Off Topic & Everything Else

Katie Jackson-Richter announces the 5th Annual Joe and Shaun Karaokethon, an automotive industry social event scheduled for October 23rd at 9pm, with details available on Facebook and a dedicated website. Joe Webb describes it as a premier fall conference party where automotive professionals gather to sing karaoke, socialize, and network. The thread shows community interest, though limited engagement with only one reply from a user expressing regret at being unable to attend.

# Summary Forum members celebrate Joe's birthday and joke about the strange news incidents occurring in Vermont since he and other colleagues relocated there for work at DDC (a software company). Joe responds good-naturedly to the ribbing, confirming he's settled in well with a short commute, and playfully blames the full moon for Vermont's unusual local incidents.

Dealers on DealerRefresh are discussing an upcoming interview where Jared Hamilton will question TrueCar CEO Scott Painter at the Driving Sales Executive Summit, with community members debating whether Hamilton will conduct a tough interview given dealer frustrations with TrueCar's data practices. A moderator clarifies that the interview topic was requested by dealers themselves and won't be a "gotcha" session, though TrueCar's sponsorship level won't influence the discussion, and he encourages dealers to submit hard-hitting questions. The thread reflects underlying dealer tension with TrueCar over the company's aggregation of dealer transactional data via DMS access, a controversy that dates back to at least June 2011.

# Summary Automotive dealers debate whether internet advertising receives adequate budget allocation relative to its effectiveness and ROI compared to traditional media like TV and radio. The discussion reveals disagreement over how to measure internet advertising success, with participants arguing that dealers should fund digital channels more heavily, use specific pricing hooks and offers across all channels, and integrate traditional branding with digital execution rather than siloing these efforts.

A user shares a link to a video compilation highlighting the 2012 Paris Auto Show from CarChat24. The thread is minimal with just a single post offering the resource with no further discussion or commentary from other members.

Rick Buffkin asks whether rel=author markup can help boost his dealership's visibility in search results by linking to a Google+ profile picture. Experienced forum members, particularly Eric Miltsch, confirm that authorship markup is an important SEO tactic—especially for blog content—that can improve rankings, SERP appearance, and Google+ profile verification. The consensus is that implementing this markup should be a priority for dealers with blogs who want to establish author authority and credibility with Google.

# Summary A dealer manager shares his strategy for building a high-performing department by recruiting talented salespeople—both internally from the dealership floor and by poaching top performers from competitor stores using their public sales boards as a recruiting tool. He defends this aggressive talent acquisition approach as legitimate business practice, arguing that if competitors couldn't retain their people against his offers, that reflected their own weakness rather than his wrongdoing. The core insight is that competitive advantage comes from attracting and retaining the best people, even if it means being aggressive in recruitment tactics.

# Summary A dealership internet manager asks for promotional ideas to drive foot traffic, and community members share strategies ranging from gift card incentives (both broad-based and targeted to serious buyers) to database mining and community outreach initiatives. The discussion reveals a tension between high-volume, low-conversion promotions and more targeted approaches that focus on in-market shoppers and CRM data. The key insight is that effective promotions balance generating traffic with filtering for genuinely interested buyers, rather than simply giving away prizes to attract deal-seekers.

Community members celebrate Jeff Kershner's birthday with warm wishes, revealing his preference to keep his age private despite being a respected founder figure at DealerRefresh (referred to as the "Grand Pa" and "godfather" of the platform). Kershner graciously acknowledges the birthday greetings and mentions spending his birthday at a HookLogic corporate retreat in Michigan rather than celebrating at home. The thread is lighthearted and affectionate, showcasing the camaraderie among DealerRefresh members with playful jokes about aging and corporate retreat memories.

Jeff Kershner organized a birthday celebration post for two active DealerRefresh community members, Eley Duke and Mitch Gallant, praising their contributions and inviting others to wish them well. The thread features lighthearted birthday wishes from community members, with Eley sharing details of his Napa Valley birthday trip and Mitch humorously noting he's turned 28. The post demonstrates the camaraderie and personal connections that exist within the DealerRefresh professional community beyond business discussions.

# Summary ChrisB seeks advice on creating a fair compensation plan for Internet Sales Specialists and BDC staff at a new Ford dealership expecting 80-100 units monthly, but the discussion evolves into broader debate about job description clarity and pay structure philosophy. Experienced dealers emphasize that overpaying to attract quality talent is more cost-effective than underpaying, and offer specific tiered commission structures ($75-$125 per unit with 25-35% commissions) as proven frameworks. The key insight is that ISM/BDC roles require clear delineation between operational specialists and management directors, with compensation packages designed to recruit and retain top performers rather than minimize costs.

A dealer inquires about Sonic Automotive's BDC operations to evaluate job candidates, and responders indicate that Sonic takes digital marketing and BDC operations seriously with consistent practices across their group. One commenter notes a Sonic store selling 180+ used vehicles monthly from a 65-car inventory, attributing this success to an effective BDC, while another affirms the quality of Sonic's operations. The thread suggests Sonic is known for strong BDC performance, though specific operational details remain limited.

# Summary A dealer shares how his previous dealership's aggressive lease training program is now paying dividends as those leased vehicles return after 3-6 years, creating a steady stream of repeat customers ready to lease or purchase again. Experienced dealers in the thread emphasize that many dealerships underutilize leasing despite its benefits—both as a revenue strategy and as a reliable customer acquisition tool—and advocate for systematic training to increase lease penetration rates. The key insight is that leasing, when properly executed and staffed, creates a predictable cycle of returning customers and repeat business that shouldn't be overlooked.

# Summary A dealer posts a cautionary message about federal prosecutions of dealership owners and employees for fraud-related crimes, citing a specific indictment case and a DFW enforcement action, urging dealers to examine their compliance practices. The discussion highlights growing FTC and state attorney general scrutiny of dealership complaints regarding deceptive advertising and fraudulent sales practices, with one participant skeptically questioning whether such enforcement is actually occurring or is merely urban legend. The thread suggests that increased regulatory cooperation could create serious legal risks for dealerships with questionable business practices.

Users discuss an MSN Autos article ranking the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry among the "10 Most Boring Cars on the Road," with participants questioning the list's credibility and methodology. The consensus is that the article conflates "boring" with "common" and represents low-effort clickbait content typical of Yahoo and MSN, with one user arguing that minivans would be more deserving of such a ranking. The thread reflects skepticism about automotive journalism and suggests that what manufacturers consider practical, reliable vehicles are being unfairly labeled as uninteresting for engagement purposes.

# Summary Edmunds.com predicted 15 million new car sales for 2013, representing a 4% increase over 2012 and a nearly 50% recovery from the 2009 recession low. The original poster emphasized that despite more modest growth rates compared to previous years, dealers should capitalize on this opportunity by strengthening their web presence, showroom operations, and digital customer engagement tools like BDCs and internet chat. The underlying insight is that pent-up consumer demand and expiring leases will continue driving sales, making it critical for dealerships to optimize their sales and marketing infrastructure to capture market opportunities.

A dealer named kcar is launching a new dealer magazine and offering one vendor a free promotional spot that includes site-wide advertising in exchange for exposure. The post seeks vendors with quality products/services and good reputations, with interested parties asked to contact via private message. This is a straightforward vendor recruitment post with no apparent discussion or debate following.

Eley Duke announces his attendance at two upcoming Chevy events—a dealer meeting in Vegas on September 13-14 and a management training program at Disney University on October 14-17—and invites other DealerRefresh members to meet up for drinks. He provides his contact information (Twitter handle and email) to facilitate connections with fellow attendees. The post is a straightforward networking outreach with no substantive discussion or debate evident in the summary.

Ryan Thompson asks for advice on hosting his first webinar about writing effective auto classified ads using GoToWebinar software, with 110 registered attendees. Community members provide practical guidance on technical setup, including muting attendees, testing audio equipment, managing recordings, and converting files for YouTube distribution. The thread concludes successfully with Ryan reporting the webinar went smoothly and expressing interest in collaborating with one of the advisors on future webinars.

# Summary A BDC coordinator in southeastern Pennsylvania earning $400/week plus commission asks whether his compensation is fair, given that he also handles all digital marketing, SEO, social media, and video production. Respondents are divided: some defend the pay as adequate if properly executed (~$30K annually), while others argue it's significantly undervalued for the breadth of responsibilities and suggest he should either document his business impact, seek a position that better leverages his marketing skills, or look for better-paying opportunities elsewhere.

# Summary Users report a bug where clicking on threads with new posts no longer jumps to unread content, instead taking them to the thread's beginning and forcing manual searching. Jeff Kershner, a DealerRefresh admin, acknowledges the issue and requests specific details to troubleshoot, while also soliciting a broader list of bugs and feature requests from the community.

# Summary A Dealer.com employee named Joe has joined the company in Vermont, prompting congratulations from the DealerRefresh community, with members joking about the cold climate and snow while expressing hope that Joe remains active on the forum despite his new role. The discussion veers into personal anecdotes about New England, military service, and the community's appreciation for Joe's sharp wit on the platform. The key takeaway is that the forum members value Joe's engaging presence and are concerned he may become less available now that he's working for Dealer.com.