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When is a Factory Incentive Program Legal?

Mercedes Benz has announced the details of its holdback incentive program which will apply to all dealers. The program involves payment of a 3.5% performance bonus where 1% is tied to a facility component. Of course, not all Mercedes Benz dealers are
Feb 14, 2011

Menu Pricing: An Art or Science?

I just finished up an initial round of service advisor training for a large dealer group and was surprised to see that not only did they not employ properly constructed factory based maintenance menus, they were not even aware of the benefits to both
Feb 14, 2011

Why Don’t You Do It a Different Way?

Last month, my article focused on helping you hold your people accountable to your service processes. Odds are your dealership has sound processes in place, but is it time to do a process “makeover?” In other words, is it time to update and refre
Feb 14, 2011

Backdating Contracts Could Mean Mass Rescission

Way back when I was living with my parents, as the oldest child, I felt a certain responsibility. Dad was in the Air Force and mom managed one of the restaurants on base. They worked hard to provide for our family doing an outstanding job. My job wit
Feb 14, 2011

Give your Customer a Choice

It has been said that the arrival of a lead is the “moment of truth”. At that moment, the customer has put you on trial. The lead has been sent to you, but it’s also been sent to two to three other dealerships. Which dealer will respond first?
Feb 14, 2011

Make it your Year

How it happened so quickly I don’t know, but it’s time again to reflect and make necessary changes to ensure a more profitable year. As I began the self assessment, I examined the obvious areas where change is warranted and completely necessary.
Feb 14, 2011

The Consequences of Making Goodwill Repairs

Many dealerships or manufacturers have a formal or informal policy with respect to “goodwill” or customer satisfaction repairs. Usually dealers perform these repairs because a problem is not covered under warranty, the warranty covering the vehic
Feb 14, 2011

Too Much Technology Can Produce Inefficiencies

How many times have you wished you had an extra hour or two in a day to accomplish everything that you’ve scheduled? The old adage “Time is money” cannot be understated. For a car dealership, a typical day may include a sales meeting, walking t
Feb 14, 2011

Diligent Follow Up

The first word or attribute that comes to mind with “follow up” is tenacity, because to be successful in today’s market, more is needed beyond picking the low hanging fruit. I have developed and adopted my own practical application, helped thou
Feb 14, 2011