Make it mobile
FORGET DESKTOPS. THE WAY CONSUMERS USE THEIR MOBILE DEVICES IS CHANGING BY THE DAY J.D. Power reported that between 2012 and 2013, the number of vehicle shoppers who used an automotive website or app on a smartphone grew by 73 …
Category: Columns
CASL: Critical features
THE ANTI-SPAM VORTEX IS NOW UPON US. MAKE SURE YOU’VE TAKEN STEPS TO AVOID THE POTENTIAL (AND VERY COSTLY) PITFALLS How quickly time flies! It was just a few short months ago (in the April 2014 edition of Canadian auto …
Car sharing – how many sales could it replace?
THE CHALLENGES (AND ALSO BENEFITS) CAR SHARING COULD BRING TO AUTOMOTIVE RETAILING No one will argue that car sharing is essentially an urban trend. It’s also true that it’s witnessing significant growth both in Western Europe and North America. While …
Measuring service
PARTS TO LABOUR RATIOS Many of us remember when the value of the parts on a work order often exceeded the labour dollars. That was in the days not so long ago when you installed rebuilt engines, transmissions and other …
Building engagement
WHY HIGH QUALITY DEALERSHIP FACILITIES TEND TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN HIGH QUALITY PEOPLE As important as building, renovating or properly maintaining a facility may be, it pales in comparison to the importance of finding and keeping the right people. After …
Frontiers of construction
CHANGES IN MANUFACTURING MATERIALS BRING NEW CHALLENGES FOR THE AUTO INDUSTRY It may not seem readily apparent but there’s been a decades-long battle going on in the auto industry over the choice of materials for virtually every part and component …
The next disruptive technology
AUTONOMOUS DRIVING COULD HAVE A FAR GREATER IMPACT ON SOCIETY THAN PERHAPS WE REALIZE Over the last several years, autonomous vehicle technology has rarely been out of the headlines. Read almost any auto industry publication (including this one) and you’ll …
Here and now
WHY FOCUSING ON MILLENNIAL CUSTOMERS’ NEEDS TODAY IS LIKELY TO REAP BIG REWARDS TOMORROW A lot has changed in the automotive customer service industry over the last few decades, but one fact remains. High quality customer service continues to inspire …
People, people, people
WHY A DEALERSHIP’S SUCCESS HINGES NOT ONLY ON HAVING THE RIGHT STAFF IN PLACE BUT ALSO THE STRATEGIES REQUIRED TO INVEST IN THEIR PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL GROWTH Brian is a 40-year veteran in the dealership world and turned 60 years …
The free lead secret
UNDERSTANDING WHY YOUR OWN WEBSITE CAN BE THE VERY BEST SOURCE FOR TOP QUALITY INTERNET LEADS You’ve probably heard the expression that if something is free it’s probably worthless. You have also probably heard if it’s sounds to good to …
Bad ratios, big losses
IN HIS ONGOING SERIES ABOUT SIX KPIS THAT CAN COST SERVICE DEPARTMENTS BIG MONEY, JIM BELL TAKES A LOOK AT GROSS PROFIT ON CUSTOMER PAID LABOUR RATIOS Last issue, we introduced this series on the six KPI indicators for losing …
Joining the mainstream
WHY DOING WHAT WE’VE ALWAYS DONE IN AUTO RETAILING SIMPLY ISN’T GOOD ENOUGH ANYMORE We talk about change and adopting the ways of a dynamic retail sector, but many things remain the same in auto retailing. Customer expectations continue to …
