Through an integration between cloud-native dealer management system Dominion VUE DMS and Kia Motors dealers’ web daily communication system via Motive Retail, Kia dealerships can synergize across different departments with a cloud-native DMS that offers security and mobility.
Dominion Dealer Solutions says its Dominion VUE DMS helps dealers experience digital mobility, security and efficiency to meet the changing market of today.
The companies say the integration provides real-time data transmission for warranties, parts orders and returns, retail delivery reporting and VIN inquiries as prompted by the user.
Dominion said the integration represents another step forward toward VUE better serving the franchise dealer market with a cloud-native DMS built on Microsoft Azure Cloud.
The company said its Dominion DMS has served dealerships for decades, allowing users to streamline operations through bi-directional communications between VUE and Kia Motors.
That results in cost-effective and secure integrations to bring timely and accurate data between the dealership and Kia, in addition to third-party applications.
Kia Motors certifies the integration to Dominion VUE via Motive Integrator Certify. That automated integration platform helps dealerships more easily connect securely with third-party systems.
Through industry API platform Motive Integrator eXchange, or MIX, the integration between Kia Motors and VUE is further expanded to third-party dealer applications.
By continuously adding integrations as they become available, VUE will continue to support its long-standing partnership with Kia. Dominion VUE plans for an official launch at NADA Show 2021.
Dominion DMS president Sharon Kitzman said the integration shows Dominion’s commitment to helping its dealer partners get the most out of VUE.
“Kia dealers can be confident that our cloud-native solution enables them to seamlessly scale their operations securely and efficiently,” Kitzman said in a news release.
Van Griffith Kia general manager Marcus Chavez said different departments in dealership operations must work together for the most efficiency.
“VUE allows us to streamline our business processes and improve productivity by making it easier for team members to collaborate in a fast-moving retail environment,” Chavez said. “We've also reduced redundancies with a simpler integration, resulting in higher cost savings and better communications.”
Motive Retail co-founder and principal Kim Campassi said, “Motive Integrator Certify provides Kia and its integrating partners an online integration specification, and a fully automated test and feedback platform to accelerate and simplify the integration process. The Certify platform ultimately assures both parties with higher quality systems, interoperability and data.”
Stating that the program allows customers to experience a day in their life with a new ride, CarMax launched a new offering in which customers can take 24‐hour test drives before committing to purchase.
CarMax said the program, called the “Love Your Car Guarantee,” provides increased peace of mind and buyer confidence.
CarMax has also extended its seven‐day money back guarantee to 30 days. The company is allowing customers 30 days to return the car for any reason for a full refund up to 1,500 miles.
CarMax consumer research shows that if used-car shoppers had the option, 96% of them would likely take advantage of test driving a vehicle for 24 hours.
Sixty‐three percent of used car shoppers would need more than seven days to feel confident they were making the right purchase, according to CarMax.
“We never stop innovating on behalf of our customers,” CarMax president and chief executive officer Bill Nash said in a news release.
Nash continued, “The Love Your Car Guarantee sets a new standard in the industry by providing customers an unrivaled opportunity to truly fall in love with their car. We know buying a car is a big decision that has a significant impact on your family, and customers are telling us they are loving the guarantee already.”
Most vehicle buyers say COVID-19 affected their buying process in ways they didn’t expect.
But as a result, many were more satisfied, according to the J.D. Power 2020 U.S. Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) Study, released Thursday.
J.D. Power redesigned the study for 2020, placing a much greater emphasis on digital retail and remote buying.
The study also ranked mass market and luxury vehicle brands in the area of sales satisfaction. Ranking highest in sales satisfaction among mass market brands with a score of 824 was MINI, while Lincoln ranked highest in sales satisfaction among luxury brands with a score of 827.
Digital retail activities that J.D. Power measured in the study include:
—The ability to select a vehicle from inventory
—Receive credit approval
—Review F&I products
—Agree on a purchase price
—Complete purchase paperwork
During the onset of the pandemic, all saw a spike. Also, although many declined in the May-June timeframe, all are still up nearly 50% from January.
Following MINI in the area of sales satisfaction among mass market brands were GMC and Buick.
After Lincoln among luxury brands in the ranking of sales satisfaction, Lexus and Mercedes-Benz tied for second.
According to the study, decreased showroom traffic because of COVID-19 shutdowns resulted in the fast-tracking of dealer adoption of remote selling capabilities.
J.D. Power vice president of automotive retail Chris Sutton said the pandemic gave dealers an open path to allow different vehicle-selling approaches outside of their traditional showroom sales process.
“It’s revealing, too, that 44% of online shoppers are now selecting the exact vehicle they want from inventory on a dealer’s website, which is an increase of 13 percentage points from January of this year,” Sutton said in a news release.
Retail digital processes: Here to stay?
Sutton said as more shoppers are exposed to remote communication and actual online buying options, they could in the future prefer these methods over traditional showroom visits so they can wade through inventory and negotiate.
Almost one out of four buyers say their purchase experience during the pandemic will make them less likely to shop in person in the future.
That indicates that digital retail processes are here to stay, Sutton said.
“These lasting effects make it imperative for dealers to step up their digital offerings to remain competitive,” Sutton said.
As dealers implemented and refined digital procedures at the onset of the pandemic in the March-April timeframe, buyer satisfaction among digital customers increased. J.D. Power said it is notable that satisfaction among buyers who finalized a price online was almost the same as those who didn’t finalize a price online before the beginning of the pandemic.
Satisfaction among buyers who agreed to a price online was 42 points higher (on a 1,000-point scale) by the May-June timeframe, than among those who hadn’t.
“This demonstrates how quickly dealers were able to implement and refine processes that resonated with buyers,” J.D. Power said.
Another notable aspect of the survey is that is profiled Tesla for the first time.
Tesla received an SSI score of 804. Because it doesn’t meet ranking criteria, the automaker is not officially ranked among other brands in the study. Unlike other manufacturers, Tesla does not grant J.D. Power permission to survey its owners in 15 states where it is required.
However, J.D. Power calculated Tesla’s score based on a sample of surveys from owners in the other 35 states.
Other satisfaction findings
Another key finding is that buyers who completed most of their paperwork online are the most satisfied, with satisfaction averaging 873.
That is 35 points higher than among those who didn’t complete paperwork online.
Also, satisfaction scores among those who had more virtual communication are 17 points higher than among those who didn’t.
“These activities illustrate why such trends are likely to continue,” J.D. Power said.
Another study finding notes that online F&I review can enhance take rates. Reviewing F&I products online increased after the COVID-19 outbreak. But that is still uncommon, J.D. Power said, noting that only 7% of buyers say they reviewed products online during the March-June timeframe.
However, the take rate among buyers who reviewed products online is higher compared with those who reviewed products in the showroom. That is especially the case for extended warranty (36% vs. 28%); prepaid maintenance (23% vs. 16%); and tire protection (18% vs. 12%).
Another main finding of the study: Brand and dealer advocacy aren’t aligned.
On average, vehicle brands have a higher Net Promoter Score than their dealer base, with nearly a 20-point gap (on a 100-point scale) between the scores. Key performance indicators showing the highest effect on buyer satisfaction index scores include sales consultant completely understood needs (+94); vehicle delivered in perfect condition (+55); and finance staff not too pushy selling additional products (+52).
J.D. Power says those key performance indicators are met nearly 90% of the time. NPS measures customer advocacy for the model they own and can be a strong predictor of future business growth, according to J.D. Power.
The U.S. Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) Study measures sales experience satisfaction among new-vehicle buyers and rejecters (those who shop a dealership and purchase elsewhere).
The study bases buyer satisfaction on six factors (in order of importance): delivery process (28%); dealer personnel (21%); working out the deal (19%); paperwork completion (19%); dealership facility (10%); and dealership website (4%).
The study bases rejecter satisfaction on five factors: salesperson (28%); price (27%); negotiation (18%); dealership facility (14%); and variety of inventory (13%).
Overall customer satisfaction index ranking
Mass market
1. Mini
2. GMC
3. Buick
4. Ford
5. Subaru
6. Nissan
7. Honda
8. Chevrolet
9. Mazda
10. Volkswagen
11. Dodge
12. Mitsubishi
13. Toyota
14. Hyundai
15. Kia
16. Jeep
17. Ram
18. Chrysler
19. Fiat
Sonic Automotive has opened its newest EchoPark specialty pre-owned vehicle store in Plano, Texas, marking Sonic’s 14th EchoPark location nationwide.
Sonic says the opening continues its expansion of the specialty pre-owned vehicle brand, EchoPark Automotive.
With EchoPark Plano now becoming the second Dallas/Fort Worth area store and the sixth in Texas, Sonic says car buyers region-wide can shop for 1- to 4-year-old pre-owned vehicles.
Sonic says those models are priced up to 40% below new-car pricing. Guests visiting EchoPark Plano will be able to choose from more than 400 pre-owned vehicles on site.
“Consumer demand for quality pre-owned vehicles is increasing throughout the nation,” Sonic Automotive and EchoPark Automotive president Jeff Dyke said in a news release.
Dyke continued, “Our team employs a data-driven approach in selecting new markets to build out EchoPark’s nationwide distribution network, and as one of the fastest growing markets in the country, this expansion in the Dallas/Fort Worth area will allow us to grow our market share and further develop the EchoPark brand.”
EchoPark Plano is located at 4400 West Plano Parkway.
EchoPark launched in 2014, and Sonic plans to expand its EchoPark footprint to a 140-point nationwide distribution network by 2025. That network is expected to retail 575,000 vehicles annually and bring in $14 billion in EchoPark revenues by that time, according to the company.
“EchoPark provides an exceptional guest experience, offering shoppers a nearly-new vehicle at a great price with the quality and convenience our guests have come to expect from the EchoPark brand,” Dyke said. “We are continuing to execute our expansion plan and are excited to bring the EchoPark guest experience to several brand-new markets in the coming months.”
Award for digital leadership
In other Sonic news, the company said it has won the 13th Annual Ventana Research Overall Digital Leadership Award. The award highlights Sonic’s use of Microstrategy HyperIntelligence to implement Buyer Hypercards, supporting Sonic’s proprietary, real-time vehicle inventory management platform.
The Ventana Research Digital Leadership Awards recognize leaders who have contributed to their organization’s success and promoted improvements across their people, processes, and information technology.
Sonic describes Buyer Hypercards as an important component of its EchoPark pre-owned vehicle strategy. The company said Buyer Hypercards provide analytical inventory procurement support, and with that support, the company says it can source the right vehicles, at the right price, efficiently.
“We are tremendously proud of our team for developing and implementing our innovative Buyer Hypercards platform,” Dyke said in a news release. “As a company, we are committed to driving advancements in automotive retailing technology to maximize operating efficiency and deliver a fantastic vehicle purchase experience for our guests.”
Ventana Research senior vice president and research director David Menninger said Sonic’s use of MicroStrategy HyperIntelligence brings data and information to employees instead of the other way around.
Menninger said, “The application is an innovative use of analytics technology designed around the way people do their jobs. Congratulations to all involved.”
Online retailer Carvana on Friday launched its as-soon-as-next-day vehicle delivery in Pine Bluff Ark., marking its third Arkansas launch in a single week.
The company launched in Hot Springs on Thursday and in Little Rock on Wednesday.
“As we expand throughout the state, we’re confident Pine Bluff area residents will appreciate the ease, convenience and transparency we offer,” Carvana founder and chief executive officer Ernie Garcia said in a news release.
Regarding the Hot Springs news, Garcia said, “As we expand our footprint in the southern U.S., we’re pleased to offer our easy, transparent, customer-centric approach to car buying to more and more customers. We look forward to Hot Springs area residents enjoying The New Way to Buy a Car.”
And about the Little Rock news, Garcia said bringing “The New Way to Buy a Car” to as many customers as possible was a company goal.
“And making our Arkansas debut in Little Rock brings us even closer to that goal,” Garcia said.
He continued, “We look forward to now offering as-soon-as-next-day vehicle delivery to Little Rock area residents and we’re confident they will appreciate the ease and transparency Carvana brings to car buying.”
Alexi Venneri says women have strong buying power and unique considerations when acquiring a vehicle, which Venneri described as “one of the largest purchases most families make.”
Venneri is co-founder and chief executive officer of technology company Digital Air Strike and noted that the company was proud to seek new partners such as Women-Drivers.com, to help its dealer clients find new ways of engaging consumers and showing their good experiences.
Venneri was referring to Digital Air Strike’s new partnership with the car dealer review platform, Women-Drivers.com, which focuses on attracting and retaining women car buyers.
Through the partnership, participating Digital Air Strike dealership clients will receive Women-Drivers.com Certified Active Dealer badges. Dealerships with enough reviews will be eligible for the Certified Trusted Dealer badge.
Digital Air Strike says that will boost those dealerships’ credibility and market share with an elevated trust-based model. Digital Air Strike dealership clients see no additional costs as long as they remain clients.
The company will also integrate reviews from the site into the Digital Air Strike platform, providing technology and services to help make responding to reviews easier.
Digital Air Strike, which is a social media, intelligent lead response, and consumer engagement technology company, noted that its 8th Annual Automotive Digital Retailing Consumer Trends Study shows that 87% of women look to social and review sites for help in their dealership selection.
Women-Drivers.com is a free platform for car dealers and consumers, stating that it helps women and families locate Certified Trusted Dealers as certified by the website.
At those dealers, women can expect to be treated with respect in a fair and trustworthy manner, according to the platform. Women-Drivers.com Certified Trusted Dealers have a satisfaction score of 97.1%. According to the site, that is 12% higher than uncertified dealers.
“Women like the relatability of reviews from their peers, trust the authenticity of this feedback, and make a point of visiting these stores first,” Digital Air Strike stated.
The company mentioned an Ipsos Socialogue poll showing that women use car dealer reviews 50% more than men.
Women-Drivers.com notes what it says is the No. 1 reason women purchase at a dealership: Trust.
Women buy 45% of all vehicles for themselves, and that totals 11 million new and used cars every year, with an average of 675 to 750 vehicles per franchised rooftop.
“I personally have had customers share with me and my team members that they chose to visit Kelly Ford because of the Certified Trusted Dealer program,” Kelly Automotive Group vice president Chris Saraceno said in a news release.
Saraceno continued, “Women felt reassured, confident and comfortable because reviews came from other women. This evidence-based, easy-to-locate research allows shoppers to find a destination dealer. That is exactly what we want. Guests have benefited and we have certainly gained market share because of this blueprint. It’s a game changer.”
During a free Digital Air Strike-hosted webinar on Dec. 17, Women-Drivers.com president Anne Fleming will share insights about women car buyers and what dealerships can do to attract and retain female consumers.
“Authentic reviews by women help this segment locate dealers that demonstrate trust and a welcoming and equitable culture,” Fleming said. “The economic benefit of being a Certified Trusted Dealer is achieving an average of 5% increase in annual revenue, which translates into $1.5 million per dealership.”
The pandemic has limited consumers’ ability to leave the house. But a company producing a new auto repair bidding app says consumers still need their cars to get to the grocery store or doctor.
The ObiiGo app is bringing the customer and independent repair facility together in unison, working together to find the best pricing on the best repairs.
ObiiGO's OBDII plug-in allows the consumer to punch in the error codes and get the diagnostic read on the check engine light.
At that time, the consumer can then send off “bid requests” to participating repair and oil lube centers. The consumer will receive the bids within 30 minutes based on time and value. That allows the consumer to pick which bid satisfies their wallet and their schedule.
ObiiGO's “pay on the app” and “touch free” process helps the consumer eliminate contact with the repair facility manager or technician. SMS messaging and the ability to send pictures helps the repair facility learn what is going on with the car, according to the company.
“Next time the check engine light comes on, there will be no hesitation to check it out,” ObiiGO said.
ObiiGO says it has streamlined what has been a painful time-consuming experience into an experience in which the consumer has more information, confidence and time to do what they want rather than being at the mercy of the check-engine light.
“With smartphones becoming such a common necessity, ObiiGO has streamlined the app so even the founder’s 70-year-old mother can use it," the company said.
Customer reviews are a top factor that people consider when selecting a business, according to digital marketing company Dealer.com.
“But dealerships often lack an efficient, easy way to solicit reviews while the experience is still top of mind,” the company said in a news release.
Dealer.com is launching a new Review Generation service that the company says can help dealerships boost their reputation management and get the most volume and frequency of customer reviews.
Review Generation makes managing a constant stream of personalized reviews simple for dealership staff and customers, according to the company.
Dealer.com says its work in helping dealerships attract and promote customer reviews can strengthen a dealer’s local SEO. That proactively attracts shoppers and earns customer loyalty, the company said.
With Review Generation, the company says dealerships gain a personalized method for requesting and collecting consumer reviews, elevating the voice-of-the-customer using an always-on SMS-based review growth strategy.
The company said that strategy includes:
— Sending personalized automated or manual SMS text review invitations from your salesperson to the customer as soon as the transaction is complete. That keeps their experience top of mind.
— Reaching customers via text, a familiar communication tool that does not require apps, accounts, or passwords. The company said that makes the process painless for the reviewer.
— Distributing reviews for sales and service to Google My Business locations for no additional cost. According to Dealer.com, that creates a holistic customer review portfolio across channels. That can help boost local SEO to attract new shoppers.
— Giving dealers control to choose which review sites its solicited reviews will appear on and the order in which they are listed.
— Identifying performance opportunities across the dealership and to get more reviews with analytics and reporting, while at the same time preventing spam messages from being sent.
“An overwhelming majority of consumers say that positive reviews are a primary consideration when deciding to use a business,” said Dealer.com head of managed services Erica Danford.
Danford continued, “Ratings and reviews are the second-most influential contributor to a solid local SEO strategy, which makes Dealer.com’s Review Generation enhancements an essential component for success and searchability. Ultimately, the constant stream of customer review content can contribute to a stronger local SEO impact, reinforce dealership reputation, and can work to attract new shoppers.”
In what the company says supports the continuing expansion of its dealer network into urban and rural markets, Karma Automotive opened the latest addition to its Texas dealer network.
The dealership is Principle Karma in San Antonio and it serves the greater San Antonio metropolitan area.
As it looks to expand its global presence into new and emerging markets in North America and abroad, Southern California-based luxury electric vehicle producer Karma Automotive added 10 new dealer partners over the past six months.
Principle Karma is located at 153 Treeline Park, Suite 200, in San Antonio, and Karma’s vice president of global sales and customer experience Joost de Vries said Principle Karma joins its dealer network during a crucial process of the company’s international expansion.
“This will certainly help to increase our brand reach across the country as we strive to offer the best experience for our customers,” de Vries said in a news release.
“It’s our pleasure to have Principle Karma join the Karma dealership network and continue their expansion here in Texas," said Principle Karma chief executive officer Abigail Kampmann.
Kampmann continued, “With our upscale lineup of vehicles, Principle Karma will offer our clients outstanding customer service and a luxury experience from start to finish.”
Connected car platform Dealerware has appointed Denise Iglesias as vice president of engineering, noting her track record of defining and delivering hardware and software products.
Iglesias brings more than 20 years of experience leading software and hardware engineering teams to the position, and Dealerware says the newly created role is a result of its rapid expansion. The new role, according to Dealerware, reinforces its commitment to delivering the central platform of the connected retail fleet.
The company indicated Iglesias will cultivate Dealerware’s technical environment and lead its engineering team while overseeing platform optimization and performance.
Iglesias, who most recently served as senior director of software engineering at Comcast, will also oversee Dealerware's long-term technological vision, which is to streamline and scale the existing product, while bringing new features and services to market quickly. Dealerware launched in 2016, partnering with dealers, dealer groups and OEMs to modernize their retail operations.
At Comcast, she advanced agile development standards, leading more than a dozen teams through the launch of the first cloud-hosted platform for home automation and security services company, Xfinity Home. Iglesias has also served in senior leadership roles for Icontrol Networks and National Instruments.
Dealerware also described Iglesias as a technology community leader who creates and supports spaces encouraging diversity and inclusion. Those efforts involve founding internal networking groups such as Comcast's TechWomen ATX, supporting local community organizations such as GirlStart and mentoring the next generation of leaders with Ceresa.
Iglesias said the automotive industry is going through what she described as some of the greatest shifts in its 125-year history.
“Being able to continue to develop products and features that help dealers realize a more profitable, customer-centric future is why we come to work every day,” Iglesias said in a news release.
She continued, “It’s all about taking an empathic approach and simplifying change. I'm excited to join such a strong team that’s laser focused on expanding our product capabilities, growing our ecosystem, and ultimately building products that customers love."
Dealerware chief operating officer and founder Russell Lemmer said Iglesias brings decades of engineering leadership experience and what he described as an inventive mindset to Dealerware.
That, he said, “makes her an exceptional fit to lead tech and innovation for our growing brand. As we further enhance the value of our platform, we are thrilled to welcome Denise into the Dealerware family.”
