Dealers: Page 43
-
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Service Ops Revenue Down, But 2nd Half Looking Better
Dealership service-bay revenues are down as people work from home and venture out less often. But as vaccines are administered and people become more comfortable traveling, dealership groups are optimistic about better business in the second half.
By Jim Henry • Feb. 25, 2021 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Fixed Ops Pick-Up & Delivery – Now a Necessity
The pandemic has accelerated many changes. Some customer-centric services, such as vehicle “concierge” or pick-up and delivery, went from a convenience to the price of admission for most fixed operations.
By John F. Possumato • Feb. 24, 2021 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Dealers Can Reach Extra Bases on the Recall Field
Vehicle service work provides on average 48% of a dealership’s gross profit, says Juan Flores of Kelley Blue Book.
By Steve Finlay • Feb. 22, 2021 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
K-Shaped Recovery Spells Tighter Market for Subprime Loans
TransUnion reports serious auto loan delinquencies, defined as 60 or more days past due, increased substantially for customers with subprime credit in the fourth quarter vs. like-2019, to 9.05% from 7.41%.
By Jim Henry • Feb. 19, 2021 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Car Dealers Acted Fast When COVID Came
In a Wards/Ally webinar, executives of two major dealer groups tell how quickly their operations changed when COVID upended life as we know it.
By Steve Finlay • Feb. 19, 2021 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Agero Says New System Streamlines Recall Processes
The new product is designed to help automakers effectively manage vehicle recalls, a complex process that is typically delayed by inaccurate information and coordination obstacles – reasons why more than one in five vehicles have an open recall, Agero says.
By Jim Irwin • Feb. 18, 2021 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Building Consumer Trust Via Used-Vehicle History
With the used-car market rebounding more quickly than for new cars, it is crucial for dealers to ensure the vehicles they add to their inventory are worth the investment and will be safe and reliable.
By Kirsten Von Busch • Feb. 16, 2021 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Battling COVID-19 Tops NADA’s Priorities, New CEO Says
“The mission at NADA stays the same,” Stanton says. “We work for the dealer. We’re here to strengthen the franchise system, to help educate and advocate for the dealer business.”
By Jim Henry • Feb. 12, 2021 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Bob Woodward Tells of Biden’s Long Negotiating Technique
The veteran journalist and author is on the receiving end of a Q&A at a National Automobile Dealers Assn. convention session.
By Steve Finlay • Feb. 11, 2021 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Pandemic Sped Adoption of Digital Retailing, Survey Shows
The eLEND Solutions report says challenges with implementing digital retail sales processes may reduce their benefits.
By Jim Irwin • Feb. 11, 2021 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Car Dealer of Year Winner: ‘None Do It for Recognition’
New Jersey’s Rick DeSilva Jr. is 2021 TIME Dealer of the Year.
By Steve Finlay • Feb. 10, 2021 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Fewer Miles Driven Hits Dealership Profits
Despite record 2020 dealership profits from car sales and Finance & Insurance products, there’s less demand for parts and service because COVID-19 has reduced wear and tear on vehicles, Lithia, Asbury and Group 1 report.
By Jim Henry • Feb. 10, 2021 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Starting at 16 in Minnesota Car Lot, Paul Walser Now Leads NADA
Incoming NADA Chairman Paul Walser talks with Wards about handling COVID, improving dealer diversity, recasting incentives, NADA’s virtual Conference & Expo Feb. 9-11 and the auto industry’s need to view the world through consumers’ eyes.
By Tom Beaman • Feb. 10, 2021 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Car Dealers Called ‘Bulletproof Band of Brothers and Sisters’
“No playbook was ever written for 2020,” says Rhett Ricart, outgoing NADA chairman. “No one could have envisioned the strongest disrupter ever: COVID.”
By Steve Finlay • Feb. 9, 2021 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
‘Thoughtfulness’ a Job Requirement for NADA Chairman
“You have to realize you are representing 17,000 dealers, and your view on a particular topic is not necessarily NADA’s,” says Wes Lutz, the trade group’s 2018 chairman.
By Steve Finlay • Feb. 9, 2021 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
2021 Presidents’ Day Predictions and the Pandemic
February is an opportune time for car dealerships because Presidents’ Day is the only shopping holiday between December and May, and five months is a long time to be without a holiday-inspired incentive.
By Todd Somerville • Feb. 9, 2021 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Survey: Car Dealership Callers Want Upfront Price Fast
“In the new normal, the initial call a consumer makes to a dealership is now the make-or-break point of a sale,” says Marchex’s Matt Muilenburg.
By Steve Finlay • Feb. 5, 2021 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Pandemic Drove 2020 Surge in Auto Parts E-Commerce
RevolutionParts’ annual Parts eCommerce Report says parts sales processed through the company's online platform grew 28% in 2020, from $328 million to $421 million.
By Jim Irwin • Feb. 3, 2021 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Some Car Dealers Cautious, Some Eye Growth in 2021
Ambitious auto dealers will attempt to grow their businesses this year, while conservative dealers will just take the money, says Scott Fink, a former Ford marketer who now runs the top Hyundai store in the U.S.
By Steve Finlay • Feb. 2, 2021 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Be on Top With Alpha Elite, Be Seen Where Online Shoppers Search
Relevance in search results is what shoppers want most in the early stages of their car buying journey. That’s why finding strategies that can put you at the top of search results is critical to success.
By AutoTrader • Feb. 1, 2021 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
J.D. Power Panelists: Online Car Selling Work in Progress
Online sales tools are still basically lead generators, which “club the consumer over the head” until they ultimately come to the dealership to complete the deal, says Miran Maric, Asbury Automotive Group’s chief marketing officer.
By Jim Henry • Jan. 29, 2021 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
AutoNation Exec Fixates on CX
“Don’t underestimate the customer experience,” says Marc Cannon, the car dealership chain’s chief customer experience officer.
By Steve Finlay • Jan. 29, 2021 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Auto Dealers Fight the Fight – and Stay Sane
Car dealers “found themselves in a world they never expected to be in,” Mark Schienberg, head of the Greater New York Auto Dealers Assn., says in a Wards Q&A.
By Steve Finlay • Jan. 28, 2021 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Used-car Retailer CARite Launches Rent-to-Own Plan
The “Pay As You Go” plan is designed to let anyone choose, subscribe to and drive the vehicle of their choice while allowing them to build equity for a no-obligation purchase.
By Jim Irwin • Jan. 27, 2021 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Pandemic Lessons Influencing Dealers’ Fixed Operations
Panelists say dealers are offering what’s now a familiar menu of pickup and delivery and sanitizing customer vehicles, as well as new approaches where dealers get more value from customer data.
By Jim Henry • Jan. 27, 2021
Previous
