Tackling the employee engagement crisis
We are losing too many employees — and some fixes won’t cost you any money To quote Jack Nicholson from the movie A Few Good Men: “You can’t handle the truth!” The truth is — we are in a crisis. I …
Category: Columns
The ABSC’s of automotive retail
Georgian College is helping train the next generation of leaders our industry will need Earlier this year, I embarked on a teaching career at Georgian College’s Automotive Business School of Canada (ASBC). As someone who has been an operator in …
How do you handle your customer trades?
New approaches help ease the painful customer interaction when assessing the value of their trade Should you quote a trade-in value on a sales call or an e-lead? This question gets the most debate when facilitating Sales Manager workshops across …
What is PR and how can it help you?
Canadian auto dealer is pleased to introduce our newest columnist, Dustin Woods, who will provide insights gained from more than 20 years in the Canadian automotive media landscape as a journalist and public relations practitioner In our fast-paced, competitive world …
Financial trends worth watching
Macroeconomic forces will impact our business environment in 2025 It seems that every time we flip over to a new calendar year, the outlook is similar: an unclear feeling on economic conditions, turbulence in the political landscape and huge expectations …
Getting the customer piece right
Is your training customer experience centric? Earlier this year, CDK Global reported that 84 per cent of dealers identified improving customer experience (CX) as their top strategy for 2024. (2024 CDK Global Friction Points Study) We know that CX is a key …
Ready to launch a dealership?
Expert tips on how to start a car dealership in Canada You’ve dreamed of owning your own dealership for years. You’ve carefully thought through the pros and cons, spent time gaining industry experience and building networks. It’s within your reach. …
Do brands really matter anymore?
Many next gen buyers don’t have the same attachment to brands. What does this mean for retailers? The automotive industry can be a joy to work in. The history of brands and models always brings me a smile, whether with …
Leverage F&I products to boost retention
Your business office can do more than deliver margin — it can improve customer loyalty In the ultra competitive retail automotive world, where most dealers understand the importance of customer retention strategies, an often-overlooked powerhouse lies within the Financial Services …
The survey says…
There’s no reason for service to fear CSI surveys if they are handled correctly How a manager reacts to surveys plays a huge role in determining the overall culture of customer satisfaction in our service department. Let’s say ten good …
GOODBYE!
Longtime columnist Chris Schulthies is retiring and offers his farewell thoughts I began selling cars in 1986 at Grant Brown Pontiac Buick GMC Cadillac in Toronto. At 22 years of age, this was not a mindful career decision, but a …
Tariffs, trade and Trump
The politics of trade could be disruptive for Canada’s auto industry Recently during an interview in Chicago, former U.S. President, Donald Trump noted that “tariff” was his favourite word in the dictionary. Looking back at his presidency, his use of …
