Challenges abound for dealers
There are mixed signs in the market, and some dark clouds dealers need to keep their eyes on. Looking back over the years, the job of a dealer used to be quite simple: unlock the doors, and the customers either …
Category: Columns
The politicization of EVs
What would a leadership change in the U.S. mean for the transition to EVs? The North American automotive industry is extremely well integrated, which can be characterized by production capacities being spread out around the continent and by overall supply …
It’s all about the people
Canadian auto dealer is proud to introduce our newest columnist, Bruce Duguay, who will offer his observations on our industry based on decades of auto retail experience in senior leadership roles I remember opening an issue of Canadian auto dealer …
How to boost tech productivity
Keeping your techs busy will help boost service revenues and keep customers happier too We want to talk about a concept that is very important to us. It is in fact so important we wrote a book about it called …
Flying under the radar
Until EV demand soars, they will be more costly to produce. Ihad the opportunity to attend the Management Briefing Seminar (MBS) hosted by the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) in Traverse City, Michigan in early August. It had been …
Fighting fraudsters
Using more digital tools is making dealerships more vulnerable to fraud and identity theft. The automotive industry is increasingly finding itself under siege by a growing trend of fraud, particularly through the use of fake IDs to purchase vehicles. This …
Master the Express Purchase Experience
Part 1 of our 2 part series on a modern discovery process and the benefits of adopting an Express Purchase Experience The truth is that showroom sales processes across North America have deteriorated and regressed in the post-pandemic auto industry. …
Build teams to deliver a better customer service
Avoid the hot potato dispatching process that doesn’t work for anyone During our dealer visits and our own experiences, we have seen many ways of dispatching work to the technicians and apprentices. We want to reiterate what we mentioned during …
The day of reckoning
Inconsistent public policy measures leave Canada vulnerable as China ascends Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to participate in the SAFE conference in Washington, DC. For those that are not familiar with SAFE, the acronym stands for Securing America’s …
Why do change efforts often fail?
Shifting to a customer experience focused mindset is key but getting there won’t always be easy In the previous issue, I mentioned the importance of inspiring teams to adopt a customer experience focused mindset. Shifting a mindset dealership-wide can require …
Finger pointing is not a helpful approach
How politicians in Ottawa understand and perceive the auto theft crisis Over the past weeks, CADA has been publicly supportive of the government’s introduction of measures, in the recently delivered 2024 federal budget, aimed at tackling auto theft. Like every …
Everything’s tightening up
Mid year check up for used car financing As we navigate through 2024, the automotive financing landscape is heavily influenced by persistently high interest rates, significantly impacting the used car market. Despite recent rate cuts, interest rates for automotive remain …
