Nancy Henson on LinkedIn: #franklintn #bust #costcotirecenter #ram1500rocks #hiltongardeninn #ni… (2024)

In a recent Automotive News article, Vince Bond Jr. reports on an innovative sales event by Island Auto Group in New York, in partnership with CarEdge. This one day event promised a straightforward and rapid buying process, free of hidden fees, with transactions taking no more than an hour. This method proved successful, resulting in 13 sales at two dealerships, which accounted for more than half their business that day.Island Auto Group's initiative, as described by owner Josh Aaronson, focused on delivering what consumers truly desire: transparency and simplicity. Aaronson states, "I think consumers want as much transparency as they can get, and a simplified buying process, knowing that they aren't going to have to play games, and they're able to go into a dealership and get the buying experience that they're looking for, not what the dealer is looking for." This consumer-first approach challenges traditional dealership models that often prioritize the dealer's interests over the buyer's.However, implementing this new approach wasn't without its hurdles. As CarEdge's Zach Shefska noted, "It was really eye-opening for me to know that we can do all this work to set expectations, set pricing, really trying to make it as easy as possible. And then we're in Staten Island — it's a difficult market, so there's a lot of entrenched, ingrained ways of doing business. There were quite a few moments where we had to rescue things." This statement highlights the challenges of changing deep-seated business practices in car sales.Reflecting on this event, it begs the question: Can traditional dealerships adapt to these new, consumer-centric approaches, or will they continue to cling to their old ways of doing business?

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Have you ever noticed how very few customers agree to purchase an extended service plan when pitched at the sales counter, as the sale is being written?New Leaf's J.R. Zirkelbach shares his experience with an extended warranty while buying a new vehicle. Read the article here👇#NewLeaf #ExtendedWarranty #ApplianceWarranty

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Know your options before selling your car. 1) Sell it to a dealer 2) Sell it yourself online, 3) Sell it on consignment. Good Read on each.

Wish I could go back in time & have my Bronco Raptor listed and sold through PrivateAuto. 😅From start to finish, selling this car privately was a disaster.I sold it on Ebay Motors within a week of listing it, which was about the only fun part of the process.I got contacted by the buyer (who I couldn't verify) and was pretty much just rolling with whatever he said. For the price of this car, I had no idea if it was a legitimate buyer or not - all he did was click "Buy Now" from an anonymous profile.From then on, the buyer wanted to send me 1/2 cash now, 1/2 in person, send him a blank bill of sale so he could write the price on it, and much more. After a few weeks of back and forth confusion, I finally got wired the full amount of $ for the BRaptor.Shocking to me - this buyer was wiring over $100k without any contract, paperwork, title, etc. to me. I'm a nice honest guy, but I can imagine some wouldn't be so lucky.Then came the shipping part - I was getting random calls from brokers, drivers, and I could barely figure out who was actually supposed to pick up the car and deliver it to the buyer in California. But, after a few weeks of driving my lovely Bronco Raptor 1 mile to grab coffee, all while dealing with complete chaos to sell it - she was sold and on a truck to California. With PrivateAuto, I've seen first hand how they are changing the private seller marketplace and it's truly incredible how simple they make it for buyer and seller. Every tool is at your finger tips to feel secure, especially their payment system which would have saved me about 14 hours of headache, and for the buyer, peace of mind that I'm not going to scam him. It would have been about as easy as Venmo'ing my brother for a beer.Sharing this because when I met Brad Parker, this was the first thing I told him! If you are trying to buy or sell your vehicle privately - go with PrivateAuto.

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Service Managers - mystery shop your stores!!I woke up with a flat tire this morning so I called a local dealership and an after market tire shop to get pricing on a patch. Tire Store: "A patch comes out to $xx" Local Dealership: "Let me get you in touch with an advisor"After a brief hold the employee comes back: "I can't seem to get ahold of an advisor, can I get your information to have them call you back?"About 15 min later the advisor calls me: "I think it's $xx but it might be $XX."To the dealer's credit, the first price was extremely competitive with the after market tire shop but the presentation was all the difference. Many customers - especially in a stressful situation - will go with the first call because they got an immediate price quoted with confidence. Before you say "that wouldn't happen at my store," do the mystery shop. I've done them in the past with Service Managers or GMs on the phone with me and many of them weren't pleased. What do you think? How should the calls have gone?#Automotive #FixedOperations

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·Major competitors include Canadian Tire, Costco, Kal Tire, and small independent tire shops. Online retailers like TireRack.com are also capturing a share of the Canadian winter tire market.·Demand tends to be highest in late September/October as weather starts to cool and winter approaches, and picks up again in March/April as drivers prepare to switch back to summer tires. According to extensive market research, winter tires are in demand in many Canadian regions with regular icy driving conditions. The analysis found that adoption is still below 100% of eligible vehicles in severe snowfall provinces like Quebec, which already has one of the highest winter tire usage rates (Jovanovic et al., 2020). This suggests these core winter tire markets have room for expansion. The analysis reveals that a winter tire-only shop concept could acquire a market share. Several large automobile retail chains provide winter tires as part of a broader product assortment (Mahama-Musah et al., 2020). Competition is common in many towns, but Winter Tire Warehouse might stand out with its knowledge, a larger assortment of winter tire brands and models, and affordable price. The size and geographic scope of the Canadian winter tire market, along with room for growth and a lack of pure-play competitors, give a well-positioned new entrant like Winter Tire Warehouse hope if the right strategy is implemented in these targeted regions.Part 2: Cost Assessment Startup Costs:·Building lease/mortgage - $150,000 (for a 2,000 sqft retail space in a commercial plaza)·Fixtures and equipment - $50,000 (shelving, tools, tire installation machines, computers) ·Vehicle (transport/deliver tires) - $30,000·Initial tire inventory - $100,000·Signage/branding -$5,000·Insurance, licenses, permits - $5,000·Working capital - $30,000·Total startup costs: $370,000Recurring operational costs:·Rent - $4,000/month ·Utilities - $1,000/month·Salaries (3 FTE staff) - $10,000/month·Advertising/marketing - $2,000/month·Office supplies - $500/month·Insurance - $1,000/month·Professional services (accounting) - $500/monthTotal monthly costs: $19,000Annual costs: $228,000

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I was at Discount Tire last week getting a punctured tire fixed.As I waited, I noticed how professional and friendly the staff were. I also noticed how confident and efficient they were, all the way from the front desk to the shop. They never felt pushy or unqualified. I completely trusted my vehicle in their hands. As a business owner myself, I was fascinated. I tried to see if there was anything I could learn from these observations.I noticed that Discount Tire had a system in place and that the staff knew the system. Everyone knew their role and they all worked together. When they interacted with customers, their confidence fueled their actions and words. As a result, the customers felt safe and assured, including myself.Not only did I get my tire fixed, but I also got some business value out of my visit.#businessetiquette #businessowners #confidence

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Consumer Reports members prefer independent shops—and, in some cases, chains—over dealerships, according to the organization's annual survey. The survey asked consumers to rate repair shops based on 12 attributes: honesty; price; the quality of the work; the amount of time it took to complete repairs; communication about the repair; whether or not the problem was fixed the first time; the accuracy of the initial cost estimate; the shop’s willingness to negotiate on price; the presence of free perks with service (such as car washes, loaner cars, and shuttle service); the presence of discounts; the proximity or convenience of the shop’s location; and the presence of guarantees or warranties for work done. Your dealership's retention problem isn't going to solve itself. Get to know TraXtion! #GoTraXtion #dealerships #fixedops #fixedoperations #tires #wheelalignment #driversafety #customerretention

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The customer is not right about everything.From our research at Secret Service customers have some interesting opinions on using a franchise garage for their servicing. * They wouldn’t want to service my car, I didn’t buy it from them * They wouldn’t want to service my car, it’s not the right brand for them * They wouldn’t want to service my car, it’s far too old * I can get the same service cheaper elsewhere We can help you overcome these misconceptions. Secret Service can make you visible to these consumers with a service offering specifically created for cars outside of their manufacturers warranty period. Ready to take the next step in redefining your service booking process? Contact Secret Service today, and let us introduce you to how we can support and enhance your business. 🚀 #SecretService #CarRetailers #Convenience #Efficiency #UKDealerships #ElevateYourService

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47% is the *most* important number in auto retail.Surprised? let me explain...The car buying experience has evolved a ton.Today, many car dealerships offer:7-day returns.Home delivery.Free car washes for a year.Pedicure while you wait. (you get the point)But yet, the number *one* thing car buyers care about most is still... Price.Not Effort, Guidance or anything else... Price.Alright so back to the number I mentioned:47% is the percentage of car buyers that say that Price is the biggest factor in their purchase consideration.The most successful auto retailers know this, but they've all mastered one important thing:They've figured out how to offer an experience so good that consumers are less price sensitive.Bottom line:The more you can lower that "47%", the more consumers are willing to pay for your experience and the more profitable you become.(Data via CDK Global - Full report in comments below)

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