Show you care
THE RETAIL EXPERIENCE IS GOING THROUGH MANY CHANGES. HOW DO YOU WANT TO TREAT YOUR CUSTOMERS? Perhaps it’s because I live and work in Toronto that I’ve become jaded. We think that what happens here is happening everywhere else. So, …
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The haze of crisis
WITH ALL OF THE ECONOMIC TURMOIL IN GREECE, CANADIANS MIGHT BE WORRIED ABOUT A SIMILAR SITUATION HAPPENING HERE. BUT WE ARE FAR FROM BEING THE NEXT GREECE As of this writing, it was far from clear what kind of solution …
Putting the work in bench
A TECH BENCH KEEPS THE SERVICE AREA CLEAN AND ORGANIZED. JUST BE SURE TO KEEP YOUR BENCH CLEAN. It was in the 1990s when I first noticed a handful of dealers building windows between the service write-up area and the …
Customer service always wins
THERE’S A LESSON F&I MANAGERS CAN LEARN FROM J.D. POWER’S 2015 CANADIAN DEALER FINANCING SATISFACTION STUDY It’s been drilled into dealers’ heads that customer service, not price, can help differentiate between competitors. The same holds true for lender partners who …
The beginning of the end?
IN LIGHT OF FALLING OIL PRICES AND GOVERNMENT MOVES TO VEHICLE ELECTRIFICATION, DAVID ADAMS EXPLORES WHAT THIS MEANS FOR GASOLINE-POWERED VEHICLES I had the good fortune of attending the Toronto Global Forum of the International Economic Forum of the Americas …
Time to plan
DEALERS SHOULD START THINKING NOW ABOUT ANY SUCCESSION PLANNING AND START PREPARING FOR IT Although January 1 marks a new year, the planning for that year should start now — assuming you have not already started. I talk to many …
On the road with Stephen Carlisle, President and Managing Director, General Motors of Canada Ltd.
THE HEAD OF GENERAL MOTORS OF CANADA TALKS ABOUT DIGITAL MARKETING, GREEN TECHNOLOGY AND WHERE THE AUTO INDUSTRY IS HEADING IN CANADA Canadian auto dealer traveled to General Motors of Canada’s head office in Oshawa, Ont. for a one-on-one interview …
The swinging 60s
THE 1960S WERE A TRANSITIONAL TIME FOR THE AUTO INDUSTRY. WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE CHANGES THAT HAPPENED ON THE RETAIL FRONT The 1950s had been a battlefield in the auto industry, as recession-weary carmakers dumped vehicles onto their …
2015 Mid year report card
THE MARKET IS GROWING AT A RECORD PACE — BUT NOT ALL AUTOMAKERS ARE DOING WELL In a near parallel of last year, new-vehicle sales in Canada at mid-year 2015 are 2.9 per cent ahead of where they were a …
When chat becomes conversation
DMT DEVELOPMENT SYSTEMS GROUP INC. HAS ROLLED OUT A NEW SYSTEM THAT TAKES CONVENTIONAL ONLINE CHAT TO THE NEXT LEVEL When Glen Demetrioff mystery shopped U.S. dealers through their chat functions, he wasn’t too impressed with the online customer experience. …
The great divide
THE SALES AND THE SERVICE DEPARTMENTS ARE TWO CRITICAL BUSINESS UNITS WITHIN THE DEALERSHIP, YET THEY OFTEN BUTT HEADS In most Canadian dealerships, the sales department is focused exclusively on its own performance. The same is true on the service …
Find profit in wheel protection
WHEN IT COMES TO WHEEL PROTECTION, ALLOYGATOR CANADA’S WHEEL PROTECTION SYSTEM IS GETTING DEALERS RESULTS Curbed wheels. They are a pain for customers and dealerships alike, especially when the dealership represents a high-end brand, and its courtesy vehicles end up …
