One of the most profitable areas of the dealership — if not the most profitable — is the service department. And what is the backbone for a successful service department? The people, and that, of course, includes your technicians. Unfortunately, there appears to be a widespread shortage. One of the most consistent comments made by […] [Read More]

You can expect about 3.1 million lease maturities in 2016, said J.D. Power’s John Humphrey, and that’s the year to watch closely. That figure shared by Humphrey at the NADA/J.D. Power Automotive Forum in New York on Tuesday appears rather bulky next to the 2.2 million lease maturities in 2014 and the 2.3 million expected […] [Read More]

What was your first car? Ask this question of someone and chances are, he or she will crack a smile. Granted, whether that smile is one of nostalgia for a classic ride or humor at one’s humble beginnings — or some combination of the two — may largely depend on the car. (Mine was well over […] [Read More]

Kelley Blue Book announced its 2015 Brand Image Award Winners, recognizing the “best brands” based on annual perception data collected from more than 12,000 in-market new-vehicle shoppers. Japanese brands dominated the image awards for non-luxury brands, with Honda maintaining its three-year run as the “best overall brand” as well as “best value brand,” the latter […] [Read More]

ACA International highlighted the successes of Spring Forum 2015 — its three-day educational and networking event in San Antonio. The organization mentioned Spring Forum 2015 was an opportunity for attendees to expand their knowledge on the credit and collection industry, particularly on trends related to healthcare collections, compliance and data security and privacy. ACA International […] [Read More]

You can buy just about anything these days with a thumb-swipe on a mobile device or a click of a mouse, and when it comes to buying cars, more and more of that is moving online, too — but not the whole process; and it appears most consumers want to keep it that way, as they […] [Read More]

Forbes recently released its list of this year’s “America’s Best Employers,” with a strong showing from many companies involved in the automotive industry. Ranked highest among all in the auto sphere was the BMW Group, who ranked 7th on the list of America’s best. Milwaukee’s own Harley-Davidson rounded out the top 10, while Nissan made […] [Read More]

If a person age 35 or older bought a car from your dealership last year, chances are pretty good (68 percent) that car was used. If someone in the millennial generation bought a car from you, the odds that it was used are even higher.  According to a study from Edmunds.com, more than three-fourths (78 percent) […] [Read More]

Have you ever wondered how recalls affect the opinions of visitors considering your vehicles? As it turns out, although consumer perception can be affected based on the size or severity of a recall, how it is addressed and portrayed also plays a key role. Market research firm Phoenix Marketing International (PMI) and Infegy, a social media […] [Read More]

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau received 3,204 complaints associated with debt collection in January, according to analysis of the regulator’s database orchestrated by service provider WebRecon. While the total amount represented a 7.1-percent jump year-over-year, WebRecon noticed that just 2 percent of the total — only 66 cases — were connected with vehicle financing. WebRecon […] [Read More]