Practical articles for dealership teams on the service drive, the sales floor and in the F&I office.
327 articles
Technology
The good old days are gone: how the auto industry has changed Today's millennial generation was raised in the digital age, all new cars were computer-controlled by the time they got their driver’s…
Ted Ings3 min read
Technology
Vehicles just five to ten years old have equipment now considered obsolete. How can you stay up to date with automotive technology when it moves at such a rapid pace? It’s not easy, and plenty of…
Ted Ings3 min read
People
They say age is nothing but a number, but in society, that’s far from true. Ageism is rampant everywhere, especially in the workplace. Your dealership may be promoting this form of prejudice without…
Ted Ings4 min read
Service Drive
To hold a full-time leadership position and run a successful business, you have to be a mastermind, like David Foy. Known appropriately throughout the industry as the Fixed Ops Mastermind, David works…
Ted Ings2 min read
Service Drive
Consistency needs to be a cornerstone of any business if you want to succeed. In customer service, in the application of company policy, in training methods and sales techniques, consistency is a…
Ted Ings4 min read
Industry Leaders
With all of the hype of future autonomous driving and forces of retail disruption, it makes sense to look back and reflect on where our industry got its roots ... Henry Ford was an American…
Ted Ings4 min read
BDC and Marketing
Every dealer has a brand. But not every dealer has a modern brand strategy. A strategy that assists the dealer in setting themselves apart from the competition. Having to do with everything from the…
Ted Ings7 min read
BDC and Marketing
It happens to everyone working in content creation and social media: you run out of things to say. You’ve already written about everything on your content list. The well has run dry. When it happens…
Ted Ings2 min read
Customer Experience
Picture this: a customer’s multi-point inspection reveals an oil leak, a suspension problem, or some other expensive repair. You know the customer, and it’s going to be a tough sell. They’ve been…
Ted Ings2 min read
Sales
“Choice”, An act of choosing between two or more possibilities. A range of possibilities from which one or more may be chosen. (Oxford Living Dictionaries) "Choice" is often described as the ultimate…
Ted Ings5 min read
Technology
Tesla, Volvo, BMW, Toyota, Nissan, and at least 14 other car companies are working feverishly to develop self-driving technology. Billions of dollars are invested, all with the intent that…
Ted Ings1 min read
Industry Leaders
American auto executive Lee Iacocca became a world-renowned business icon for steering the Chrysler Corporation away from bankruptcy toward record profits in the 1980s. “I chose the automobile…
Ted Ings5 min read
Service Drive
There are two ways to look at the word “declined.” One of them being negative and the other as an opportunity to not only refine the multi-point inspection and interactive walk-around yet also…
Ted Ings5 min read
F&I
Customers have responded that they wish the F&I process was better and that the car buying experience was faster. There’s a way to address both problems with a single item. When the customer is…
Ted Ings1 min read
Service Drive
Texting is an integral part of our day. It’s arguably one of the most used applications on the phone, which is why it is crucial that we get it right. That is understanding not just the “purpose” of…
Ted Ings6 min read
Sales
Whether you like it or not, it still takes a car buyer over three hours in the dealership to buy a car, start to finish. It’s the case even when they’ve already narrowed down their choice to just one…
Ted Ings2 min read
Sales
Respect Your Customer and Share Control of the Sales Process “Control”, the power to influence or direct people’s behavior or the course of events (Oxford Dictionary) Today’s customers don’t want to…
Ted Ings4 min read
Service Drive
Mistakes are part of human nature, so there will always be an occasional car that doesn’t get fixed right. But when improper repairs happen on a regular basis, that’s a problem. The good news is, even…
Ted Ings3 min read
Sales
Millennials operate in the moment, evident by smartphone statistics as well as apps like Snapchat, Instagram, and Twitter. Facebook is considered passé. It’s an absolutely telling trend that gives new…
Ted Ings1 min read
Service Drive
Do First Impressions Matter? Whether you are answering the phone at the dealership, greeting a customer on the showroom floor, or booking a vehicle in for a service, the customer will form an opinion…
Ted Ings5 min read
Sales
Recent statistics indicate that as much as 68% of vehicle buyers never receive a follow-up phone call after they purchased their vehicle. It’s no wonder that the average dealership sees fewer than 30%…
Ted Ings2 min read
BDC and Marketing
Business Development Centers are nothing new to the retail auto industry The conversations, however, surrounding “what is BDC?” continue to evolve with new omnichannel opportunities. Conversations…
Ted Ings8 min read
Industry Leaders
About one in seven people in Massachusetts buy a car from Herb Chambers’ fifty-six dealerships each year, nearly all of which bear his name. So how did he get there? Herb Chambers is the 17th largest…
CPI4 min read
Service Drive
Is tablet use hurting your fixed ops department? These days, electronic tablets are all over the place. Wherever you go, people are walking around with their heads down staring into digital displays…
Ted Ings3 min read