Dominion Dealer Solutions announced that Dominion ACCESS, its dealer management system, is now an approved integration partner of Nissan’s Dealer Business System.
Nissan’s new system integrates the Dominion ACCESS DMS with real-time, secure communications across several of a dealer’s departments and is available to Nissan and Infiniti dealerships nationwide.
“Completing the integration between Dominion ACCESS and Nissan DBS provides another cost-effective DMS solution for Nissan and Infiniti dealerships,” said Van Koppersmith, the company's president of Dominion DMS. “We are especially excited to offer Infiniti dealerships an alternative to the Infiniti*Net system, allowing one DMS to be used at all dealerships within a dealer group. These manufacturer integrations add to the expanding list of OEM communications options available from Dominion Dealer Solutions.”
Through the DMS, Nissan dealers can utilize several integration points in real time, including the following according to the company: vehicle inventory updates, retail delivery reporting, financial statement submission, warranty credit postings, service campaign inquiries, parts master updates, warranty submissions, vehicle service history, and parts ordering and returns.
“I’m really excited that Dominion ACCESS has become certified with Nissan,” said Joe Munson, the chief financial officer of Bradley Management. “We have been implementing a workaround at our Hubler Nissan store for quite some time and now look forward to the efficiency of working directly through Dominion ACCESS.”
More information about Dominion Dealer Solutions and their offerings can be found here.
Wholesale network AutoWurld announced Thursday it has formed a partnership with Prime Auto Care to provide third-party volume-priced sales support services to its franchise, independent and wholesale dealers at a discounted rate with an AutoWurld membership.
The services also include warranty and inspection services, including a 158-point inspection service through AutoWurld’s partnership with OneGuard that allows buyers to bundle a pre-sale inspection service with a comprehensive 90-day warranty from Prime Auto Care for $199.
“Whether customers are looking for buyer’s protection or extended coverage for up to 84 months, Prime Auto Care has the most comprehensive and affordable plans,” said Kurtis Orcutt, Prime Auto Care’s vice president. “In addition to 90 days and 3,000 miles, our Dealer Protection Program offers powertrain coverage up to 150,000 miles with no year limits, and additional coverage for electrical and air conditioning. Prime protects all key components of the vehicle including provisions for 24/7 roadside assistance to guarantee peace of mind.”
Troy Mack, the founder and chief executive officer at AutoWurld, believes the services help dealers have peace of mind with the third-party inspection’s certification and coverage for unforeseen circumstances.
“The goal with AutoWurld is to make dealer-to-dealer transactions less expensive and bulletproof,” Mack said. “When you couple the OneGuard 158-point inspection services with the comprehensive 90-day warranty, buyers can shop our network with confidence.”
More information about AutoWurld’s offerings can be found here.
Manheim announced Thursday that it has expanded its mobile auction network by adding two trucks to the 14 mobile units already in operation. The company also announced that it will add up to eight more by the end of the year, bringing the total count for its mobile fleet up to 24.
The new mobile vehicles, which will be first used in Pennsylvania and Texas, feature a portable unit, which Manheim calls an “auction in the box,” that can be placed just about anywhere — in a dealership, conference room, warehouse, open field, or anywhere else, to facilitate an auction.
“Our customers tell us they need easier, more convenient ways to buy and sell,” said Janet Barnard, president of Manheim North America. “Backed by more than a decade of success in conducting mobile auctions, these sales are offering dealers in underserved markets another way to conduct business based on their needs.”
With an auctioneer in tow, the mobile auctions provide all of the technology of a traditional auction at Manheim, including Simulcast, which enables the auctioneer to bid live on premise and online. The company also provides support services to those bidding, including financing, condition reporting and inspection services.
The whole process allows the dealer to host the auction on its own premises without having to move all of the inventory to another location. Manheim hosts at least 25 mobile auctions every month with an average of 100 participants.
“The investments we are making in our mobile auction network represents our commitment to all of our customers – from small, independent dealers to large franchises and everyone in between,” Barnard said. “Not only are we better able to cater to their specific needs, but we’re also extending the reach and excitement of the live, wholesale auction experience.”
Porsche Financial Services announced Thursday its agreement with Safe-Guard Products International to offer a fully branded suite of Protection Plan Products through Porsche, Bentley and Lamborghini dealers in the United States. Non-Porsche products for Bentley and Lamborghini pre-owned vehicles, at participating dealers, will use the QualityShield name as a non-branded private label program.
“Safe-Guard is proud to help enhance the customer experience of these prestigious brands,” said David Pryor, Safe-Guard’s chief marketing officer. “Safe-Guard’s products add safety, security, and peace of mind through superior coverage and service which builds long-term customer retention and brand advocacy.”
Ross Dupper, the president and chief executive officer at Porsche Financial Services, believes the partnership provides a “new level of confidence and convenience” to the company’s “sophisticated customers.”
“Our dealer network is excited to extend the peace of mind that these Protection Plan Products will add to the enjoyment of the Porsche, Bentley and Lamborghini ownership experience,” Dupper said.
Products offered from the partnership include protection for tires and wheels, dents, windshields, key replacements, GAP insurance, lease-end issues as well as prepaid maintenance and vehicle service programs.
More information about Safe-Guard’s products can be found here; for more information about Porsche, Bentley and Lamborghini offerings, contact your local dealer.
Selling cars becomes more and more like running an electronics store every year with the massive amounts of in-car technology becoming prevalent. Cars today can do things like tell you where to go, control the temperature, beam your favorite songs from space and protect you from that car in your blind spot that you missed by a brief second. This adds an increasingly intricate layer of complexity to every car shopper, who typically wants their own unique blend of features in their next vehicle.
This is where the J.D. Power 2015 U.S. Tech Choice Study comes in with a recent look at attempting to find out which of these technologies are most desired and what types of demographics lean towards certain preferences.
Out of the top five forms of tech in vehicles, three of them were collision-avoidance related, including blind spot detection and prevention systems, night vision and enhanced collision mitigation systems. The other two non-collision related technologies most preferred are a rearview camera and self-healing paint.
Kristin Kolodge, the executive director of driver interaction and HMI research at J.D. Power elaborated on these findings.
“There is a tremendous interest in collision protection technologies across all generations, which creates opportunities across the market,” Kolodge said. “In contrast, there is very little interest in energy efficiency technologies such as active shutter grille vents and solar glass roofs. Owners aren’t as enthusiastic about having these technologies in their next vehicle because of other efforts automakers are taking to improve fuel economy, as well as relatively low fuel prices at the present time.”
Perhaps a more important metric, besides the technology itself, is who is willing to pay for it and, if they are, how much? The study, which took place between January and March, surveyed more than 5,300 consumers online who had purchased or leased a new vehicle in the past five years.
The interesting findings were that although the youngest generation of predominant shoppers, Gen Y, were the least worried about the price of technology (19.9 percent found the price of technology important) and were willing to pay the most to get it in their vehicle (an average of $3,703). See the chart above for the rest of the results.
For a complete listing of the study’s findings, click here.
Gubagoo announced Monday the upgrades to its ChatSmart platform interface for dealers. The enhancements highlighted by the company for its “smart” chat platform include advanced Google Analytics integration and further device support, which now works on computers, tablets and phones.
ChatSmart has also added SMS text-to-chat functionality, which opens up direct communication on mobile devices and allows customers to transition seamlessly between desktop and mobile environments without interrupting conversations.
“These new enhancements greatly extend the benefits of ChatSmart’s ‘active engagement,’ which lets dealers talk with their customers based on preferences and history, instead of talking at customers,” said Brad Title, Gubagoo’s chief executive officer. “Because dealers get an insight into exactly what a customer is doing on their website, ChatSmart has been able to achieve as high as 77 percent chat-to-lead conversions.
“This new upgrade promises to increase these results by giving website users even more flexibility and mobility when it comes to their chat interaction.”
For more information on Gubagoo’s offerings and a full list of the functions of its ChatSmart platform, visit its website.
Tablet users aren’t hard to spot if you’ve flown commercially recently or visited a local coffee shop. But a new survey by Auto/Mate Dealership Systems says the penetration of dealerships leveraging these devices still isn’t too high. At least not yet.
Auto/Mate determined that only 20 percent of dealerships use mobile tablets in their sales and service departments. The software company found even fewer dealerships have adopted mobile tablets in the F&I department with only 7 percent indicating they use mobile tablets in the F&I process.
Auto/Mate Dealership Systems president and chief executive officer Mike Esposito explained this informal survey was conducted from November of last year to April of this year as more than 100 store employees responded to questions about mobile usage in the dealership
“I think we're seeing the classic bell curve in terms of dealers adopting a new technology,” Esposito said. “I anticipate this percentage will rise dramatically in the next few years as mobile tablet usage in the dealership becomes more mainstream.”
Esposito cited the following reasons as the primary obstacles to widespread adoption of mobile tablets in the dealership:
— Cost: Esposito contends the hardware and software costs associated with mobile tablets are not the primary cost objection. He says the larger issue for dealers is the cost of expanding their Wi-Fi infrastructure throughout the entire dealership, so mobile tablets can be used efficiently even in the furthest corners of a service bay.
— Change: Esposito acknowledged that mobile tablet usage requires a change in processes, from how customers are greeted in the service lane, to multi-point inspections, to how the salespeople interact with customers on the lot. “Many dealers are resistant to change, putting off what they know will be a painful transition to completely new processes,” he said.
— Return on investment is undefined: Esposito emphasized that historically dealers have not adopted new technologies until the ROI is made clear. “Before investing in mobile tablet usage, they want to know what the return will be,” he said.
Auto/Mate Dealership Systems gave a summary of the key takeaways from the mobile usage in the dealership survey, including:
1. Mobile tablets appear to be used most often in the sales process:
• 21 percent use them to search for dealership inventory
• 20 percent use them to scan VINs
• 15.5 percent use them to demonstrate features for customers
• 80 percent of dealerships don't use mobile tablets in the sales process, but 15 percent would like to try
2. The second place mobile tablets are most often used in the dealership is in the fixed ops department:
• 12 percent use them to take photos of vehicles to safeguard against false claims
• 8.5 percent use them to enter VIN and vehicle information
• 8.5 percent use them to perform multi-point vehicle inspections
• 78 percent don't use mobile tablets in the fixed ops process, but 20 percent would like to try
3. The third ranked usage of mobile tablets in the dealership is in the F&I department:
• 7 percent use them for signing and e-delivery of documents
• 6 percent use them to present pricing and payment options
• 5 percent use them for menu presentation
• 93 percent don't use mobile tablets in the F&I process but 15 percent would like to try
4. Mobile tablets are used the least by executives and managers to review financial information:
• 6 percent use them to track KPIs
• 5 percent use them to view daily DOCs
• 5 percent use them to drill down into dashboard and metrics
• Nearly 95 percent don't use mobile tablets to review financial information, but 11 percent would like to try
5. What do you believe are the greatest benefits to using mobile tablets in the dealership? Responses are ranked in order:
• Improves dealership efficiency/workflow/consistency in process (29 percent)
• Speeds up processes (25 percent)
• Makes dealership personnel jobs easier (19 percent)
• Increases customer satisfaction (14 percent)
• Reduces paperwork (7 percent)
• Increases revenue (6 percent)
6. What mobile tablet platform does your dealership use? Responses are ranked in order:
• Apple iOS (37 percent)
• Windows (9 percent)
• Android (7 percent)
• BlackBerry (1 percent)
• Don't Know (13 percent)
Esposito said the biggest surprise from the survey was the response to the fifth question where respondents ranked benefits of using mobile tablets.
“The biggest benefit of using mobile tablets is the increase in customer satisfaction, as it ultimately has the biggest impact on a dealer’s bottom line,” Esposito said.
Esposito also encourages dealers to be more thorough in their vetting process for mobile tablet platforms.
“Most dealerships use iPads because of the brand name and general popularity of that product,” he said. “But if your dealership is running its DMS and other software programs on a Windows platform, it might make more sense to use a Microsoft Surface Pro so all data exchanges are instant and seamless.”
For dealerships that are considering adopting mobile tablets, Esposito recommended starting in the fixed ops department.
“Service is clearly the department that stands to benefit the most from mobile tablet adoption; from greeting customers in the service lane, opening RO's, conducting multi-point inspections, viewing recalls and recommended maintenances to pave the way to a better upsell process, the revenue potential in service is the greatest,” he said.
Based on the assumption costs are coming down and the awareness of the benefits of mobile tablet usage growing, Esposito predicted a huge spike in dealership adoption rates over the next few years.
“The sooner dealers create and embrace new processes for mobile tablets, the sooner they will benefit,” he said.
AutoAlert, teaming with CreditMiner, has added additional sales opportunities for its users via the addition of credit soft pulls for service-not-sold records, allowing its dealer customers to provide solid qualifying offers to service customers that have not previously purchased a vehicle at their business.
The credit soft pull, which does not require a prospect’s social security number, date of birth, or consent, downloads equity and credit information into AutoAlert, putting the establishment in a situation where they can provide an offer for the customer’s current vehicle and provide a deal on a new model.
“The addition of CreditMiner to AutoAlert will increase the number of opportunities to sell in service by 30 percent because data enables associates to make value proposition offers, not sales pitches,” said Tony Rhoades, AutoAlert’s vice president of product. “Converting service-only customers into new vehicle purchasers deepens their relationship with the dealership, which is important to ongoing retention, additional purchases, and dealership profitability.”
Complying with the Fair Credit Reporting Act, CreditMiner allows for dealer-specific offers of credit which are otherwise invalid anywhere else. Its tools can give access to bureau data at TransUnion, Experian and Equifax, providing permissible bureau data such as up to five auto loan summaries, current payment data, auto loan balances, cosigner participation, and revolving credit data.
“The team at CreditMiner is proud to partner with AutoAlert, the leader in data mining,” said Don O’Neill, CreditMiner’s vice president of sales and marketing. “The power this relationship brings to dealers is immeasurable. Dealers can now target and prospect consumers in service who did not purchase their vehicle from the servicing dealer.
“The exciting part is the offer is valid only at that specific dealership," O'Neill continued. "This partnership brings the leader in data mining sales opportunity generation and the leader in promotional bureau software together. The results will be an unparalleled tool for dealer profitability.”
Automotive strategic information and insight provider IHS Automotive announced its Integrated Lead and Incentive Management solution that has launched in partnership with HookLogic.
The solution aims to help OEM national sales companies improve their web-based lead performance and incentive management as part of its larger audience analysis, targeting and activation service.
According to the company, the solution is already showing the ability to increase conversion rates by 25 percent or more and increase showroom visits by 32 percent via its predictive models and lead scoring from IHS Automotive along with HookLogic’s multi-channel (both traditional and digital) targeted incentives, which drives an average close rate of 60 percent for incentive responders.
“The IHS Automotive/HookLogic offering will give our customers ‘game-changing’ capabilities to drive substantial business improvement across new vehicle launch, loyalty, retention, conquest and lifecycle marketing programs,” said Steve Had, IHS Automotive’s vice president of multi-channel marketing solutions. “The solution has been delivering impressive results in early stage retail campaigns. We are excited to now bring this unique and powerful capability to the entire automotive industry.”
For more information about IHS Automotive and its offerings, visit its site here.
Auto marketing and CRM solution provider AutoLoop announced today that it is adding DealAlert, a real-time deal management app, to its lifecycle marketing suite.
The app delivers up-to-the-minute deal info to a dealer’s phone within seconds of a request.
“We’re very excited to add this unique tool to our already powerful software suite,” said Steven Anderson, AutoLoop’s chief executive officer. “With DealAlert, we’re giving dealers the ability to track sales from start to finish, view all pending deals in their DMS and watch transactions in real time, all the way through accounting.”
Anderson also said that the app gets rid of the need for manual reports and nightly recaps with its real-time notifications of transaction events.
“By contrasting real-time unit and gross profit tracking against budgeted units and profit tracking, dealers can get a complete picture of their sales at that moment,” Anderson said. “They also have immediate access to deals, units and gross for any day or month.”
For more information about AutoLoop’s suite of offerings, click here.
