Protective Asset Protection, which operates dealer-owned warranty programs / F&I products (DOWC) for auto dealers, recently conducted an online survey presented to 1,500 auto dealer professionals in the U.S. Here are highlights of the results, which you may be interested in for a story:

When asked about the biggest challenge with their current F&I products, 29% of dealer respondents said both “too much of an administrative burden, and “doesn’t offer enough…

Connected cars are officially here. The 2018 Honda Odyssey minivan is just one example of how this technology is turning vehicles into traveling entertainment centers. Inside, passengers can access a 4G LTE Wi-Fi network so they can stream videos or surf the Internet. The Odyssey also offers smartphone control of entertainment and climate control…

Recently meeting with group directors for a multi roof-top franchisee, the topic of Management entitlement was the topic of discussion.  I visited nine of the eleven stores this group owned to give the 30,000 feet view of a third party.

Upon the review process I witnessed what the owners referred to as "Entitlement." When they brought this word into the conversation I was surprised. The word entitlement is being used by news sources and major media outlets as, "A given." Utilized in…

Recently I was at a grocery store deli to pick up my wife’s favorite cheese and learned a lesson about customer care and complaints. There was one employee in the Department cleaning the sink and a customer was patiently waiting ahead of me. I asked if she had been helped yet which caught the attention of the employee. She…

There are an innumerable amount of modifications available for vehicles today. Whether simply for style, or to increase your vehicle's performance, it can be difficult to choose what extras are worth your time and money.

One common modification that often is one of the first upgrades people make on their vehicles is the exhaust system.

You may ask, why modify your vehicle’s exhaust? There are a number of benefits that can come from upgrading your exhaust, including both stylish…

Swapalease.com, the nation’s largest car lease marketplace, reports car lease credit applicants registered just a 54.3% approval rate for July.

July’s credit approval rate is showing a decrease from the previous month (68.8%). A year ago the approvals rate was just slightly higher, reaching 57.7%. Overall, this year’s credit…

Welcome to this week's edition of Black Book Market Insights, with in-depth analysis of used car and truck valuation trends and insights straight from the auction lanes. Click here to download…

Mobile smartphones have become an evermore important part of our lives since their introduction a tad over ten years ago. One of the most convenient things about today’s phones is the simplicity of texting. Obvious advantages include fast and direct communication, but texting does have disadvantages. Below I will touch on some of the good, the bad and ugly…

Are you a talker or a texter? Or do you prefer sending emails? February 2017 data show that US smartphone penetration surpassed 80 percent in 2016 (source: ComScore), making this growth the largest so far. However, the most basic…

Urbandale, IA – August 14, 2017 – Flick Fusion today announced that VehiclesTEST, a content creator of independent test-drive videos, has selected Flick Fusion's SMARTFLICKS as its new video hosting and marketing platform. VehiclesTEST conducts independent road tests on the new Honda and Toyota models and creates broadcast-quality test-drive videos. Dealerships subscribe to…

ALBANY, N.Y. – August 14, 2017 – Auto/Mate Dealership Systems today unveiled its new Texting engine built right into its dealership management system (DMS), allowing auto dealership personnel to quickly communicate with customers in a more effective way than with phone calls and email. Both sales and service employees can use the Texting engine for a variety of functions designed to deliver a better customer experience, sell more products and services, and reduce wasted time playing…

We've all heard that expression, "The tail is wagging the dog." In retail, that usually means our sales staff is dictating management rather than the other way around. Usually, the fix occurs when new management or a new training process comes in and everyone gets to start on the same page. However, the decision to change process or change personnel is at the dealer level.

Lately, a much larger tail has been dominating the countryside and predicting the end times if we continue as we…

When you want to hire an infrastructure debt management company you might find yourself into quite the trouble. It will be a very challenging prospect to begin with which is why you have to address it the best way you can. With that in mind, we wanted to help you by offering immediate access to 5 of the best questions that you should ask when you hire an infrastructure debt management company!…