Under a strategic alliance between ReviverMX and Hansel Auto Group to sell what it describes as “the world’s first digital license plate” across Northern California, Hansel will sell and install the product, the Rplate, as an accessory.
With the Rplate, a user can automatically renew vehicle registration online without dealing with stickers and associated motor vehicle administration paperwork sent through the mail.
ReviverMX’s Rplate is managed by an encrypted app and also offers personalization features.
According to the agreement between Hansel and ReviverMX, Rplate sales will start at Hansel Auto Group’s flagship Ford dealership in Santa Rosa. Hansel has also secured the option of offering Rplates at the rest of its Northern California outlets.
The companies say the alliance provides advantages to the dealership. One is that the Rplates do not compete with anything else a dealer is offering.
“Our Rplates add incremental value to the purchasing process,” Reviver founder and CSO Neville Boston said in a news release. “They are immediately noticed and complimented by customers and add a very positive dynamic to the conversation.”
Reviver says its Rplate and Rplate Pro, sold in California and Arizona, and are legal for driving in all 50 states. The company adds that 11 additional states are “actively engaged” in various stages of the adoption process.
Hansel Auto Group chief executive officer Henry Hansel said his company expects most California dealerships to offer the product “in the near term.”
“As a recognized innovator in California's automotive space, we’re quite selective about which accessories we choose to introduce to our customer base,” Hansel said.
He continued, “The Rplate, we believe, offers drivers a highly intelligent and physically attractive option that will simplify their driving life. We anticipate that, following its introduction at our Santa Rosa location, the product will likely become standard issue on most of our select vehicles across Northern California.”
The addition of BMW of Wesley Chapel marks the continued expansion of Morgan Auto Group into Florida’s Pasco County.
Morgan Auto Group says it is one of the largest privately held U.S. automotive dealer groups, and the company said BMW of Wesley Chapel — located at 26645 State Road 56 — is its fourth Wesley Chapel store and is open for sales and service.
The dealership features new and pre-owned vehicles, and customers can get their vehicles serviced at BMW of Wesley Chapel's current facility while a new dealership is being built. Construction has already begun on the 130,000-square-foot new facility that will open in 2021.
Morgan said the facility will be “a marquee dealership” that it says will “exceed the elevated standards synonymous with the BMW brand.”
Morgan Auto Group chief executive officer Brett Morgan said his company is excited to serve customers in the Wesley Chapel area. The company is very familiar with the Wesley Chapel market, Morgan added.
“We have MINI, Kia and Nissan dealerships already, but we’ve had people tell us they wanted a higher-end brand to shop as well, Morgan said in a news release. “We're always happy to listen to our guests and provide them the best experiences.”
BMW of Wesley Chapel general manager Andrew Harvie said he wanted the dealership to be open as early as possible to serve Wesley Chapel and greater Pasco County community.
He added, “We are growing fast and want to continually improve the experience for our guests.”
Despite COVID-19 safety and travel regulations, CDK Global has completed one of its largest installations of its core dealership management system product for all Greenway Automotive Group dealerships.
CDK said it completed the multi-site and multi-state installation of the DMS product, called CDK Drive, for 46 dealerships across eight states for Greenway, which serves customers in Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, Missouri, Texas, and Pennsylvania.
The company said that to better meet customers’ needs, it changed its installation process amid the pandemic. CDK said the standard onsite installation experience changed into one requiring “an equal commitment to partnership and teamwork from both CDK and Greenway.”
Because of that, according to the company, the installation continued without delays or data loss.
Greenway Automotive Group president Carl Atkinson said his company was apprehensive at first about switching to a new DMS partner.
“CDK put us at ease, focused on process over product, and made sure we could build out the ‘Greenway Way’ for our employees and customers,” Atkinson said in a news release.
Atkinson continued, “The partnership developed through the installation process helped us work together through the challenges that emerged from COVID-19. This collaboration has provided a solid foundation for Greenway and CDK that we will continue to grow and strengthen as we look toward the future.”
CDK president and chief executive officer Brian Krzanich said changing DMS providers is a substantial decision for any automotive dealership. Dealers should not take that decision lightly, he said.
“By developing a solid partnership, rooted in listening and better understanding Greenway’s needs, we provided a tailored, unique experience that met the distinct challenges Greenway was facing, all while navigating the unprecedented circumstances of a global pandemic,” Krzanich said.
He continued, “The Greenway installation not only illustrates our capabilities, but also demonstrates our agility, and continued focus on being the best partner for our customers.”
Chris May says the average dealer loses about $500,000 a year because of turnover.
“The cost to recruit, onboard and train a new hire while there is an empty seat on the sales floor adds up fast,” said May, who is director of the Performance Development Center at JM&A Group.
To help alleviate the problem, JM&A Group has unveiled Dealer Talent Services, a new program that the company says can provide dealers with the needed tools to identify candidates who best align with available job openings.
JM&A says dealership turnover is “one of the foremost challenges facing the industry” and notes that its new program can create a workforce that is more engaged and satisfied.
Participating dealers in the new program will receive hands-on, talent-focused coaching, customized support and regular assessments.
JM&A says the science-based approach uses industry experience and tools. That allows dealers to gain insights into their talent pool to help with successful hiring, onboarding, building and leading high- performing teams.
The approach also improves employee development and retention, according to the company. All of those benefits are part of an effort to boost dealer profitability.
Pricing for the new service will vary based on how many employees work at a specific dealership or automotive group.
Interested parties can schedule a complimentary consultation.
May says the company is confident that its new consultative approach to talent management will reduce the burden of turnover, “while providing us with a new touchpoint to provide the level of service our customers have come to expect from JM&A Group.”
Privately owned dealership group Holman Automotive recently opened its Mercedes-Benz Van Center – Maple Shade, a commercial vehicle dealership.
The all-new 18,000-square-foot dealership sells new and pre-owned Mercedes-Benz vans and includes a dedicated commercial service center.
Holman, which operates 40 dealership franchises representing 20 brands from the East Coast to the Pacific Northwest, said the new dealership is designed to deliver a sales and service experience that is “uniquely tailored to the needs of commercial van customers throughout the region.”
The showroom features new and pre-owned Mercedes-Benz vans such as the Sprinter and Metris.
The company said the dealership’s dedicated commercial van service facility “takes service a step further.” The facility is fully-staffed with Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicle certified technicians. It includes what the company describes as the latest technology, tools, and specialty equipment necessary to service the vehicles.
Holman noted the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter launched in 1995 and “continues to set the commercial van benchmark” with strong service levels, safety, and total cost of ownership.
Holman added that Mercedes-Benz introduced the midsize Metris in 2015 and said it brought a “combination of size, flexibility, power and efficiency to the U.S. market.”
“Today, Mercedes-Benz’s Sprinter and Metris vans continue to raise the bar for innovation and technology while holding true to the core values of delivering extraordinary levels of performance, durability, and safety to every owner,” the company stated in a news release.
Holman Consumer Services president and chief executive officer Brian Bates said customers can expect a strong customer experience that represents Holman values, “paired with unparalleled levels of commercial vehicle expertise in an innovative, welcoming environment.”
Mercedes-Benz Vans vice president and managing director Robert Veit added, “It’s professional partners like Holman that help drive our van business to the next level and reach our ambitious growth targets in the U.S.”
Enhanced Facebook automotive inventory ads as a new capability for the Netsertive Platform will help manufacturers, auto groups, and dealerships “embrace the changing face of consumer shopping behavior,” according to Netsertive.
Netsertive, a digital advertising platform for multi-location businesses, said that with the enhancements, the platform can “dynamically optimize ad spend across its existing portfolio of high-performing digital advertising products.”
The company also said the new ad format will help manufacturers, auto groups, and dealerships get their vehicles in front of more car buyers online “with a more efficient ad spend.”
Netsertive says that with the disruption in automotive retailing, dealers can no longer post their inventory online and simply hope for the best. The company says Facebook’s Automotive Inventory Ads use Netsertive’s Dynamic Inventory Catalogs to match in-market shoppers with real-time inventory availability online.
The feed surfaces VIN-specific details, price and pictures to match vehicles, down to the specific makes and models that shoppers show intent to purchase.
With Netsertive’s Platform integration with Facebook, auto dealers gain instant access to Automotive Inventory Ads. According to Netsertive, that makes it simple to incorporate the ad format into the marketing mix without what it describes as “complicated system integrations.”
The additional creative capability on top of Netsertive’s multi-channel Digital Advertising Platform has allowed the Russ Darrow Group to reach more local auto buyers and turn them into customers, according to Netsertive. The Russ Darrow Group operates 15 locations and sells new and used inventory across Wisconsin, and the company incorporated automotive inventory ads into its existing mix of digital ads across search, display, social, and video.
That drove a 176% increase in form fills to “Schedule a Test Drive,” along with a 49% decrease in cost per lead.
“At Russ Darrow, we strive to find partners, not vendors,” Russ Darrow Group marketing and BDC director Kelly Phillips said in a news release.
Phillips continued, “Partnering with Netsertive has allowed our marketing dollars to be more targeted and produce better-quality conversion opportunities within our BDCs and on our showroom floor. We aren’t looking for vendors that just tell us everything they do well. What I love about Netsertive is not only do they know what they are doing, they also know when something hasn’t worked. They allow us all to be part of the process, which has yielded better results.”
Netsertive chief executive officer Steve Leonard said every marketer in the world is currently trying to do more with less.
“Dynamic inventory feeds allow marketers to serve a highly targeted, relevant message to in-market shoppers,” Leonard said. “Layering this capability into our existing suite of digital channels is helping our customers’ ad spend go farther.”
Automotive Inventory Ads through Netsertive’s platform are available this fall.
Only two months remain until the Nov. 3 election. Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book say they are committed to educating consumers on making sure their voice is heard by casting their votes.
On Wednesday, visitors to the Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book websites began seeing resources for registering to vote, along with information on how to get out to the polls in November.
Cox Automotive is parent company of Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book, and the company said it hopes to help create “a more inclusive, reflective country” through the Drive the Vote campaign.
The company said the country is built on “diversity of thought and culture — one that derives its success from inclusion.” Cox Automotive believes a thriving democracy should “reflect the mosaic of its people,” and says it is working to Drive the Vote this year.
Cox Automotive will also give its employees flexibility on Election Day to coincide with Drive the Vote, encouraging them to take paid time off to vote.
The company’s senior vice president of consumer solutions Jessica Stafford described 2020 as “an incredible year full of changes — in how we work, live and relate to one another.”
“We recognize that it is now more important than ever to support our employees,” Stafford said in a news release.
Stafford continued, “The best way to move the needle on creating a more diverse, more accepting community is to improve inclusive voting.”
In other Autotrader news, the company said it is bringing awareness to pet adoption through a program it is calling Best Cars for Dog Lovers. Autotrader is also unveiling limited-edition dog vests for National Dog Day.
The company said a bright spot regarding the COVID-19 pandemic has been a surge in pet adoptions across the country as people seek companionship and new additions to their families.
“And as your family grows by four feet, you might find yourself needing the right vehicle that accommodates everyone,” Autotrader stated.
The company celebrated National Dog Day on Aug. 26 for the seventh year in a row with its Best Cars for Dog Lovers list and its limited-edition dog vests.
At Autotrader's dog-focused website, dog parents can enter for a chance to win this limited-edition accessory for their dog through Sept. 14. No purchase is necessary.
Prospective pet owners can also search for local dogs on dogtrader.com. That site also includes information about Autotrader’s accessories for your dog, pet safety tips when driving and information on how to find your new dog.
Autotrader editors want to ensure pet owners ride in vehicles with comfort, convenience and safety features, and that is why they created this year’s list of the 10 Best Cars for Dog Lovers. These vehicles have features that can keep humans and dogs safe, including large rear doors, low cargo floors and even "dog mode."
“Trips around town or to local destinations have become an important part of our lives these last few months and for many people, that means bringing along their pets as they hit the road,” said Autotrader executive editor Brian Moody.
Moody continued, “To help new car buyers that are traveling with four-legged friends, we’ve carefully curated a list of the best cars that offer great comfort and safety features while also making the lives of pet parents just a little easier.”
Vehicles on Autotrader's list of the 10 Best Cars for Dog Lovers of 2020 include:
— 2020 Audi Q5
— 2020 Chrysler Pacifica
— 2020 Honda Fit
— 2020 Hyundai Kona
— 2020 Jeep Wrangler
— 2020 Kia Soul
— 2020 Subaru Outback
— 2020 Tesla Model Y
— 2021 Toyota Sienna
— 2020 Volvo V60
In addition to the top car recommendations on that site, Autotrader also provides tips for traveling with pets, how to keep your car looking its best for summer road trips and a list of pet-friendly car accessories.
Automotive CRM company Momentum CRM has partnered with automotiveMastermind, an automotive industry provider of predictive analytics and marketing automation services.
Momentum CRM recently changed its user interface to include a dedicated section within its dashboard for Mastermind’s predictive analytics data through the company’s sales and marketing platform, Market EyeQ.
The companies said they partnered “to set the new standard in CRM integrations.”
With the integration, the companies said their mutual clients will gain a strategic advantage and “seamless end-user experience.” They added that the integration comes as an addition to already-existing enhancements. One of those is two-way notes integration.
Coupled with Momentum CRM, the Market EyeQ platform allows dealers to see detailed customer information such as Customers’ Behavior Prediction Score, or BPS. That is a 0 to 100 ranking system generated by Mastermind’s proprietary algorithms. It identifies consumers who are ready to purchase, and Mastermind says that helps dealers focus on high-potential customers.
The Market EyeQ platform coupled with Momentum CRM also allows dealers to gain access to detailed customer information such as deal type and customers’ vehicle history, including vehicle mileage.
With the integration, auto retailers can boost opportunities with current customers and leads. Mastermind says that can lead to more closed deals every month directly out of their CRM.
“At Mastermind, we pride ourselves on providing unrivaled data and intelligence that easily integrates into any CRM or DMS platform,” automotiveMastermind chief product officer Joe Kacala said in a news release.
Kacala continued, “We applaud Momentum CRM for seeing the value in going beyond a standard integration and featuring actionable Mastermind data front and center in their interface to empower our mutual dealer partners to more easily identify, communicate with and close every potential buyer in their market through the combined power of Momentum CRM and Market EyeQ.”
“We wanted to elevate our user experience, and we decided it only made sense to partner with a market leader like automotiveMastermind,” said Momentum CRM chief product strategist Jerman Velasquez.
Velasquez continued, “With limited resources at the dealer level, we want to make sure our integrations empower our clients to do more, sell more and be more effective when working with their clients. We’re confident this enhanced integration of Market EyeQ into our platform will help our dealer partners do exactly that.”
Matt Murray says online customer engagement through reviews and social media has a strong impact on search rankings today. Murray is founder and chief executive officer of Widewail, an automotive industry reputation management and social media engagement service.
Murray says that engagement can have an immediate influence on a customer’s decision to buy, recommend, or make contact with that business.
Addressing that issue, Widewail has partnered with Lexus to ensure each online customer engagement experience with Lexus’ dealers is positive, engaging, and “exceeds the hallmark expectations of the Lexus brand.”
Widewail’s Engage service delivers online customer review monitoring and response management for local businesses. Lexus will pay for the service on behalf of subscribing dealers for one year beginning Aug. 1.
“All too often, a business suffers at the hands of a negative, unanswered review or social comment, a positive review that goes unappreciated, or worse, individuals who don’t represent the company injecting their opinion,” Murray said in a news release.
Murray continued, “We are proud to introduce our solution to Lexus dealers and ensure they never miss an opportunity to deliver a positive customer experience.”
Widewail said that as U.S. Lexus dealers navigate the business impacts of the pandemic and improve their online operations, the signature Lexus values of quality and service must not become lost in a digital experience. Lexus dealers using Widewail’s Engage will be able to monitor and respond to reviews in real time. They will be able to optimize positive reviews for search, which Widewail said can help keep customers engaged, build loyalty and improve dealership visibility.
Widewail also noted that consumers read an average of 10 reviews before they trust a local business, according to a 2017 Brightlocal Local Consumer Review Survey. Fifty-seven percent of consumers will only consider a business rated four stars or higher.
Eighty-five percent of customers trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation, according to the survey.
Jim Koons Automotive Companies marketing director Amy Nail described Widewail’s responses as “timely, thoughtful, and engaging.”
“When customer issues do arise, the Widewail process is quick and seamless, and we immediately put the customer at ease and take any issues offline,” Nail said.
She continued, “Having the expertise of the Widewail team in our corner has allowed us to focus on other aspects of our digital strategies with the peace of mind that our online reputation is being guarded.”
Using automation and industry expertise, Widewail’s service monitors and responds to consumer reviews with “immediacy and personalization.”
In the event of a negative review, Widewail notifies dealers via text. That notification includes a copy of the review and a suggested human-authored response that they can publish or edit.
Widewail noted additional capabilities of its Engage service. One is continuous monitoring of stores’ review sites on Google, Yelp, Facebook, CarGurus, DealerRater, Cars.com, and Edmunds. Widewail will soon add Carfax to that list.
Access to real-time reporting across monitored sites is another capability, along with side-by-side comparisons among profit-centers.
Dealers can also choose Widewail’s Engage Plus package. That product brings managed social engagement across Facebook and Instagram, along with social media analysis and reporting. Engage Plus features sentiment scoring for Facebook and Instagram.
Engage Plus, which is available to Lexus dealers for a $250 per month subscription fee, also includes Q&A seeding and management on the location’s Google My Business page.
Widewail is offering webinar training for enrolled dealers beginning June 4.
“At Lexus we have always held guest experience as our top priority,” said Lexus national manager of digital marketing David Telfer.
Telfer continued, “Now, more than ever, our customers are interacting with our dealerships online. With thousands of customer interactions happening each day, we need a solution for our dealerships that is of the highest quality, personal, and cost-effective. Widewail, with its thoughtful approach to engagement management and unique focus on conversational SEO, is the best choice to provide Lexus guests with personalized, impactful online experiences.”
Zeigler Auto Group president and owner Aaron Zeigler said taking care of its employees, their families and its communities has always been a company goal.
As part of that goal, the auto group on Thursday said it will award $100,000 in scholarships through its Zeigler Family Scholarship Program.
The scholarship program is in its second year, and is open to employees, their family members or dependents.
The Zeigler Family Scholarship committee chose recipients based on each applicant’s academic and personal accomplishments, extracurricular activities and financial need.
“It brings me, and I know the rest of our team, great joy to be able to invest in tomorrow’s leaders today,” Zeigler said in a news release.
This year, the committee awarded scholarships to 11 students. Nine received $10,000, and the remaining $10,000 was split evenly among two siblings: Kelli and Kevin Jordan.
Awardees must attend a four-year or two-year university, college or trade school in the fall term following their acceptance of the scholarship. Winners from 2019 ended up attending the University of Illinois, Michigan State University, Loyola University, Lake Superior University, and various trade schools and community colleges.
Zeigler also offers training for employees in addition to the scholarship program. The training takes place through internal programs such as its Zeigler University Speaker Series to help provide them with a clear path to promotions.
In 2019, the dealership group has promoted more than 150 employees to new positions. Many of those individuals remained with the company for several years.
In April, Zeigler announced that it will cover 100% of health care costs for the month of May and June for all of its employees who were currently working at the time, or for those who were scheduled to return to work by May 1.
Zeigler’s hourly employees under the new program would also receive a $10-per-hour pay increase for eight weeks starting May 1. The average hourly employee rate will be about $15 per hour.
Also, all flat rate techs throughout the organization for eight weeks starting May 1 will be guaranteed 40 hours per week. All commissioned sales reps will receive an additional $400 per week.
“I think we have an awesome plan out there,” Aaron Zeigler said in a news release.
Zeigler continued, “I think what we are doing is absolutely unprecedented. I don't think any other organization has done this, but we are in unprecedented times too. And we want to be a leader in the industry moving forward and make sure that all of our employees are taken care of, and that they are happy, safe and healthy.”
Denver Borst, 18, is one of the recipients, and he said the scholarship gave him “a huge financial relief.”
“I plan to use it to pay for my tuition my freshman year. Thank you so much,” Borst said.
Following are the Zeigler Family Scholarship 2020 winners:
— Catherine Austin, 20, University of Wisconsin-Platteville: agribusiness and accounting (Jeff Austin, Mercedes-Benz of Hoffman Estates)
— Denver Borst, 18, Lakeshore High School, Grand Valley State University: business (Steve Borst, Zeigler Plainwell Ford)
— Zachary Cardis, 18, Lowell High School, Davenport University: business, marketing, sales (Jason Cardis, Zeigler Ford of Lowell)
— Kelli Jordan, 19, Lincoln-Way East High School, Juliet Junior College: psychology (Tom Jordan – BMW Orland Park)
— Kevin Jordan, 17, Lincoln-Way East High School, Ohio State University: business administration (Tom Jordan – BMW Orland Park)
— Camden Kalleward, 20, University of Michigan: business (Beth Kalleward, Zeigler Auto Group)
— Bryan O’Connor, 21, Western Michigan University: biological sciences (Michelle Hill, Zeigler Ford of Elkhart & Zeigler Motorsports)
— Konnor McLeod, 19, Michigan State University Broad College of Business: marketing, sales
— Andrew Miller, 26, University of Michigan, University of Colorado: business masters (sustainability/entrepreneurship) (Bruce Miller, Zeigler Auto Group)
— Amanda Pflaumer, 20, Elmhurst College: criminal justice, pre-law (Scott Pflaumer, Zeigler Schaumburg CDJ)
— Michael Shumaker, 18, Gull Lake High School, Grand Valley State University: computer science (Jeff Shumaker Zeigler Honda of Kalamazoo)
