Sticker shock
NEW ENERGUIDE LABELS ARE EXPECTED TO RAISE A FEW EYEBROWS AMONG CONSUMERS Be prepared to deal with sticker shock when some of your customers get a look at the window stickers on your 2015 model year vehicles. Not because of …
Category: Columns
Measuring feedback
WHY EMBRACING CUSTOMER CONCERNS AND COMPLAINTS IS THE BEST WAY TO STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIPS AND GROW YOUR BUSINESS Understanding and satisfying the customer’s needs are the highest priority for any business. And getting input from your customers is critical to your …
Golf dreams
SINGER/SONGWRITER BILLY OCEAN IS A BIG FAN OF VOLKSWAGEN’S ORIGINAL HOT HATCH Celebrity: Billy Ocean Profession: Grammy award winning singer/songwriter Vehicle: 2011 Volkswagen Golf GTI Pirelli Grammy award-winning musician Billy Ocean has sold more than 30 million records. The singer-songwriter …
Quality counts
MAKING MORE (AND BETTER) CUSTOMER CONNECTIONS WITH AN INITIAL QUALITY RESPONSE Connecting with customers via email may sound as easy as 1-2-3. Receive a lead, respond with an electronic note and wait for the customer to reach back out with …
Good, bad or ugly?
DAVID ADAMS WEIGHS IN ON THE HOTLY DEBATED CANADA-SOUTH KOREA TRADE DEAL AND THE IMPACT IT COULD ACTUALLY HAVE ON OUR INDUSTRY For some in the automotive industry, the recent conclusion of the Canada-South Korea Free Trade Agreement announced by …
Breaking the stereotype
WHY DEALERSHIPS NEED TO RECRUIT MORE FEMALE STAFF, RETAIN THEM AND BETTER MEET THE NEEDS OF FEMALE CUSTOMERS Based on data from the National Automobile Dealers Association’s second annual report, females represent just 19 per cent of all staff hired …
Sound decisions
WHY PLAYING APPROPRIATE MUSIC IN YOUR DEALERSHIP CAN HAVE A HUGE IMPACT IN ELEVATING THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE During the course of the year, we visit hundreds of auto retail facilities and such excursions naturally mean a good deal of travel …
The empowerment advantage
HOW INVESTING IN YOUR STAFF AND TAKING A BIG PICTURE VIEW OF CUSTOMER SERVICE IS AN EFFECTIVE APPROACH TO ENSURE REPEATABLE, LONG TERM SUCCESS In my line of work, I have the luxury of meeting and working with a number …
Six KPI numbers to consider if you want a good bottom line
IN THE FIRST OF A SPECIAL SERIES, JIM BELL LOOKS AT KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS THAT CAN MAKE OR BREAK YOUR SERVICE DEPARTMENT WHEN IT COMES TO PROFITABILITY Today, more than any time in the history of the automotive industry, it …
Creating the connection
WHY UNDERSTANDING HOW CUSTOMERS WANT TO ENGAGE IS CRITICAL TO BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS AND GROWING YOUR BUSINESS It’s generally accepted these days that consumers, young and old, are gravitating towards screens to keep in touch with what’s going on, not only …
Genius
WHY APPLE’S APPROACH TO RETAILING CAN HIGHLIGHT SOME IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS FOR DEALERSHIPS WHEN IT COMES TO FOSTERING RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEIR CUSTOMERS Since this column first started appearing in Canadian auto dealer, the basic theme has been about facility-centric ideas that …
Ready, set…wait a minute?
WHEN IT COMES TO SELLING OR CHANGING OWNERSHIP OF THEIR STORES, DEALERS NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE COMPLEXITIES INVOLVED IN DOING SO AND THAT THE PROCESS CAN TAKE LONGER THAN EXPECTED Owning a Dealership today is anything but simple. One large …
