It looks like efforts within the dealership to ensure that service customers leave happy are paying off. According to the J.D. Power and Associates 2013 U.S. Customer Service Index (CSI) Study released Wednesday, overall customer satisfaction with service at a dealer facility has increased to 797 (on a 1,000 point scale), up significantly from 787 […] [Read More]

Primeritus Financial Services announced the sale of two of its subsidiaries on Wednesday. Officials confirmed that Primeritus sold Repossessions Unlimited operating in Florida and Extreme Recovery in California.    In the first transaction, Chris Fazio purchased Primeritus’ ownership in Repossessions Unlimited.  As sole owner of Repossessions Unlimited, officials said Fazio will continue to provide recovery services […] [Read More]

Audi of America identified its top performing U.S. dealerships throughout 2012, a year that saw the brand and its franchised stores post record-breaking sales results. In all, 114 Audi dealerships earned the 2012 Magna Society recognition by providing superlative customer service while achieving strong overall business performance. Audi also recognized 11 dealerships as 2012 Audi […] [Read More]

Organizers of the Auto Remarketing Canada Conference, presented by CarProof, are  excited to announce the latest additions for this year’s agenda.   Joining this year’s Day Two keynote panel is Sarah Hill, social media manager for Toyota Canada Inc. On Tuesday morning, April 23, Canada’s top remarketing executives take the stage for a keynote panel […] [Read More]

It may be time for dealers in Canada to cater to younger audiences. According to the 2012 Consumer Retail Experience Study from J.D. Power and Associates, a critical step in attracting more business from young buyers is increasing advocacy among current customers. J.D. Power contends the Canadian automotive industry needs to put aside “labels or […] [Read More]

In a post to its AutoMotion blog on Tuesday, J.D. Power and Associates ranked the top 10 reasons consumers give for buying a specific model. To determine this list, the firm took its 2010–2012 Initial Quality Studies and boiled it down to the 10 factors new-car owners pointed to most often in explaining their purchases.  […] [Read More]

A recall General Motors issued for Pontiac sedans more than four years ago might be expanded to include more than a half-million more units as an investigation now is branching out to possibly cover other vehicles from the automaker. According to documents from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the agency’s Office of Defects Investigation […] [Read More]

In my day as a dealer, I held the same view of my service department as many dealers do today: It was the “back end” of the business. I understood, of course, that my service and parts operation was critical to the overall profitability of the dealership — especially in months when my advisors and […] [Read More]

Giving dealers some insight into what’s cruising the highways these days, Polk announced this week it recently released an enhanced version of its National Vehicle Population Profile (NVPP). In the latest online release of the VIN-based NVPP, the company contends it has provided a "unique combination of speed-to-market with decades of experience to give customers […] [Read More]

In a tight race between foreign and domestic auto brands, domestics including General Motors took the most awards in U.S. News & World Report’s latest rankings for family cars with 10, while import models captured nine awards. U.S. News & World Report on Tuesday announced the 2013 Best Cars for Families award winners, which span […] [Read More]