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Industry News in the Last 24 |
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February 25, 2010 |
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 Toyota's Runaway Crisis
U.S. Toyota chief Jim Lentz was visibly moved by stories of sudden unintended acceleration presented before Congressional committee. Lentz also confirmed that solutions found to date may not completely solve safety issues. More tests of electronics will be conducted.
Forbes.com, February 23, 2010
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 GM Said to Not Win China’s Approval for Hummer Deal
GM is pleased that the Saab sale has been finalized, but was not as fortunate with its Hummer brand as the Chinese government seeks more fuel-efficient vehicles and refuses to give approval. GM is open to other options but moves into shut-down mode for Hummer.
Bloomberg.com, February 24, 2010
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 Toyota Fallout: Hyundai Halts Sonata Sales
In an era of 'better to recall than not,' Hyundai has decided to voluntarily recall some 47,000 2011 Sonatas globally due to a faulty door latch, 1,300 already sold in the U.S. New door handles will arrive shortly but sales are temporarily halted.
Edmunds Auto Observer, February 24, 2010
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WHAT'S SIGNIFICANT THIS WEEK IN THE NEWS |
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Car Dealers Last In, First Out of Recession
Dealers, especially the mega dealer groups, are far more agile than the companies that make their cars and trucks. During times of economic difficulty, dealers can rely on used car sales, the parts department, and their service lanes to survive.
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Toyota Outlines Solutions to Company's Quality Issues
Toyota will establish a global quality committee as part of its response to lingering safety questions following three recalls. Toyota officials suggested rapid growth may have led to quality issues.
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Tata Motors develops fuel cell-powered buses and light trucks
Indian automaker Tata Motors is dedicated to alternative fuel vehicles, from its recently showcased electric Indica and hybrid Nano, to a range of products powered by hydrogen fuel cell technology.
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 Advertising Success Plan for 2010
2010 is going to be a great year! Here are a few ideas for a successful advertising plan to make it happen:
• Advertise or die
You need three things to be successful in the retail automotive business: the right product, the right people, and the right advertising.
• You need inventory
You won’t survive as a catalog showroom. You need to focus on building a trusted team. This takes time, but it’s a good investment for the future. You need to keep your name out in the public.
• Build your brand
The single greatest opportunity for brand loyalty is within your own brand. In testimonial interview after interview our staff hears more comments about dealer loyalty than make brand loyalty.
• Budget for success
Right now. Today. This is the time you should be putting together an advertising budget strategy for 2010. Plan to spend at least 12% of your total gross, both front and back, new, used, and backend.
• The right media allocation
Here is how many highly successful dealers are planning their media breakout for 2010: 25% to radio, 37% to television, 12% to print, 6% to direct mail, 15% to e-related, 5% to outdoor and miscellaneous.
• Manage the message
Simplicity: Streamline your message. The more information you try to convey, the less effective your message will be.
Click here to read the entire article by Jim Boldebook, president of Creative Broadcast Concepts. To reach Jim Boldebook for some more good hints for your dealership be sure to visit www.CBCads.com or call him at 800.222.2682.
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 Marketing Strategy for Successful Service Operations in 2010
Dynamic shifts in the automotive service industry today impact consumer choices as well as dealer options. As we see fewer new vehicles being purchased and consumers hanging onto their vehicles for longer periods of time, the impact on both the service department and dealer fixed ops in general will ultimately affect dealership marketing channels. Consumers want more for their dollar. Will they find it in the dealership or will they seek out independent service shops? Click here or click on the image for an in-depth White Paper produced by DriverSide.com in partnership with R.L. Polk & Co.
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 I Found My Plug -- In San Francisco
If electric cars have any future in the United States, San Francisco will probably be the city where they arrive first. For one thing, San Francisco is revamping its building code so that new structures must be wired for car chargers. Auto manufacturers may be hot on the trail of building EVs -- the Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf and Tesla Roadster -- but motorists won't get very far without readily-available charging stations. You'll want to read more about charging station infrastructure. Then click here or click on the image to learn more about what San Fran is doing to get ready!
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 Bring Service Revenue Into Your Dealership
Bryon Epro, Vice President of Automotive Services Group at IMN Loyalty Driver, says the easiest and least expensive way to bring in service revenue is through your e-newsletter. Build season-after-season of consistent customer relations by keeping in tune with your customer's needs winter, spring, summer and fall. Grab their attention with pertinent information, timely coupons and gentle reminders to keep your service bays profitably occupied all year long! Just click here (Page 14) or click on the image to hear what Bryon has to say.
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 Dealership Finds Marketing Solution that Works
Ask Randy Threatt, general manager of Midlands Honda (South Carolina), and he'll tell you quite honestly he almost eliminated the concept of a separate "Internet" department when he became GM in 2008. Fortunately, he didn't. Instead, he looked for the most progressive website and online marketing provider he could find and that led him to partner with Dealer.com in 2009. The rest is history: The dealership averages over 23,000 visitors a month, has more than 110,000 pages views per month and receives more than 1,000 phone calls from website shoppers each month.
Today, Randy will tell you, "We don't distinguish between the virtual dealership (the website) and the physical dealership anymore and that makes a huge difference in our results. With the effectiveness that we have achieved with Dealer.com, we know that we can go after additional markets online and win." Make your dealership a marketing success by visiting www.dealer.com today!
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 Who is Monitoring Your Calls?
By Glenn Pasch
Most of us have heard this while we wait to speak with a company: “This call may be recorded for training purposes.” While I see the benefit of recording calls, I often wonder, does anyone from this company really listen to these calls?
Although consumers are choosing the Internet to research their cars before speaking with a car dealer, a company should not ignore that many online shoppers will eventually end up as a phone conversation with one of their employees. If calls are not being handled properly, your online investments are being negatively impacted. In 2010 companies that want to improve can do the following:
1. Decide on a number of calls per agent/per week.
2. Utilize a uniform call checklist to score agent’s performance on each aspect of their calls.
3. Provide feedback to the employee focusing on what they are doing well and areas they can improve on.
4. Follow a consistent “Coaching Process” taking the time to demonstrate how to improve. (Read more...)
Why risk a negative brand image due to something that is within your control.
Glenn Pasch, President of Improved Performance Solutions, can be reached at coaching@ipsforyou.com.
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CarLocate.com Launches Discussion Forum
CarLocate.com (part of Reynolds & Reynolds) adds an automotive forum or message board to its new and used car search website to provide consumers with one more helpful source when shopping for a car. Connects site members so they can learn from each other. Forum topics cover all aspects of new and used car buying, as well as areas of interest for car enthusiasts. Register for a free account or visit www.carlocate.com.
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Quorum is No. 2 DMS Provider for Canadian GM Dealerships
Quorum Information Technologies Inc., focused on developing, marketing, implementing and supporting its XSELLERATOR™ product, is now the 2nd largest provider of DMS systems to GM dealerships in Canada. Unique software automates, integrates and streamlines every process across departments. More info at QuorumDMS.com.
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Online Retailer Platform Enhancements from Dealer.com
Dealer.com, global leader of online marketing solutions for auto dealers, upgrades and unifies its platforms to enhance video-rich websites for seamless integration and management of all initiatives. TotalControl DOMINATOR™ now allows dealers to compare pay per click (PPC) campaign results across all major search engines in a single location. Visit www.dealer.com.
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