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Molly Curry previews the 2019 NADA Conference Expo, highlighting that vendors are treating the event like their 'Black Friday' with heavy deals and promotions prepared months in advance. The thread aims to catalog standout offers for dealers who want to maximize their time on the floor, noting this year's dominant theme is AI and data-driven digital solutions. It serves as a practical deal sheet for dealers deciding which booths and vendor offers deserve their attention.
The thread explores the long-term business value of customer care in automotive dealerships, arguing that while neglecting customer service saves money short-term, it ultimately costs dealerships through lost loyalty and negative word-of-mouth. Respondents emphasize that retention depends on dealership culture, empathy, effective communication processes, and systematically responding to online reviews—both positive and negative—which can even convert bad reviews into positive outcomes. The key insight is that investing in customer care infrastructure and responsiveness pays dividends through customer loyalty and reputation management.
truPayments is promoting a free Lunch & Learn event at NADA 2019 (January 25th in San Francisco) aimed at dealer principals and senior managers to educate them on soft-pull credit solutions and personalized digital shopping experiences. The event has limited seating available on a first-come, first-served basis, with registration available through their website. The key insight is that dealers are being positioned to learn how soft credit pulls can enhance one-to-one digital shopping experiences for customers.
AutoNation announced a major corporate restructuring consolidating its regional structure from three regions to two while implementing a cost-savings plan targeting approximately $50 million in annual reductions. The announcement included the promotion of James Bender to Executive Vice President of Sales. Forum members viewed the restructuring as a reasonable response to declining market conditions, with one noting it provided an opportunity to eliminate organizational inefficiencies.
AutoMobile Technologies has partnered with NIADA (National Independent Automobile Dealers Association) to offer digital inspection software to member dealerships, enabling them to create and manage certified pre-owned (CPO) vehicle designations. The software provides mobile-enabled inspection and reconditioning management tools specifically designed for independent auto dealers. This partnership expands access to inspection technology for NIADA members as a new national member benefit.
TrueCar announced its acquisition of DealerScience, a digital retailing software provider, with plans to operate it as a subsidiary focused on enhancing dealer tools for payment calculations and consumer experience. The discussion reflects skepticism about the competitive digital retailing space, with commenters noting high dealer churn between similar platforms and questioning whether DealerScience's relatively small client base justifies the investment unless TrueCar can scale the technology across its larger dealer network.
Dane Saville announces that Reunion Marketing, an automotive marketing company based in Raleigh, North Carolina, has been named to Entrepreneur magazine's 2018 Entrepreneur360 List recognizing the best entrepreneurial companies in America. The recognition highlights the company's achievements in impact, innovation, growth leadership, and value creation, particularly notable given the company's rapid growth from a startup operating out of residential spaces just 3.5 years prior.
RefreshFriday Episode 41 features Ryan Leslie discussing how inaccurate vehicle merchandising — wrong trims and features applied to inventory — quietly drains dealer marketing budgets. The key insight is that a surprisingly large percentage of dealership inventory carries incorrect data, and the financial waste this creates in paid marketing spend is significant enough to warrant immediate attention.
Dane Saville announces his first speaking engagement at DrivingSales conference on a topic about relevant marketing messaging and platforms, and the thread documents his successful session (nearly 30 attendees with positive feedback) and subsequent appearance on DealerRefresh's RefreshFriday show. The key insight is that breakout sessions at industry conferences, even for lesser-known speakers, can be effective networking opportunities and lead to further community engagement within the automotive industry.
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Dealers discuss why new vehicle sales have declined for six consecutive months, with theories ranging from consumer confidence issues tied to political and economic uncertainty, to broader market saturation and the natural end of a prolonged economic cycle. While some attribute the downturn to geopolitical concerns and healthcare uncertainty, most participants lean toward structural explanations—namely that the automotive industry is experiencing a predictable cyclical downturn after an unusually long expansion, compounded by high household debt and an oversupply of used vehicles pressuring new car sales. The consensus view is that while conditions may soften, another 2008-style crisis is unlikely, and smart dealers should adapt by tightening operations, improving sales processes, and shifting focus toward used car and service department revenue.
The thread introduces a RefreshFriday episode featuring Dan Sayer and Jon Berna discussing whether third-party classified listing sites like Cars.com or AutoTrader still deliver measurable ROI for dealers. The conversation centers on Cost Per VDP as a KPI and whether it remains a valid benchmark given evolving attribution challenges. The key tension is between the difficulty of proving direct ROI and the acknowledged reality that broader inventory exposure does influence vehicle sales.
EchoPark Automotive has adopted AutoMobile Technologies' ReconMonitor software to automate and manage its high-volume vehicle reconditioning operations. The software provides workflow and process management capabilities designed to maintain operational efficiencies across EchoPark's reconditioning department. This represents a significant technology investment by a major used car retailer to streamline its service operations.
Kevin Frye shares a lively recap of Digital Dealer 25 in Las Vegas, opening with a self-deprecating story about forgetting to register before his own presentation. The thread blends humor with industry networking highlights, featuring familiar faces like Barry Brodsky and David Metter, giving readers a feel for the conference atmosphere and community connections.
Jeff Kershner shares a humorous video from the DealerKnows team satirizing the diminishing returns of attending too many automotive industry conferences. The video follows a manager and employee as repeated conference attendance becomes increasingly pointless, a sentiment that resonates with the DealerRefresh community. It reflects a broader, ongoing conversation among dealers about whether industry conferences deliver real value or just consume time and budget.
Ed Brooks is posting a daily video series on DealerRefresh where he shares personal stories and insights about marketing and storytelling, with Day Three focusing on non-marketing personal challenges and Day Four exploring the core elements of effective storytelling (story, audience, and relevance). The thread is lighthearted, with some playful banter between Ed and admin Jeff Kershner about posting privileges, while community members express appreciation for Brooks' consistent daily contributions and transparency in sharing his narrative journey.
Dane Saville announces a Digital Dealer conference session where CEO Dave Spannhake will present competitive benchmarking data on dealership performance in SEO, PPC, and social media marketing against industry averages. The session aims to help dealers understand what competitors are doing and how to use data analytics to drive traffic and conversions. Alexander Lau's reply suggests the thread lacks a clear conclusion or verdict on the actual findings.
Cox Automotive has acquired F&I Express (Intersection Technologies), a finance and insurance digital retailing platform that the company had partnered with since 2013. The acquisition aligns with Cox's broader strategy to modernize the automotive buying and selling process through digital tools. Transaction terms were not disclosed, and F&I Express will operate as a wholly-owned Cox subsidiary.
Lotpop, an inventory management consulting firm, is hosting its first annual Dealer Workshop on October 16-17 in Kansas City, featuring training on inventory processes, internet processes, and marketing for auto retailers. A community member endorses the event based on the founder's reputation and encourages attendees to share their feedback with the forum afterward. The thread suggests this is a professional development opportunity worth considering for dealers looking to optimize their operations.
Steve Stauning promotes a fundraising initiative where $10 from each sale of his book "Assumptive Selling" during September (National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month) benefits the PaulieStrong Foundation, highlighting that childhood cancer receives only 4% of cancer research funding despite affecting nearly 16,000 children annually in the US. He also suggests using Amazon Smile links as an easy, ongoing way for automotive professionals to contribute to the cause with no additional cost.
The thread discusses the federal seizure of Backpage.com, a major classifieds site that dealers used for vehicle listings through third-party platforms, and addresses its removal from automotive industry resource lists. While acknowledging Backpage's modest impact on dealership lead generation, participants generally support its shutdown due to the site's role in facilitating illegal activities. The conversation pivots to identifying alternative classifieds platforms and sharing updates, with underlying consensus that Backpage's removal represents positive progress despite the operational inconvenience.
Steve Stauning promotes his book "Assumptive Selling" with a charitable angle: $10 from each August 2018 Amazon sale goes to help Bryan and Tamarra Armstrong, whose wife suffers from a rare and expensive disease (SMAS). Throughout the month, Stauning repeatedly bumps the thread to boost sales, while also encouraging readers to donate directly to the couple's GoFundMe if they prefer. The thread demonstrates a sales-savvy tactic that combines business promotion with genuine charitable support for respected industry members.
Eley Duke shares his dealership's managers reading series initiative and solicits book recommendations that help leaders develop professionally and understand business dynamics. The community responds with a curated list of leadership and business books including *Good to Great*, *The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People*, *Chess Not Checkers*, and works from the *Freakonomics* series, with particular interest in understanding millennial consumers and employees. The key insight is that structured peer-led reading and discussion creates a practical, cost-effective way for automotive dealership managers to continuously improve their leadership capabilities while staying relevant to evolving customer generations.
