Let’s be honest, fixed ops doesn’t get a whole lot of love online. Most dealership landing pages are awash in new car promotions, while the service and parts departments are relegated to an…
The coronavirus pandemic has forever altered the retail landscape. Among the long-term changes, automotive retailers have invested in contactless ways for customers to shop and have their vehicles…
Vehicle software problems are on the rise, will you survive the digital age? Modern electronics and computer controls have made possible the reliable, efficient vehicles of today. But, as with any…
Whether we love them or hate them, customer reviews are here to stay, which can make or break the dealer. More often than not, though, for those who do not capture the same volume of reviews as their…
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…
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…
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…
Having a BDC can be an invaluable asset to the dealership if it is set up for success. Where the Agents are contributing to the bottom line by effectively managing the inbound leads, equity lists, OEM…
Developing the right pay plan is a critical component of setting up both the dealership and BDC up for success. However, more often than not the pay plan is an unintentional afterthought, which in…
… Though they seem to be common within the retail auto industry. Where Dealer Principals, GM’s and BDC managers are scratching their heads trying to figure out how a “Business Development Center”…
There’s always one person in your circle of friends that research every little detail, it might even be you. A recent Think with Google report explains it using a restaurant as the example. Your group…
Just like any other vendor, your OEM is continuously asking you to sign up for marketing programs through their third-party firms. Before you do take the time to sign up for one of their many…
Purchasing a vehicle is often the second largest purchase a customer makes in their lifetime. Yet on the dealership level, we tend to become numb to it as if it were a simple, transactional purchase…
In any type of retail business, whether it be automotive or fast food, employees are told the customer is always right. Well, today, I’m here to tell you that simply isn’t true. There are many…
Dealers want to convert their leads better. That’s according to the 2018 State of Automotive Marketing Report published by 9Clouds. Of more than one hundred dealers surveyed for the report, the number…
“Good Luck!” We hear it all the time. It’s a phrase used to wish people well in their efforts. But there’s another way to look at luck that may help you approach success more effectively. Maybe you’ve…
You've spent $600+ on average to acquire a new customer. Yet most of us overlook a key piece of information when reviewing the reports: "Where exactly did the customer come from?" The answer is…
For more information, contact Ted Ings, Executive Director and Customer Experience Expert, CX One of the common themes in our industry is to throw the new hire to the wolves. Also known as the "sink…
You can do everything right for the customer, from the introductory handshake through to delivery and follow-up. Everything seems perfect…until they leave a scathing review online. It comes totally…
A recent study of the car buyer’s journey shows that 88 percent of car shoppers use the internet for their research. On average, a car shopper will spend nearly nine hours looking at various websites…
It’s never too late to embrace something that works. A Rosenberg, Texas Kia dealer, Virgil Skinner, had used his personal Facebook profile to connect with customers. But when he created a Facebook…
It used to be the only way to find the right car for your needs was to visit dealership after dealership. Hours spent in showrooms, a handful of test drives, and the best-price sales pitch was all…
When you’re in the research portion of your buying journey, where do you start? Whether it’s for shoes, a 65-inch smart TV, a lawnmower, or car parts, it starts online for 95 percent of millennials…
Is it an online marketplace for vehicles? Most certainly, it is. But most dealership websites are monotonous; they have the depth of a kiddie pool. New visitors to the website arrive from various…