Off Topic & Everything Else

Neil Frutuoso seeks BDC training recommendations for July-September but faces scheduling conflicts with BDC Experts, and community members recommend Phone Ninjas as an alternative solution. After a demo call with Jerry Thibeau of Phone Ninjas, Neil determines that while inbound phone training is valuable, his dealership also needs a dedicated BDC team to handle outbound prospecting and email follow-up. The thread demonstrates how peer recommendations and direct vendor engagement on DealerRefresh helped Neil move from a problematic setup (top salesman handling internet leads) toward a more practical hybrid solution.

# Summary A new vendor proposes charging dealers per car sold rather than per lead generated, but experienced forum members unanimously advise against it, arguing that vendors cannot control sales outcomes and should only be responsible for generating qualified leads or appointments. The consensus is that dealers' sales teams, inventory decisions, and management skills are the true drivers of conversions, making pay-per-sale models unrealistic and risky for vendors regardless of their ability to track lead attribution.

Joe Pistell envisions a 2020 future where cloud-connected "internet appliances"—from driverless cars to smart trash cans—replace traditional standalone devices and systems across transportation, retail, and municipal services. He argues that while driverless cars will eventually transform the industry, dealerships will remain relevant for the 98% of non-metro America that will continue buying vehicles through traditional channels. The thread explores how interconnected cloud systems will optimize logistics and consumer behavior across multiple sectors, with practical examples like NYC's smart waste management system that routes garbage trucks based on real-time bin fullness data.

Drew Kamen shared an animated video lesson about not punishing everyone for one person's mistakes, emphasizing the importance of responding thoughtfully rather than reacting emotionally. The thread's key insight, highlighted by Jeff Kershner, is that leaders should distinguish between individual accountability and collective punishment, recognizing that indiscriminate penalties damage morale and fairness. The post resonated with automotive professionals who appreciated both the message's relevance to workplace management and the video's engaging animation style.

# Summary Eley Duke criticizes common vendor marketing tactics—attractive booth staff, lavish parties, and promotional gifts—as ineffective for influencing his purchasing decisions, sparking a discussion about whether such tactics actually work. Replies reveal a divide: some vendors and dealers argue these tactics succeed through psychological principles like reciprocity, while others (including respected forum vendors) emphasize that relationship-building through genuine helpfulness and integrity, rather than gimmicks, generates better long-term business results. The thread concludes with agreement that dealers respect vendors who demonstrate quality products honestly and ask directly for business, rather than relying on flashy marketing ploys.

# Summary Automotive professionals discuss what car they would buy new and store for 25+ years as an investment, inspired by a 1989 Corvette with only 67 miles that sold for its original sticker price after being recovered from theft. Suggestions include current-generation Corvettes (appreciating $10-15K over sticker), Dodge Challengers, and a Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG, with participants sharing their passion for these vehicles and their investment potential. The conversation reveals that limited-production "last of the breed" vehicles and high-performance cars are seen as the best candidates for long-term storage investments.

# Summary Automotive professionals vent about poorly designed websites, with particular frustration directed at Lexus's OEM-mandated dealer website platform, which features cartoon vehicle images, prevents inventory display, and forces constant redirects instead of letting customers view local inventory. The thread reveals that Lexus's restrictions stem from a dealer council decision to level the playing field between large and small dealerships, but this policy backfires by making their sites inferior to competitors like BMW, Mercedes, and Audi. The key insight is that one-size-fits-all OEM website mandates ultimately harm the customer experience and dealer competitiveness.

# Summary DealerRefresh professionals share their current vehicles and dream cars, revealing a mix of practical daily drivers (Malibus, Vibes, BMWs) alongside passion projects and aspirational purchases. The thread showcases the automotive enthusiasm common among industry insiders, with several members joking about their addiction to buying cars. Key insight: despite their professional distance from personal vehicle ownership, dealers themselves are car enthusiasts who think carefully about fuel efficiency, performance, and long-term value.

Members expressed frustration about post moderation delays and perceived decreased activity on DealerRefresh, with some finding the moderation offensive. Founder Jeff Kershner responded defensively, clarifying that traffic is actually growing and explaining that occasional moderation delays are unintentional byproducts of managing the site as a passion project that consumes significant personal time and resources. The thread highlights tension between community members' expectations for immediate post visibility and the founder's capacity to manage moderation while maintaining the platform.

# Summary Automotive industry professionals share the tech gadgets they received over the 2012 holidays, including fitness trackers (Nike FuelBand, Jawbone UP), smart home devices (Nest thermostat, Philips Hue), and consumer gadgets like Sphero robot balls and Garmin GPS watches. The thread reflects the tech-savvy nature of the dealership community, though a few contributors humorously opted out of tech gifts or received joke items instead. The key insight is that wearables and home automation were emerging as the hot gadget categories among this group at the end of 2012.

# Summary This off-topic thread celebrates a community member named Yago's birthday, which falls on Christmas Day, with fellow DealerRefresh members offering birthday and holiday wishes. Yago responds graciously after being away in the Canadian mountains, expressing gratitude and sharing a brief reflection on the importance of personal happiness. The thread is a light-hearted, informal community moment with no significant business or industry-related content.

# Summary DealerRefresh members praise their community for maintaining a culture focused on genuine knowledge-sharing rather than vendor self-promotion, contrasting it favorably with other automotive industry forums dominated by thinly-veiled advertising. The discussion emphasizes that DealerRefresh's moderation and community values—prioritizing helping others first over self-promotion—create a more authentic and valuable resource for dealers and industry professionals. Key contributors highlight the importance of recruiting quality new members and maintaining these standards to sustain the community's reputation and influence.

# Summary A poll showing car salespeople ranked lowest in honesty (below Congress) sparked discussion among dealers about how industry reputation suffers from a few bad actors and outdated sales practices. Contributors debated solutions, with some arguing that progressive dealerships leveraging online staff pages and customer reviews can differentiate themselves and change the negative perception, while others suggested fundamental changes to traditional floor sales processes are necessary to rebuild trust.

# Summary Automotive dealers and industry professionals debate the value and ethics of social media marketing, sparked by an Onion parody about inflated social media promises. The discussion reveals widespread skepticism about ROI, exposes that some prominent figures in the industry use fake followers to inflate their credibility, and ultimately concludes that genuine customer service and follow-up matter far more than fake social metrics or manufactured "friendship" messaging. A key tension emerges between those who see social media as wasteful hype and those who argue it's a legitimate tool when used authentically to enhance customer relationships.

A BDC/Internet Manager seeks compensation structure advice for overseeing a hybrid department with both cradle-to-grave internet salespeople and appointment-setting BDC reps at a single dealership. The discussion emphasizes that pay plans should align with the unique dual-role structure and specific metrics (call-to-appointment ratio for BDC, lead-to-sale for overall effort), and highlights the manager's strategic advantage in controlling the full sales funnel from digital lead to close. The original poster ultimately narrows consideration to three options: percentage of departmental gross profit, unit bonuses, or a tiered per-car flat fee ($75-$100 depending on volume).

# Summary In November 2012, Hyundai and Kia were caught overstating fuel economy ratings on over 900,000 vehicles, with adjustments ranging from 1-2 mpg down to 6 mpg on some models. Dealers debated whether this represented a serious reputation threat or an opportunity—some saw it as damaging given the brands' budget positioning, while others, including management, emphasized that the companies were taking responsibility and prioritizing long-term customer trust through compensation. The thread's key insight was that while the scandal could expose the manufacturers to small claims lawsuits, most consumers remained unaware of the issue, and some dealers viewed it as a chance to build customer confidence through proactive transparency.

# Summary A Ford dealership in California is receiving a concerning volume of leads (nearly 30% of 142) for vehicles not yet released to market, raising questions about whether these should count as legitimate leads for performance metrics and compensation purposes. The thread explores how different dealers handle this issue—some exclude "unicorn" pre-release inquiries from sales staff numbers to avoid skewing ratios, while others argue all inquiries should count as leads since they may eventually convert to sales. The core tension that emerges is whether excluding speculative leads from monthly metrics is fair to dealership management, given that if these customers eventually purchase, the sale gets credited without the lead having counted against conversion ratios.

# Summary Dealers debate why the automotive business is fundamentally difficult and unprofitable compared to other retail sectors, with the core issue being razor-thin margins that make dealerships vulnerable to market downturns and customer price sensitivity. A key insight emerges that the internet has democratized car-buying information, eliminating dealers' former informational advantage and forcing them to compete on perception of value rather than controlling the deal. The broader takeaway is that running any business is hard, but car dealerships face particular structural challenges—low margins, cyclical markets, and customer expectations of steep discounts—that distinguish them from industries where customers accept higher markups without question.

# Summary Ryan Thompson calls for removing user KCAR from the forum, claiming he's engaged in problematic behavior and conflicts with other members. KCAR and others defend his contributions and posting frequency, while forum moderator Jeff Kershner ultimately declines to ban him, instead suggesting members point to his specific valuable contributions rather than punishing active participation across the board. The thread reveals tension between high-volume posters and quality concerns, with moderator Kershner warning against creating precedents for removing members based on subjective judgments about post value.

Jerry Thibeau invites DealerRefresh members to multiple Vegas events including a suite party at the Bellagio on Sunday evening and speaking sessions on Monday and Thursday focused on Internet Telephone Mastery and sales techniques. Several community members express enthusiasm about attending and connecting with other DealerRefresher attendees at the DSES and DD13 conferences. The thread demonstrates the strong networking culture within the DealerRefresh community and how members leverage industry events to meet and collaborate.

# Summary A dealer with rapidly increasing leads (from 30 to 140+ per month) seeks advice on staffing and lead distribution strategy, specifically whether to hire BDC agents and how many leads one agent can handle effectively. Community responses suggest no more than 100 leads per month per salesperson/internet manager, with one dealer recommending a team-based approach where BDC agents share workload and notes rather than individual lead caps. The thread touches on operational scaling challenges but appears incomplete, with the original poster still seeking clarification on lead management best practices.

A user celebrates DealerRefresh reaching 25,000 posts on the forum and announces their personal achievement of ranking in the top 10 all-time posters. The post is a brief congratulatory message marking a milestone for the community and the contributor's involvement in it.