Very few sales managers would punish a salesperson upon receiving a complaint that they are calling, e-mailing or texting a customer too much. In fact, after assuring the customer that they will have the salesperson stop, that sales manager will probably follow up by giving the salesperson a high five. And, to ensure this communication can happen, most dealerships lay down…

Today’s cars come with very sophisticated technology, including live navigation with traffic and obstacle reports, collision avoidance systems, cell phone integration and wireless connectivity. Automakers are now investigating how they can leverage this technology to communicate any vehicle issues to vehicle owners. The OnStar system already reports vehicle concerns. These…

If you’re a dealer, no doubt you’ve heard all the buzz concerning recent legislation and regulations about vehicle safety and recalls. Consumers are scared and politicians are responding. With a record number of recalled units over the past 18 months, it’s no surprise that this is a hot topic of discussion and that action is being taken.

Dealerships are…

Dec 23 was a sad day, indeed. A young man driving a 2001 Honda Accord was killed in an accident when his recalled Takata airbag shattered and he was fatally injured. Honda had previously made two attempts to contact and inform the original…

A recent article in Automotive News highlighted a start-up seeking to help dealers offer loaner cars and delivery/pick-up services without the additional expense of staff. RedCap Automotive Technology is a concierge service that provides drivers in…

In a newly released report conducted by J.D. Power and commissioned by the National Automobile Association, trade-in value reduction due to proposed legislation could have significant financial impact on both dealers and consumers. The “Used Car Safety Recall Repair Act” will prevent…

Unless you’ve been in hibernation for the past few weeks, you’ve undoubtedly been barraged with news and opinions about the VW Recalls. Regardless of the intent of Volkswagen, it’s quite fascinating to observe the polarizing reactions by owners of the diesel engine carrying cars. No doubt the government regulators are going to compel Volkswagen to fix all of the…

While consumers regularly patronize independent repair facilities, dealers have always been able to rest assured that any recall repair work would remain in their hands. However, according to an article in Automotive…

Last month, in an effort to maximize recall completion percentages, FCA US announced that it would offer $100 gift cards, or extra trade incentives, to owners of recalled vehicles if they come in and get the work done. This is the perfect opportunity for FCA US dealers to piggyback on this OEM program to increase service revenue and capture more business.…

In an unprecedented move, AutoNation CEO Mike Jackson recently announced that AutoNation will no longer sell any vehicle with an open recall – new or used. According to Automotive News, this effectively grounds up to 10 percent of AutoNation’s…

Recall campaigns can easily be one of the most lucrative service opportunities. Sadly, however, most dealers only reach about a third of the potential recall customers in their area. This is because they simply comb through their DMS and any information received from the factory for owners in their PMA. Personally, I feel this is a very shortsighted approach…

In the largest buy back action in U.S. history, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Fiat-Chrysler America (FCA) have agreed that, in addition to paying a $105 million fine, FCA will offer to buy back 500,000 RAM pickup trucks from consumers. The value FCA has to pay consumers for their vehicles is extremely consumer friendly - the…

As reported by Automotive News, Volvo is rolling out a lifetime warranty on parts and labor for all vehicles serviced after the factory warranty at any Volvo dealership.  Volvo claims that “the lifetime parts and labor warranty is a commitment to both…

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been battling with lawmakers in an effort to gain additional funding in order to handle – amongst other things – the 33.8 million Takata airbags recalled. In the most recent hearing, the NHTSA Administrator, along with several senators provided…

There’s no better story about the perils of loyalty than that which played out in the summer of 2010. At the time, Lebron James was the most desired free agent in all of basketball. For the prior two seasons, he had been pressured by fans to announce whether he would stay with the Cavaliers, or leave for another team. Cavalier fans were intensely loyal to James, who was a…

You made the commitment to capture more recall work. You’ve done your due diligence by notifying your customers. You’ve obtained lists of in-market customers subject to recalls that haven’t been to your dealership before, and reached out to them. You’ve spent the time and energy to really saturate your market using every form of communication to maximize your reach. Now the…

Following tremendous pressure from the NHTSA, Takata has expanded the recall on its faulty airbags. In fact, it just doubled the number of vehicles that are subject to recall to 34 million – that’s one in seven vehicles on the road today – and the largest recall in automotive history. Since then, consumers have been flooding the NHTSA website, searching to see whether their…

A recent article in Auto Remarketing reports how Penske Automotive Group is using recalls to increase their service business through recall work, but also as an opportunity to sell more vehicles. “I think recall business is good,” Penske Chairman Roger Penske, stated. “We…

A recent article on The Hill.com detailed how the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers is teaming up with a Republican pollster to survey Americans on why they don’t bring in their vehicles for recall repairs. These actions are in advance of the…

For many consumers, cars are a necessity. They rely on them to get to work so that they can feed their family. They take their children to soccer practice and their spouses out for nights on the town. Throw in an occasional long-distance road trip to visit a relative or take a vacation, and it’s easy to see how much consumers rely on them. Manufacturers integrate safety messages into their branding. The government tests the vehicles. Consumer agencies review them. And consumers use this data…