In an effort to give dealerships and independent shops more access to valuable information for their service business, Unotifi has integrated its customer relationship management (CRM) system with myCarfax Service Shop tools.
Shops using Unotifi software can join the myCarfax Service Shop program and take advantage of free resources like Carfax Service History Check. In addition, vital VIN-specific open recall information from Carfax is directly available through Unotifi.
Carfax data suggests that one out of every five vehicles in the U.S. has at least one open safety recall. With open recall information from Carfax integrated into the Unotifi Communicator platform, dealerships and service shops can enhance their customer service efforts by alerting new and existing customers about safety recalls on their vehicles.
“Our goal is to provide our customers with the industry’s most advanced and robust customer engagement system,” said Fred van der Neut, founder and president of Unotifi. “Unotifi is a pioneer and one of the first companies to fully integrate the myCarfax tools and recall information into our suite of services.
“Our users know and trust Carfax and are seeing a net positive impact on customer satisfaction and retention, as well as shop efficiency. Integrating reported service and recall information from Carfax into our already robust vehicle data provides our users with a more holistic view of the customer’s vehicle needs — all on one platform at their fingertips,” van der Neut continued.
Carfax Service History Check shows a vehicle’s reported maintenance history. Armed with this information, service technicians can make better service recommendations to their customers which, when combined with other myCarfax benefits like Carfax QuickVIN, helps avoid parts-ordering errors, increases ticket averages and ultimately, shop revenues.
“Unotifi is the greatest tool I have used in my 14 years in the auto industry,” said Michael Dooley, director of parts and service at Dayton Toyota. “Unotifi brings us much closer to our customers in a convenient way, from making them aware of upcoming services to updating them on the status of their vehicle when it is in our hands.
Plus, it saves our service team tons of time on busy days,” Dooley continued. “Having Unotifi build access to the myCarfax tools into the system is a huge benefit for us, since we’re already a myCarfax Service Shop. It’s great — we have access to service data we can’t get anywhere else, our RO averages are rising and we’re seeing more repeat customers.”
Dealers and independent shops interested in using the Unotifi solution integrated with the myCarfax Service Shop tools can visit automotivemarketingcrm.com.
Auction Edge has announced significant upgrades to its Edge Simulcast platform — and the newly upgraded platform has a familiar name, with a familiar partner.
Edge Simulcast — powered by Velocicast — is the result of decades of collaboration between Auction Edge and Auction Frontier, the original architects of the Edge Pipeline system.
“I am excited to continue the partnership between Auction Edge and the designers of Velocicast,” said Dan Diedrich, president of Auction Edge. “The teams at Auction Frontier and Auction Edge have a long history of working together. This relationship only solidifies that history, benefitting buyers, sellers and the industry as a whole.”
The existing Edge Simulcast platform is scheduled to be phased out within 12 months, according to Auction Edge. “We have carefully planned the execution of upgrades across the entire 230-plus Auction Edge locations,” said Seth Corrigan, lead pipeline support and installation coordinator. “The new system should roll out very smoothly.”
“After battle hardening the Velocicast system at several of the leading auctions in the West, it made sense to find a partner with the footprint, reputation, and solid support infrastructure of Auction Edge”, said Scott Suchomel, president of Auction Frontier. “The fact that we have been working closely with Auction Edge on other initiatives for the last 10 years makes this a natural fit.”
A number of independent auctions have participated in a limited rollout of Edge Simulcast — Powered by Velocicast. Trent Long, co-owner of Airport AA in Alcoa, Tenn., recently switched to Velocicast from another simulcast vendor.
“The functionality and ease of use of Velocicast has been a welcomed change to our auction. It has significantly improved the user experience for each of our employees that help manage and administer our simulcasts,” he said.
Auction Edge offers a suite of products and services for auction management and an online marketplace representing more than 230 independent auctions.
Car owners aren’t just craving connectivity. They want their in-vehicle technology to function like — or "mirror" — their smartphones.
According to the J.D. Power 2016 Smartphone Automotive Mirroring Report released Tuesday, that wish is moving closer to reality.
This news comes on the heels of a recently announced partnership between Cox Automotive and cloud platform Vinli that will give dealers the ability to take used cars without connectivity and make them smart cars.
Technologies like Android Auto and Apple CarPlay allow owners to use the larger vehicle screen to take advantage of the more advanced, internet-connected smartphone functions.
“Consumer demand is increasing for more advanced in-vehicle connectivity, and the technology is there, but the integration is far from seamless,” said Kathy Rizk, director of automotive consulting at J.D. Power. “Owners want their vehicle systems to become an extension of their smartphone experience, with the same speed, responsiveness and functionality.
“But early feedback is mixed,” she continued, “and J.D. Power consultants have independently uncovered significant concerns with some of the current market executions.”
When something goes wrong …
Rizk said that when smartphone mirroring technology doesn’t function the way owners expect it to, they are more likely to blame the automaker than their personal device. Since 2013, the two most prevalent problems reported are Bluetooth pairing/poor connectivity and problems understanding voice commands. In 2016, those issues combined for an average for 14 problems per 100 vehicles.
Smartphone mirroring technologies can magnify these problems if poorly executed. An independent analysis by J.D. Power consultants of the same systems measured in the 2016 U.S. Initial Quality Study substantiates these types of issues. The SAM Report discusses that analysis and also provides insights into the various integration executions that are currently being used.
“These issues are compounded by the fact that the presence of smartphone mirroring technology is in a vehicle — and the hope that it will improve the user experience — is often a key purchase decision factor for many owners,” said Rizk. “When this technology does not function as well as expected —and, in fact, creates new and unique problems — owners are understandably frustrated.”
Growing demand
Even when they experience difficulties, most owners using Android Auto or Apple CarPlay say they appreciate the additional functionalities offered, as well as being given the choice between their factory-installed system and smartphone mirroring. As such, increased demand is expected.
While only 10 vehicle brands offered one or both Android and Apple technologies in select 2016 model-year vehicles in this year’s U.S. Initial Quality Study, the number of brands and models offering the technologies has increased for the 2017 model year, with many more models planning to introduce smartphone mirroring technology in the future.
“The likely result of increased smartphone mirroring presence is that the impact on vehicle quality is expected to increase as well,” said Rizk. “Automakers that can get smartphone mirroring right have the potential to reduce problems and improve satisfaction. And with driver distraction increasingly becoming an area of concern, it is more important than ever to strike the appropriate balance between owner demand for feature contenting and keeping driver distraction minimized.”
For more information about the 2016 Smartphone Automotive Mirroring Report, click here.
CarStory, a provider of search and inventory data and analytics on used vehicles, announced on Monday that a technology powering its Market Reports has been awarded a U.S. Patent No. 9,465,873. The company highlighted this is the second patent awarded in two years for a technology utilized by CarStory Market Reports.
To date, the tool has been adopted by more than 6,000 dealers nationwide to help consumers understand a vehicle’s whole “story” through comprehensive, real-time, hyper-local data. CarStory can deliver 15 million Market Reports each month to consumers around the country.
The patent, which is titled “Systems, Methods and Devices for Identifying and Presenting Identifications of Significant Attributes of Unique Items,” was awarded to Vast.com, which uses the technology to power its CarStory Market Reports. The technology automatically can determine which aspects of a used-vehicle search are most significant to consumers and then identify the top three or four features that are the unique price drivers for that vehicle, presenting them in an easily digestible format to enable consumers to make more confident purchasing decisions.
Vast.com’s most recent previous patent was issued in December of last year for its “similarities engine,” which automatically can generate relevant and “like” vehicle recommendations through the CarStory Market Reports to buyers, helping facilitate a better, more informed vehicle selling/buying experience.
“Vast’s newest patent validates the power of the technology behind CarStory Market Reports. Because used vehicle price drivers differ dramatically from those that influence pricing when a vehicle is brand new, unique technology is required to help illuminate and quantify nuances for both dealers and consumers alike,” said David Franke, chief data scientist at Vast.com and co-inventor of the patent.
For example, a trim line that adds value to a vehicle when it is new may not play the same, positive role in the model’s price after a few years of wear and tear — leather seats may age poorly or GPS technology may be outdated.
“It is this real time, preference-based, nuanced vehicle intelligence that has been awarded in the patent and is the reason CarStory Market Reports have been so widely adopted,” Franke said.
“Our ‘demand/price driver engine’ improves the used car buying process by highlighting the handful of vehicle attributes that consumers are most interested in — even down to regional and local levels,” he continued.
By embedding important vehicle research directly in the vehicle detail page (VDP), CarStory Market Reports can encourage consumers to stay and engage on dealership websites, rather than clicking off to find information on third-party research sites. The Reports’ robust and unique information is based on insights generated from a combination of real-time used vehicle listings and data from over eight million used car searches each week.
The patented technology can highlight the unique attributes and features that drive price, whether it’s Bluetooth, roof rack or heated seats.
“CarStory Market Reports really help educate our sales team about which features are most important to our used car shoppers, and, because they are so engaging and informative, the reports have increased our online lead conversion,” said Tom White Jr., general manager of Subaru of Wichita.
AiM and Manheim have completed the North American roll-out of AiM software to 79 Manheim locations in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico.
The roll-out marks the first Manheim-wide deliverable of efforts between AiM and Manheim that started in May 2015.
The main technology component of the roll-out is AiM Inspect Capture, a smartphone app running on Android devices. It includes enhanced vehicle description, images and intelligent data recall, and provides a basis for further evolution of inspections products at wholesale auction locations.
“The inspection software we’re providing Manheim is a great example of our expanded capabilities and reach,” said Jim Yates, AiM’s chief executive officer. “These products and services will be made available to other clients who place a high value in a standardized and efficient inspection process and the vast condition history in our Data Store.
"The software demonstrates the continued evolution of AiM’s technology capabilities and our deep commitment to meeting the needs of our alliance partners, clients and the industry," he continued.
“We are thrilled with the performance of this technology,” said Grace Huang, senior vice president, inventory solutions for Manheim. “We are glad to be working together on the continued evolution of high quality, consistent inspections and vehicle information. The roll-out of this software is part of our ongoing focus on improved experiences for our buyers and sellers.”
“We worked closely with Manheim to reach this milestone,” said Mark Phillips, AiM chief enterprise architect. “We are grateful for the trails they've blazed and appreciate their trust. This roll-out marks the next generation evolution of our inspection and remarketing technology capabilities. We look forward to delivering ongoing innovations to our partners, clients and the industry.”
Auto/Mate Dealership Systems announced this week that its dealership management system now is fully integrated with Singlethread, a service department text-message platform.
Auto/Mate’s dealer customers now have the option to implement Singlethread’s messaging tool to communicate with service customers and have all records saved in each contact in the DMS.
“Many customers prefer to communicate via text so when a dealership makes that effort it has a tremendous impact on customer satisfaction,” Auto/Mate president and chief executive officer Mike Esposito said.
“Additionally Singlethread speeds up the process for approving estimated repairs and even has a system to measure customer satisfaction,” Esposito continued.
Singlethread can help dealers communicate the way their customers prefer, eliminating phone calls and voice mail tag that lead to frustrated customers. Singlethread's multi-media messaging platform can allow service advisors to text MPIs, photos and videos to customers, increasing transparency and boosting RO approval rates.
Singlethread is fully compliant with text messaging regulations and enables secure mobile payments.
“Integrating with Auto/Mate's Fixed Ops Suite was quick and inexpensive, which we really appreciate as keeping integration costs low allows us to keep our costs low for dealers,” Singlethread co-founder Patrick Southward said.
According to the J.D. Power 2016 U.S. Customer Service Index (CSI) Study, 37 percent of Gen X, 38 percent of Gen Y and 22 percent of Baby Boomers prefer to receive service updates via text message or email. Yet only 2 percent of all dealership customers currently receive service updates via text message or email.
Auto/Mate's Fixed Ops Suite is a full-featured solution that can offer the following benefits to dealership service departments:
• One-screen access allows all service merchandising functions to be accessed within one screen via user-friendly pull-down menus and buttons
• Automated dispatch and electronic RO capabilities enable hands-free, customized and flexible dispatching
• Graphics-rich calendar allows service managers to view color-coded appointments on a daily, weekly or monthly basis at a glance
• Instant merge feature that merges duplicate customer information with a single click of a button
• OEM button to access manufacturers’ online information at any time within Auto/Mate's DMS
Auto/Mate offers low-cost, seamless integration for third-party vendors with its Open/Mate program. Auto/Mate is an advocate of open standards integration as a way to increase competition, lower prices and improve the quality of products offered by all vendors.
For more information visit www.automate.com or call (877) 340-2677.
Dealership software provider MAXDigital recently announced Patrick McMullen, previously the senior vice president of customer success, will now be the company’s senior vice president of strategy and innovation.
MAXDigital explained McMullen will be traveling the country to deliver the company’s “Stop the Drop” message, which is geared to help dealers maintain gross profits and transform the way they deliver value during every sale.
Additionally, Rebecca Oistad has joined MAXDigital as the company’s vice president of marketing.
In her new role, Oistad will focus on building brand awareness, leading marketing communications and driving demand for the company’s digital retailing and inventory management software solutions.
“To stay competitive in the new digital auto retail industry, dealers must build trust and communicate value to maintain their market-based price,” MAXDigital chief executive officer Steve Fitzgerald said.
“Patrick and Rebecca will be instrumental in sharing how MAXDigital helps dealers navigate the changing buying process and retain their profits,” Fitzgerald continued.
McMullen has more than two decades of management experience in the automotive industry and has broad knowledge and industry expertise in pre-owned and digital retail operations. Since joining MAXDigital in 2007, he has impacted the company’s growth through his leadership of a customer-focused team that is responsible for ensuring client success, optimizing the product’s value, and driving insights.
McMullen has held positions at Enterprise Rent-a-Car, CarMax, and as a sales manager in the financial services industry.
Prior to joining MAXDigital in August, Oistad was the senior director of marketing at Enlivant, a national senior living provider. At Enlivant, Oistad was responsible for leading the development of a new brand and building a new marketing operations platform and strategy.
Prior to Enlivant, Oistad was VP of digital strategy and business development at Rand McNally.
Levy Grunwald didn’t know what to expect when he tried Honcker, a new app that lets people lease vehicles online.
What he knew was that his last lease had expired, and between work and life, he just didn’t have time to visit a dealership.
Still, could he trust the newly launched Honcker?
“I develop apps myself,” said the New Yorker, “and I know that it takes time to develop trust. So I said, ‘why not be pioneer and just trust it?’”
It took about 10 minutes on his phone for Grunwald to get a price on a two-year Toyota Highlander lease: $385 a month, which Grunwald said was $44 less what he had been quoted after calling a local dealership.
And the best part? Vehicle delivery was scheduled for later that afternoon.
“I’m surprised nobody did this until now,” Grunwald said. “It really is a game changer.”
The background
Nathan Hecht is chief executive officer and founder of Honcker. It was his personal experience with leasing that gave him the idea for the app.
He didn’t want to point fingers, but he told Auto Remarketing that he had had a “less than fun” experience at the dealership.
“It dragged on for days,” he said. “By the end, I said, ‘I just can’t believe this can’t be on the internet yet.’
“Eighteen months later, we are where we are.”
Within two weeks of its September launch, Honcker had amassed a network of 150 dealers in five states.
“We’ve been fielding a lot of inbound dealer groups reaching out to us since we went live,” Hecht said. We hope to be at 500 or 600 by year’s end.”
‘It’s really as simple as that’
Honcker is available on Android and iOS as well as all major web browsers.
According to Hecht, the process goes like this: “Download, choose, click lease, answer basic questions, and the entire lease gets pushed to a dealer. The dealer handles everything else in the background."
The lessee submits his or her address and date of birth up front, and Honcker obtains a soft credit check through Experian, which does not affect credit score. Once a lease is chosen, the customer submits his or her license and insurance information through the app.
“It’s really as simple as that,” Hecht said, emphasizing that the customer is given a customized price — not just a quote.
Honcker is live in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida and California, with plans to expand. With some exceptions, Honcker offers free delivery within a 25-mile radius of the dealer; customers in outlying areas can arrange for pickup.
Honcker does not currently accept down payments, allow co-signers or offer financing, but that will change, Hecht said.
“We just wanted to introduce a very simple, very basic product. Every month going forward we will add another feature. We have whiteboards flooded with features and functions that will come out over the next 12 to 18 months.”
What’s next
One of Hecht’s major plans is for Honcker to get involved in used-car leasing.
“I have a dream that used leasing is going to become a massive market,” he said. “The faster new leasing grows, what’s happening is that cars coming out of leases, used car places can’t move them fast enough. A lot of the manufacturers and banks are looking at this as an opportunity for used-car leasing.”
Asked whether he’s hit any resistance, Hecht said: “Off the top of my head, maybe two dealer groups that we wanted on board that were regional groups that said, ‘we love the idea but we want to see what happens.’ Everyone else was anxious to get on board.”
At the heart of it, Hecht believes what Honcker is doing is a no-brainer.
“You can do so much online now,” he said. “Why should cars be any different than anything else?”
On Wednesday, DealerSocket wrapped up its annual User Summit, which included the opening keynote by founder and chief executive officer Jonathan Ord, who addressed attendees and provided insight into the company's future vision, the introduction of the “Blackbird” technology platform and several other product innovations.
“Blackbird is the result of DealerSocket’s vision, several years in the making, to create a streamlined automotive platform tailored to the future of automotive retail,” Ord said. “It has been built for power and ease of use, incorporating dealership feedback.
“The release of this completely rebuilt platform has been highly anticipated and User Summit is the perfect forum to make its introduction,” Ord continued during the gathering in San Antonio that featured more than 1,000 dealers and complementary service providers.
DealerSocket reiterated that Blackbird was developed and refined through intensive user engagement, including charting eye paths and mouse-based movements to refine the platform. The Blackbird platform is user-optimized, resulting in a customized portal with fewer clicks and simplified navigation. These innovations have led to improved operational efficiencies and a refined user experience.
Dealership Action Report released
The second annual Dealership Action Report (DAR) also debuted at User Summit. DealerSocket developed the DAR utilizing its proprietary data as well as calling upon Google and J.D. Power for additional consumer insight.
Incorporating data from Google Consumer Surveys, DealerSocket insisted this year's DAR is the first to compare data representing 11,000 dealerships to insights from 2,000 consumers who purchased a vehicle in the last 12 months.
The report also references customer satisfaction information from J.D. Power's Power Information Network to provide complete analysis of the consumer vehicle buying process.
Through the DAR, DealerSocket highlighted franchised dealers can develop methods to reform the buying process and improve long-term profitability by learning:
—Consumer preferences for the vehicle buying process
—Best practices in integrating mobile technologies and optimizing online presence
—Opportunities to improve customer experience and build fixed ops loyalty
“This year’s DAR provides a dual view, from the dealer and consumer perspective, of the vehicle buying process. Surprisingly, we found significant gaps in what dealers perceive to be the optimum experience and what consumers expect," said Marylou Hastert, director of product marketing at DealerSocket.
“As the industry cools after a year of record sales, it’s critical that dealerships focus on high-impact, data-driven processes to improve their margins,” Hastert added.
The Dealership Action Report is available for download at dealersocket.com/DAR.
Other User Summit highlights
In addition to Blackbird and the DAR, DealerSocket unveiled its new iDMS platform, which merges its FEXDMS and AutoStar products into a single comprehensive dealership management solution for the independent market. It is the first of all DealerSocket products to be integrated into the all-new Blackbird platform, maintaining a consistent user experience across the system.
User Summit attendees also took part in professional development tracks specially developed for advancement in the following topics:
—Customer relationship management (CRM)
—Digital marketing
—Inventory management
—Dealership management system (DMS)
—Fixed ops
—Customer experience
eBay Motors and its Business and Industrial division have announced a move aimed at increasing buyer confidence.
As such, the company is doubling its coverage protection up to $100,000 on its Vehicle Purchase Protection (VPP) and Business Equipment Purchase Protection (BEEP) programs, applicable to purchases after Sept. 1.
“At eBay, nothing is more important than trust. Without it, our global marketplace couldn’t function,” said Tony Hoang, head of vehicles at eBay Motors. “For our shoppers who are purchasing vehicles or business equipment, we’re extending our buyer protection programs to help put our buyers at ease when shopping on eBay.
“Whether consumers are browsing or ready to make a critical purchasing decision, the scope of these protection programs is unique in the automotive ecommerce industry, empowering our sellers’ and dealers’ growth by offering a worry-free, secure shopping experience," he continued.
The updated VPP program is complemented by eBay Motors partnerships with WeGoLook for third party on-site inspections and warranties for automotive parts and accessories provided by Assurant.
The expanded protection programs consist of the following:
—eBay Motors’ VPP covers up to $100,000 for eligible purchases on eBay Motors for vehicle non-delivery, missing title or major undisclosed defects. Buyers are automatically enrolled in the program at no charge. Learn more about what’s covered and eligibility here.
—BEPP covers a buyer’s eligible purchase for up to $100,000 on eBay capital equipment in case of deliberate fraud or misrepresentation by the seller, including non-delivery, receiving an item that has undisclosed damage, the item was described as being less than 10 years old, or receiving an item that differs in type, make or model from what was described in the listing. Learn more about what’s covered and eligibility here.
