcy, Nexteer’s Saginaw operations have gone from famine to feast in a few short years. The company is turning away business frequently.
By Tom Murphy • Nov. 9, 2011 -
Explore the Trendline➔
Courtesy of Kia Corporation
TrendlineArtificial Intelligence
Automakers and dealers alike are increasingly seeing the use case for AI within their operations. Explore some use cases in this trendline.
By WardsAuto staff -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Dealership Departments Duel
The dealership sales department and finance and insurance office can find themselves at cross-purposes. Clashes occur. It’s not hard to see why.
By Steve Finlay • Nov. 8, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Where Are All the Customers?
Why don't we a lot of car buyers? Because, they're hiding behind laptops, computer tablets, smartphones, live chat and auto-buying websites, while cross shopping multiple dealerships simultaneously. They are out there, but the recession taught them how to vulture-shop using digital tools. That's why the average American consumer is still spending 25% less daily than in 2007, according to Gallup. Today,
By Adam Armbruster • Nov. 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Extreme Makeover?
DETROIT A study is under way to see if it makes sense for car dealers to remodel their stores to the extent that many auto makers are urging as part of assorted facility-image programs. The National Automobile Dealers Assn. commissioned the analysis that began two months ago and is expected to be finished by late December, NADA Chairman Stephen Wade says here at a gathering of the Automotive Press
By Steve Finlay • Nov. 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Skipping F&I Interview Shocks Some
Editor's note: This story is part of the WardsAuto digital archive, which may include content that was first published in print, or in different web layouts.An automotive conference attendee can’t believe what he just heard. He asks how dealership finance and insurance managers can sell F&I ...
By Steve Finlay 2 • Oct. 26, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
F&I Menus Boost Auto Dealership Profits
Mediocre results occurred at dealerships “where a top-down focus on menus was lacking,” says Jim Maxim of MaximTrak.
By Jim Leman • Oct. 26, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
NADA Questions Need for Widespread Dealership Upgrade Plans
“The facility-image decision is often based on subjective factors, such as opinions, pressure and personalities, which is no way to guide such spending,” NADA Chairman Stephen Wade says.
By Steve Finlay • Oct. 20, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Australia Importer-Exporter Drops Chinese Pickup
The importer-distributor says Foton’s insistence on premium pricing for its upcoming model in an untested market sank the Australia-New Zealand deal.
By Alan Harman • Oct. 20, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Car Dealers Reach Out to Smartphone Crowd
“Almost all of our customers are using mobile devices, so we need to as well,” says Bob Murray of the Asbury Automotive Group.
By Steve Finlay • Oct. 11, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
iPads Unite Car Customer Experiences
Computer tablets are the next PCs at dealerships, but as with all new technology it’s wrong to assume “everyone will know how to use it,” Brian Reed says.
By Steve Finlay • Oct. 11, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Renault Charges Ahead With EV Marketing
The auto maker is targeting fleet buyers, estimating they will account for 80% of Fluence ZE sales and 70% of Kangoo ZE sales.
By William Diem • Oct. 7, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
New Books of Dealer Interest
Auto Dealer Law: The Definitive Legal Guide to the Purchase, Sale, and Operation of Vehicle Dealerships Dealership lawyers Mike Charapp and Rob Cohen teamed up to write this legal reference work for dealers. The authoritative book is organized, easy to use and formatted well. Each chapter starts with Dealer Summary points followed by highlights and advice on an array of legal matters affecting dealers.
By Steve Finlay • Oct. 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Service Department Loyalty Programs Should Extend to All Makes and Models
Many auto dealership service departments are trying to drum up business by touting their ability to fix all makes and models. That expanded marketing effort needs a loyalty program beyond what auto makers offer, says Mike Goren, managing partner of MediaTrac, a customer-retention firm. Auto maker loyalty programs might suffice for some single-point dealers. But such programs only promote the manufacturer's
Oct. 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Use Op Codes for Marketing
With today's computer-generated repair orders, labor-operation codes or op codes serve several functions to help the service department run more efficiently. Most dealer management systems have multiple fields that can be assigned and tied into specific op codes. Examples of assigned fields are customer concerns, causes and corrective action. Op codes can charge the customer a specific labor amount
By James Clausen • Oct. 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Fourth Quarter, Clock’s Ticking
If we were heading into a football game's fourth quarter, we would look at the scoreboard and then huddle to discuss any last-minute adjustments needed to win. So it is with dealers. At the end of the year's last quarter, we want to look back and know we had a solid game plan executed well. The parallels apply both offensively and defensively. Our offensive plan would include such special events as
By Tony Noland • Oct. 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
It’s Back to School for Many Car Dealership F&I Staffers
It's back to school for many car dealerships' finance and insurance personnel. An estimated 60% of dealers have increased F&I training in recent years, while 45% have sent finance managers to National Automobile Dealers Assn. and lender-sponsored courses, according to surveys. The stepped-up training partly stems from the need to know about, and comply with, a greater number of government regulations
By Mac Gordon and Steve Finlay • Oct. 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Chevy Orlando Now Arriving in Canada
The 7-passenger compact CUV debuts in Canadian showrooms next week. “Forever and a day, the top-selling car in Canada is a small car,” says a dealer in London, ON.
By James M. Amend • Sept. 28, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Auto Dealers More ‘Resourceful and Creative’ With Ad Money
“We’re much more targeted and much more efficient,” Tom Barenboim says. “I compare it to using a high-powered gun with night vision.”
By Jean Halliday • Sept. 19, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Disingenuous Car Shoppers Claim to Hate Price Negotiating
Just because people claim to dislike haggling at a dealership, doesn’t mean they won’t do it – and sometimes initiate it.
By Steve Finlay • Sept. 13, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
U.S. LV Inventory Still Too Low
Despite adding 34,000-plus units in August, U.S. dealers’ light-vehicle inventory is still too low.
By Al Binder • Sept. 9, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Car Dealers Score With Videos
The use of online videos is gaining popularity as a way for dealerships to connect with customers in different ways.
By Steve Finlay • Sept. 9, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Disingenuous Car Shoppers Claim to Hate Price Negotiations
Editor's note: This story is part of the WardsAuto digital archive, which may include content that was first published in print, or in different web layouts.Just because car shoppers claim to dislike price negotiating at a dealership, doesn’t mean they won’t do it – and sometimes cue it. Surveys...
By Steve Finlay 2 • Sept. 8, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Social Media Becomes ‘Incredible’ Driver in Auto Marketing
“A ‘wow’ moment for me was realizing the power of the consumer to write and post content on social-media sites,” Eliza Kelly says.
By Steve Finlay • Sept. 2, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Chevy Volt Retail Stocks Build Slowly; GM Sales Up 13.5% in August
Eleven different GM models set 2011 monthly sales records last month, including the GMC Terrain and Chevy Silverado fullsize pickup. The Silverado enjoyed its best month since December 2010.
By James M. Amend • Sept. 1, 2011
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