AuctionVcommerce announced Friday it has introduced a new basic version of its Online ClerkTraining Simulator released in 2015.
In recent years, auctions using the original program have requested a modified solution with minimal investment, according to the company.
“My original vision included the idea that auctions would validate the certification with a new pay structure that would ultimately serve to increase clerk retention, and improve morale. However, it seems that we still have an issue with perception,” AuctionVcommerce president and co-founder Kelly Bianchi said.
“When you are selling the future, your collateral is simply your belief. I have come to realize that I need to meet the auto auction industry halfway,” she explained.
The new Online Clerk Basics training aims to elevate perspective clerks to a skill level more comparable to a digital version of the auctioneer, according to AuctionVcommerce.
The program includes a guided tutorial, and only requires that participants complete the first level of the full certification training.
Training covers all of the fundamentals for performance, along with additional features that are designed to teach perspective clerks how to effectively incite participation.
“Millennials will not be nostalgic about the way things used to be,” Bianchi added. “We have to re-invent the traditional auction. The industry has not defined standards, or expectations when it comes to online execution. First, and foremost, we need stability.”
Additionally, the new program is also cheaper for auctions. It is roughly half the price of the original version, according to AuctionVcommerce.
Online Clerk Basics is now available on the AuctionVcommerce website.
Announced Monday, RMS Automotive and Manheim has given independent U.S. dealers a new co-listing capability that provides access to all open sale vehicles listed on RPM, the Nissan and Infiniti digital sales platform powered by RMS Automotive.
The open sale inventory on RPM will be simultaneously listed on Manheim.com and OVE, Monday through Friday, from 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. (EDT).
With the new offering, both the exposure of the manufacturers’ inventory to Manheim’s digital buying audience is increased, and independent dealers have access to a larger selection of high-quality used vehicles.
Dealers can choose from inventory located nationwide across the Nissan and Infiniti dealer network, and can conveniently move the inventory with transportation options provided by Ready Logistics.
“Obtaining vehicles as cost- and time-efficiently as possible is the name of the game for dealers in today’s competitive used-car market,” Nick Peluso, president of Manheim Digital Marketplace and RMS Automotive said in a news release.
“By offering open sale listings to the largest base of online buyers on Manheim.com and OVE, we can offer dealers early access to thousands of sought-after, pre-auction Nissan and Infiniti vehicles,” he explained.
With this solution, open sale inventory found on the Nissan and Infiniti RPM platform is now included in dealers’ Manheim.com and OVE search results.
Using single sign-on authentication, Manheim and RMS Automotive directs dealers to Nissan and Infiniti’s private label website where they can evaluate, bid, buy and make offers.
“In addition to enabling buyers to access an unprecedented selection of inventory, this digital solution helps manufacturers’ like Nissan and Infiniti drive transaction speed and efficiency by offering the right vehicles to the right dealers at the right time,” Peluso added.
RMS Automotive said Nissan and Infiniti have conducted closed franchise sales and grounding returns on the RPM technology platform with the company since May of last year.
A 2018 model-year Volkswagen that might be in your used inventory one day could have a considerable amount of factory warranty remaining thanks to a decision the automaker announced on Friday.
For the 2018 model year, the OEM said most new Volkswagen vehicles in the United States will come with the company has dubbed the People First Warranty, a six-year or 72,000-mile (whichever occurs first) bumper-to-bumper new vehicle limited warranty, which can be transferred to subsequent owners throughout its duration.
Autotrader executive analyst Michelle Krebs explained how the program can be especially beneficial for dealers now and potentially down the road.
“While Volkswagen’s People First Warranty is intended to instill confidence in the brand’s products after the diesel scandal, it is also an important tool to help addresses new-car affordability,” Krebs said in commentary provided to the media.
“To keep monthly payments down, consumers are stretching auto loan terms. The Volkswagen warranty extends along with those loans to help save the first — and even second buyer of a VW — repair costs,” she continued.
First introduced for the all-new 2018 Atlas and Tiguan, the People First Warranty now covers additional 2018 VW models: Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Golf, Golf Alltrack, Golf GTI, Golf R, and Golf SportWagen, Jetta and Passat.
“Volkswagen has always been ‘the people’s car,’ and with the People First Warranty, we’re putting our customers first,” said Hinrich Woebcken, president and chief executive officer of Volkswagen Group of America, in a news release.. “By bringing the right cars, at the right time and making the offer very competitive, we believe we’re in the position to grow in the U.S. market.”
The six-year/72,000-mile People First Warranty includes powertrain coverage for engines, transmissions and optional 4Motion all-wheel-drive systems. Additionally, all the elements of the People First Warranty can be transferred to subsequent owners for up to six years or 72,000 miles, whichever occurs first, from the date it was first sold new.
“VW’s extended (and transferable) warranty demonstrates the company’s commitment to its owners and its products,” Kelley Blue Book executive analyst Rebecca Lindland said in the commentary.
“Warranties are like insurance — it’s great to have it, but ideally you never need to use. Warranties can be very effective selling point, but only if the product resonate with the American buyer,” Lindland added.
The automaker pointed out that most mainstream competitors to Volkswagen in the United States such as Honda, Toyota and Ford offer only a three-year/36,000 mile basic warranty and a five-year/60,000 mile powertrain warranty on their cars and SUVs.
While Hyundai and Kia offer a five-year/60,000 mile basic warranty and a higher time and mileage limit on their powertrain limited warranties, if the vehicle is sold to a second owner, VW noted the powertrain limited warranty is not transferable beyond five years or 60,000 miles from the date it was first sold new.
“Volkswagen has begun to grow again in America, and buyers have welcomed the Atlas and Tiguan into their homes” said Derrick Hatami, executive vice president, sales and marketing for Volkswagen of America.
“Expanding this warranty beyond those two models gives our dealers another compelling argument for the rest of our lineup, and we believe it will lead to a reduced overall cost of ownership for buyers,” Hatami said.
Online auto financing platform AutoGravity reached a new threshold.
The company said on Wednesday that it has surpassed $1 billion in finance amounts requested on the AutoGravity platform.
Additionally, AutoGravity has announced the launch of real-time inventory for new and used vehicles from partner dealership groups across the nation. Shoppers can browse real vehicle inventory on dealership lots, find the specific model that's right for them and secure up to four finance offers in minutes on the AutoGravity smartphone app.
More than 750,000 shoppers have downloaded AutoGravity, collectively requesting more than $1 billion in financing. These users can now search inventory by car brand and model year as well as characteristics such as body type, drivetrain and color.
Shoppers can find their desired vehicle waiting for them on the showroom lot for the payment they want. With the unit selected and offers in hand, users can pick up their vehicle and drive off the lot with the confidence of knowing they have secured a “fair deal,” according to AutoGravity which has partnered closely with the largest dealer groups in the country to design a seamless process by which dealers can easily load inventory feeds, including vehicle details and pictures, to AutoGravity's secure platform.
“With over $1 billion in finance amount requested, AutoGravity is gaining momentum toward digitizing the car buying journey, and real-time inventory brings our award-winning technology to the next level,” said Andy Hinrichs, founder and chief executive of AutoGravity.
“We worked closely with our dealer partners, including some of America's largest dealer groups, to give car buyers access to the showroom right from their smartphones. AutoGravity technology has made that possible,” Hinrichs added.
Online used-vehicle sales platform Instamotor announced on Wednesday that it will allow dealers and private sellers in California and Texas to list their available inventory for free on the company’s iOS, Android and web platforms.
By listing on Instamotor, dealers will get:
• Access to more than 100,000 serious car shoppers monthly
• Free inventory listings with viewership and engagement metrics
• Free vehicle history reports for each vehicle listed
Instamotor, which had previously been entirely peer-to-peer, made this decision after continuously receiving interest from dealers seeking relationships and opportunities with the marketplace. The company insisted dealers recognize that listing on Instamotor is an easy way to get additional exposure for their inventory from customers they may not otherwise be able to reach.
Unlike other free mobile marketplaces, Instamotor users are “serious buyers,” according to the company.
Looking ahead, the company will implement certain features to qualify buyers even further, giving sellers the opportunity to clearly identify and contact ready-to-buy shoppers.
“As a former dealer myself, I understand how valuable it is to gain exposure for available inventory through as many channels as possible, especially via mobile,” Instamotor co-founder and chief operating officer Val Gui said. “By listing on Instamotor, dealers will have the opportunity to make meaningful connections with more than 100,000 users on our marketplace.”
Since its inception, Instamotor insisted that it has provided a safe and transparent way for used-vehicle sellers and buyers to transact. Each vehicle is screened to identify issues such as branded or salvage title, lemon history, odometer inconsistency, weather damage and more. All major issues are flagged on each listing so shoppers can be informed before making their decision.
Instamotor is currently available in the markets of San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Dallas and Houston, with plans of expanding into additional markets in 2018.
“The way consumers are shopping for and purchasing cars is ever-changing, but we will continue to keep the experience on Instamotor a safe, and easy one,” said Gui.
Gui previously discussed with Auto Remarketing how the company to growth through initiatives like what it revealed on Wednesday.
Since combining four companies a year ago, provider of marketing and technology services Affinitiv announced Tuesday it has finalized its executive team and will soon introduce an integrated platform that offers dealers an end-to-end marketing solution.
Last year, the merging companies included DPS, Peak Performance, OneCommand and TimeHighway.com.
Additionally, since then, Affinitiv has also acquired WSA Solutions, a provider of wireless service-tablet software to auto dealer fixed ops departments.
Affinitiv’s new solution is designed to keep car buyers connected to their dealer up until their next purchase.
“We know your customers. We know what they like and what they respond to. We know where to find them and how to drive them to find you," Affinitiv executive chairman Scot Eisenfelder said in a news release. "Making the sale is just the beginning. Creating a connected customer for life requires a whole new approach.
"To increase customer retention, dealers need to get past using tactics like oil change coupons to draw in customers. Our platform helps dealers understand what works and doesn't work from a communications standpoint, to keep their customers engaged and committed," Eisenfelder continued.
In addition to Eisenfelder, on the heels of celebrating the company’s first anniversary, Affinitiv has brought aboard Adam Meier, Stan Megerdichian, Hans Bodine, Jillian Slagter, Karen Dillon and Kevin Winter to its executive team.
The executive team
Eisenfelder is a 25-plus year automotive market veteran, according to Affinitiv. Prior to Affinitiv, he held positions such as senior vice president strategy at AutoNation and senior VP of product management, strategy and marketing at Reynolds and Reynolds.
Meier has been appointed chief operating officer. He has nearly 12 years of experience as chief finance officer and as a board member at Brandmuscle where he led the acquisition of four companies.
As executive VP of OEM relations and strategy, Megerdichian will focus on bringing the latest technology solutions to current OEM partners, as well as forming new OEM relationships. Most recently, he was president and chief executive officer of Peak Performance Marketing Solutions, which he founded in 1991.
Bodine has been appointed executive VP of sales. Previously, at Cars.com, Affinitiv said he helped to build a successful team of experts over more than 18 years.
Slagter will serve as chief people officer. She brings 20 years of HR and recruiting experience to her new role. Most recently, she spent 11 years at Nielsen as vice president of HR.
Dillon has been appointed executive VP of service scheduling. She has over 30 years of experience in the auto industry in various sales, marketing and executive positions, according to Affinitiv. And in 1984, Dillon became president of TimeHighway.com.
Winter brings more than 15 years of experience both developing and managing automotive sales and service CRM programs for OEM clients to his new role as Affinitiv chief client officer. Most recently, he work for Epsilon where he served eight years. Prior to Epsilon, he also worked for R.L. Polk & Co, according to Affinitiv.
In the past year, Affinitiv said it has garnered preferred relationships with a dozen OEMs, including: BMW, Kia, Lexus, Chrysler, Volkswagen, MINI, GM, Porsche, Mitsubishi, Audi, Volvo and Maserati.
Record360 recently announced it has integrated its asset documentation App into TSDLOANER, TSD’s cloud-based solution designed to track and manage rental and loaner car fleets.
With the addition of Record360, TSDLOANER users can now enhance the walkaround process within their loaner departments, the company said.
Both dealers and customers have the ability to digitize and time-stamp the condition of loaner vehicles in real-time.
At hand-off and upon return, these features can reduce unnecessary customer damage disputes or claims, according to Record360.
“Loaner vehicles traditionally have been a great way to provide a super-convenient, free service to valued customers when it’s most critical to them,” Record360 chief executive officer Shane Skinner said in a news release.
“An outstanding way to drive goodwill, the last thing any dealer wants is to have a good deed go punished through unnecessary claims or disputes. That’s a quick way to ruin a relationship. Record360 seamlessly optimizes the process of vehicle condition documentation with better clarity for both customer and dealer,” he explained.
TSDLOANER can help fleet owners manage loaner vehicles more efficiently by improving CSI, reducing liability, controlling expenses and enabling personalized paperwork processing.
Additionally, in the near future, the two companies also expect to integrate Record360 into the TSDRENTAL solution, according to Record360.
Cox Automotive announced Monday the launch of a new social media audience extension product that employs anonymous website behavior data from Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com.
The audience extension product is designed to help OEM's and regional associations improve social media advertising efficiency, the company said.
Advertisers can use the behavior data from Autotrader and KBB when deploying highly targeted ads on Facebook and Instagram.
"Today's customers increasingly rely on online research before purchasing, and it's critical that our industry reaches them where they are and at the right moment," Cox Automotive product operations and social media director Adam Pavkov said in a news release. "This program gives advertisers the tools they need to get the right messages in front of shoppers when it matters most."
The program creates highly-targeted and unique advertising audiences for clients using real-time browsing behavior, according to Cox Automotive.
Car buyers are divided into different audiences based on their individual behaviors and preferences, such as specific make and model, in addition to location and demographic.
Advertisers can target their different audiences on Facebook and Instagram with their own specific message.
Honda Motor Company was an early user of the service.
"We're always looking for new ways to use data to make advertising more efficient and effective," said Dan Rodriguez, manager of Auto Remarketing Certified Pre-Owned at American Honda Motor Co. "This product has helped us more accurately identify in-market shoppers and narrowly target our messaging, and we're excited by the results."
Compared to other companies, advertisers using Cox Automotive's data for Facebook and Instagram campaigns reported on average 64 percent higher click-thru rates, 497 percent higher conversion rates with a 57 percent lower cost per conversion, according to the company.
Additionally, campaigns targeting conquest and segment audiences, show 39 percent higher click-thru rates, 175 percent higher conversion rates and 22 percent lower cost per conversion, Cox Automotive said.
Automobile Technologies (AMT) has added the Ford OEM Certified Pre-Owned Inspection Checklist to its InspectionNotes app’s online forms library, the company announced Monday.
InspectionNotes provides common OEM inspection forms and a custom online forms builder, which users can access to identically match any paper inspection forms they have.
The app was created to allow mobile vehicle inspections and condition reports to be done from a tablet or smartphone, according to AMT.
“Our goal is to offer a user-friendly, mobile app, combined with the most advanced cloud software technology, to meet the demands of the automotive industry,” AMT executive vice president Mike Fischer said in a news release. “A huge goal for automotive dealerships is to offer excellent value with Certified Pre-Owned vehicles. InspectionNotes hits the mark with its easy to use comprehensive solution by offering an efficient way to provide transparency and accuracy in the CPO process.”
The answers to questions that inspectors record on their mobile devices are either transmitted to a cloud-based dashboard or to websites and third-party software systems via API, according to AMT.
Additionally, the app allows inspectors to print inspection forms and add pictures, video, and digital signatures during the inspection process.
FrogData is the latest company to announce Friday that it has become an approved CDK Partner, and is now part of a marketplace made up of 300 partner companies that offer more than 400 different applications for auto dealers.
FrogData can now seamlessly access dealer data for use in its Dealer Data Analytics Platform, which allows the company to provide dealership transaction data faster, according to the company.
“We are pleased to obtain this approval from CDK and are looking forward to providing our customers daily dashboards and analytics using our powerful big data platform,” FrogData chief executive officer Tej Soni said in a news release. “Our platform capabilities, combined with seamless data integration with CDK, will give us the ability to respond rapidly to our customer’s needs.”
In addition to providing dealerships enhanced reporting capabilities, FrogData’s Dealer Data Analytics Platform is designed to help dealers use the data they receive, the company said
Following vehicle purchase, the data analytics solution allows dealerships to monitor incoming leads, sales, F&I and track service transactions.
“We’re very pleased to introduce FrogData as the newest member of the CDK Global Partner Program,” added Howard Gardner, vice president and general manager of CDK Data Services. “FrogData’s data analytics solution adds to a growing range of partner offerings.”
