Dealers: Page
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Courtesy of WardsAuto
Snow-bound Denver Auction Carries On Thanks to Internet
An unusual snow storm blew through the Denver area in late March, leaving behind more than five feet of snow and nearly forcing Manheim Auctions' Denver Auto Auction to cancel all activity. In what would have been an impossible feat only a few months ago, however, the auction held a General Motors sale as scheduled on March 20, via the Internet, using Manheim's new Simulcast technology. More than
May 1, 2003 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Dealership Lauds Benefits of Online Service Scheduling
Constantly ringing phones in the service department can mean more customers and more business. But it also means having less face time with customers when they bring in their cars. That leads to them feeling rushed. It also means customers probably are being placed on hold waiting to talk to someone. All this potentially results in poor customer satisfaction and lost business. The trick is to reduce
By Cliff Banks • May 1, 2003 -
Explore the Trendline➔
Courtesy of Toyota Motor North America
TrendlineTop 5 stories from WardsAuto
Automakers are evaluating their long-term strategies, revisiting their product mix, and approach to both retail and manufacturing approach along the way.
By WardsAuto staff -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Dealers’ Dislike of Word Prompts Name Change
Haven't heard of Dealix? Maybe you have and just don't know it. Dealix is an impending new name for InvoiceDealers.com. Dealers weren't fond of the part, says cofounder and President Greg Baszucki. So the company is changing its name to Dealix. The company is an Internet survivor. Three years ago it was headed to the Internet graveyard, down to its last $12,000. The story is familiar to victims of
By Cliff Banks • May 1, 2003 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Editor – Steve Finlay bio
Welcome to Ward's Dealer Business Send me an email at: [email protected] For a complete staff listing, click here.
By Ward's Staff Listings • April 22, 2003 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
DealerTrack and Credit Online Merge
It garnered little attention, but for dealers, the merger of DealerTrack Inc. and Credit Online is big news. DealerTrack plans to integrate directly into dealer management systems with Credit Online's technology platform. DealerTrack streamlines auto financing by connecting dealers and lenders through the Internet. In existence for less than two years, the company has 20,000 dealers using its system
By Cliff Banks • April 1, 2003 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Rotary’s New Lift Eases Dealership Parking Shortages
Its service bay lifts are inside dealerships all over the country. Now Rotary Lift debuts a lift primarily for outdoors and for a new use parking cars. The new double-decker lifts stack and store vehicles. Such lifts are typically used in urban areas where parking is scarce. Rotary also sees potential among car dealers facing parking space shortages due to expanding inventory and more cars in for
By Steve Finlay • April 1, 2003 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Father-Son Chat Over Beers Fermented Firm’s Founding
In 1988, Rusty West and his father Russell were sitting around having a beer, watching a game on TV and talking about stuff, as Rusty recalls. The topic turned to leasing, which was just taking hold in the auto industry. The elder West was a pioneer of independent vehicle leasing in Atlanta. The son was about to get a West Georgia College degree in math and computer programming. Says Rusty. We thought
By Steve Finlay • April 1, 2003 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Impersonal Computers
We live in an impersonal age that moves at the speed of byte. Electronic mail, dealer communication satellites and consumer surveys connect us in ways that used to require intimate, but painstakingly slow, interaction. Today we get to know each other without ever seeing one another, and yet, we behave as though we're in a relationship. The culprit is easy information. Nowadays, we give and get more
By Peter Brandow • April 1, 2003 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Northwood University Honors Bob Baker
San Diego dealer Bob Baker is the recipient of the Northwood University Automobile Dealer Education Award for 2002. Education is one of the most important things you can provide for yourself. I am pleased to be in a position to offer help to others in the process of pursuing their educational goals, says the president and CEO of Bob Baker Auto Group. He and the New Car Dealers Association of San Diego
April 1, 2003 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
What’s In It For Me?
Service departments can suffer from bad cases of In other words, What's in it for me can be something that all fixed operation staffers feel the brunt of. Technicians may think parts guys never carry the right inventory. Service advisors think that techs are always looking for the gravy jobs, like brakes, alignments, and flushes and not taking as much time to do difficult diagnosis and repairs. Parts
By DAVID SKROBOT • March 1, 2003 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Centrix In the Race With High-Risk Financing Drives Centrix
Robert K. Sutton sees high-risk auto finance as a vehicle to success. While many other players have exited the sub-prime market, especially in the current climate of economic uncertainty, he's bullish on serving the fastest-growing sub-sector in the consumer finance. Sutton is the CEO of Centrix Financial, a risk management firm in Englewood, CO, currently doing business in 26 states. His goal? To
By SUE MEAD • March 1, 2003 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Dealers Get More Respect
SAN FRANCISCO Dealers, who for years were unwillingly cast in an role of the auto industry, are enjoying newfound esteem these days. They're getting that with help from themselves, happier consumers and auto executives who note dealers have come a long way from the shake and bake days of showroom antics. Dealers are feeling good about themselves and their growing positive public image. That came through
By Steve Finlay • March 1, 2003 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Debunking Those Myths
Why bother with OEM accessories when comparable aftermarket brands can be had for less cost to the dealership potentially producing more profit when sold? Three big reasons: fit/finish, warranty and serviceability. Parts managers tell me they use OEM accessories because of fewer problems after the sale. This was the impetus for dealerships switching to the OEM brand and vowing not to go back to the
By GARY NAPLES • Feb. 1, 2003 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Two Great Dealer Events
My father as an automotive journalist sometimes took the family along when he covered the National Automobile Dealers Association's conventions each year. He'd hit the convention, and we kids would partake in the family activities and such without knowing (or at that age, caring) what he was doing in the convention hall. I attended my first NADA Convention as a journalist after becoming editor of
By Steve Finlay • Feb. 1, 2003 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
How to Be Retail Victor
We live in a society that hates short-term expense more than it values long-term customers. Our markets turn on quarterly numbers of dollars, not on numbers of satisfied customers. So, by side-stepping doing the right thing manufacturers are often rewarded by better quarterly earnings reports, their mantra being a penny saved is a penny earned. Unfortunately the highway of once great companies is
By Peter Brandow • Jan. 1, 2003 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Dealers Speak!
Dealers are concerned. A possible war, a shaky economy and the effect of 0% financing have them looking carefully at their businesses. Yet, dealers remain optimistic and reveal an uncanny ability to adapt. Here's what they had to say, in their own words, for our annual Dealers Speak feature in which we ask dealers what's most on their minds at the start of the new year: Weird year Gilbert Chavez,
By Cliff Banks • Jan. 1, 2003 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Your CPA Should Know
As a CPA, I'm generally one of the top three trusted advisors to whom my clients look for advice. But much of the advice requested of me these days seems away from the general office and away from accounting. Operations, profitability, strategic planning and pay plans are many of the items that I discuss with my clients now. However, as these questions became more prevalent, I knew that it was imperative
By Don Ray • Jan. 1, 2003 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Rentals Replacing Service Loaners
Catering to customers is serious business, with services at some dealerships ranging from offering customers use of a putting green, cappuccino bar, and children's play area to on-site manicurist, concierge services, and more. But when it comes to one of the most essential services providing loaner cars to customers while their vehicles are being serviced an increasing number of dealerships prefer
Dec. 1, 2002 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Backlash of Backdating
The standard industry practice of backdating contracts may violate federal law. That stems from a Truth in Lending Act case. It went before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. The case involved an auto sale and spot delivery. The first contract signed by the buyer was conditioned on certain financing. When that contract fell through, the buyer signed a second contract about
By TOM HUDSON & TERESA ROHWEDDER • Dec. 1, 2002 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
5 Top Consolidators Boost F&I Yields
Reflecting increased sales of aftermarket products, the five largest publicly owned major dealer consolidators all boosted their F&I revenues in the third quarter. Group 1 Automotive CEO B. B. Hollingsworth Jr. says the Houston-based group of 73 dealerships raised their F&I income 25.9% from a year ago to a record $46.0 million or $996 per vehicle retailed. When the 0% campaign of the Big 3 cut into
Dec. 1, 2002 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Manheim’s $40-Million Motown Auction Opens
Manheim Auctions' new $40-million Detroit Auto Auction opened for business on 225 acres. Highlights of the state-of-the-art facility are a 12-lane dealer auction center, a fully equipped 90,000-sq.-ft. reconditioning center and storage for 16,000 vehicles. The sprawling new place is located in Carleton, MI. and is staffed by 475 employees. It replaces the 95- acre Taylor facility that was bulit in
Dec. 1, 2002 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Joan Saunders Becomes CEO at CNA
Joan Saunders moves from executive vice president to president and CEO of CNA National Warranty Corp. as Thomas Rowley retires from the top spot at year's-end. Joe Becker, senior vice president of sales, assumes the title of chief operating officer. Saunders began her career in 1987 with CNA National then and has served as executive vice president since 1996. CNA National provides service contracts
Dec. 1, 2002 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
From File Cabinet to CD
A tidal wave of popularity in electronic data archiving has hit auto dealerships during the last few years. One of the main reasons is to avoid drowning in paperwork. Dealerships using electronic archiving no longer need to print the voluminous journals, schedules, reports and document copies generated by the Dealer Management System (DMS) computer. A year's worth of that stuff can fit on a single
By Don Ray • Nov. 1, 2002 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
F&I managers face a dilemma: 0% vs. leasing
The used-car glut and the spate of incentives on 2003-model units are heightening the uncertainties of market forecasting and complicating the future of leasing. That adds up to increased problems for F&I managers trying to figure out whether a 0% loan or a harder-to-come-by lease is a better deal for the customer. We like price increases but not incentives, says Raj Sundaram, president of Automotive
By Mac Gordon • Nov. 1, 2002 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
How to do Subprime Online
Conventional wisdom is that you'll find about as many subprime car shoppers online as you'll find convertibles in Alaska. Not so, says Greg Goebel, a former dealer and current finance & insurance sales trainer, specializing in subprime. Let me tell you, they're there, whether they're online at home or work, he says of people with checkered credit looking online for vehicle deals, mainly on used cars.
By Steve Finlay • Nov. 1, 2002
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