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Dec 22, 2009

John,

I knew when I wrote this article I would get some people who would not agree with what I wrote. With the auto responders I have seen, and I have seen a lot of them, I am not impressed. Some of them go on and on and on. To me there really is no reason why anyone should not be able to respond to a customer and give them a "quality response" in a short time frame. I would also challenge you on the "SPEED" aspect. I saw an article on one of the automotive sites that mentioned salespeople who contact customers within five minutes will increase their contact rate by 800%. I would believe that statement. Not to mention that first rep to make contact has a pretty good chance of building rapport with the customer. So while you're busy typing out your fancy e-mail, I'll have already called the customer and made an appointment with them. Don't get me wrong, I like quality, but as long as it doesn't prevent me from accomplishing my mission.

You're only going to face so many different situations. Why not build a variation of templates for each situation and then you can easily customize them as needed. I could give you a quality reply in less than five minutes using my CRM of choice.

Also, don't forget that if there's a phone number, I am not even going to bother writing the template. If I get the customer on the phone, it's a phone-up. After the call I'll then send them an e-mail based on my conversation or voice mail. Hopefully that e-mail is to give them directions for the appointment I set.

Please don't take my comments in the wrong way, I welcome the debate. Prove me wrong and I'll gladly re-evaluate my position.

Dec 22, 2009

Hi Jerry,

I disagree that on-hours should not get a response. Customers are now conditioned to get an "instant" response. If you order something at Target.com, and hit "submit," within seconds you receive a confirmation that your order was received. Similarly, automotive clients want to know that their "order has been received."

The auto-response can also help you "buy" a little time. Because quite honestly, if you think it's still all about SPEED, then you're still 5-6 years ago. I would rather send a Quality, Custom-Worked, Option-Filled Personal response in 20-25 minutes than the usual hum-drum canned "why buy here" and "same price I just saw on your website" email in 10-15 minutes.

Whatever the message, set-up your next step and therefore expectations, and you're benefiting both the client and yourself.

Now if my friggin CRM system would work all the time... hahaha...

Dec 21, 2009

Good thought John!

I know that some CRM vendors have a feature that will allow you to replace an absent auto-fill with a word or phrase of your choice. In this case I would use: "vehicle you selected." This is done when setting up the auto action.

Some of the more sophisticated CRM vendors will also allow you to send different templates based on where the leads came from.

These are features that should be available to you in your CRM tool.

JohnMarzy · Dec 21, 2009

Hello Jerry,

My first question would be "Is the model field required to be filled in when a request is made from your website or from a 3rd party lead provider?" If you read your email without that information being filled in, I don't believe the customer would think "I just happened to be checking my email.."

I would substitute Make for Model and just hard code it into the template if I was a single store or reword it differently for multiple stores.

Dec 21, 2009

Trace,

Why can't somebody else in your dealership respond when that happens? If you're the only person responding to leads in your dealership, there's no way for you to become ubiquitous. If that lead comes in with a phone number and somebody calls that customer right away, they may just catch them while they are still doing research on the computer. Plus I wouldn't want to be the last person making contact. Look at the latest mystery shop I did http://jerrys.phoneupninjas.com Look at the Hyundai.com mystery shop. I got the auto responder and then another from the sales rep a few minutes later. Was that auto responder really necessary?

Tordiway · Dec 21, 2009

In my experience, there are times that I truly cannot personally respond to a lead in a timely manner. (Example; a lead comes in during the middle of a busy Saturday afternoon, I am outside with my Saturday appointment customers and do not get back to my PC until an hour or more has passed since the lead came in). During times like these I would appreciate it if a well worded auto-response email went out to the prospect.

However, the content of this auto-response email should be short and sweet:
1). I received your lead.
2). I will be getting back to you as quickly as possible with the info you requested.
3). Here is my name, phone and email so you can know who will be replying.

No more, and no less.

Dec 21, 2009

Very good article. I'll be asking this of my CRM immediately. Your off hour template looks great.

Dec 20, 2009

After having spent the last week mystery shopping dealers, I am going to go on record and say that the auto responders currently being sent are a complete waste of the customers’ time. I have yet to see one that really impressed me.

Generally there are two scenarios one would send an auto responder; the “on-hour” and the “off hour” auto responder. If your CRM is incapable of differentiating between the two, then I would demand this feature from your CRM vendor, or consider finding a new CRM vendor.

Let’s start with the “on-hour” responder. Is there really any need to send one of these? Your sales team or Internet rep should be able to respond to a lead in a timely manner, thus who needs the auto responder. That first real message from the salesperson is the auto responder. For those of you saying “what if we can’t get to them right away?” well I would say that’s hogwash. There is no reason why a dealership shouldn’t be able to respond to an Internet lead within 15 minutes. If you can’t, then some process is broken in your dealership. This is a customer visiting your dealership in the form of an electronic transmission. Would you let somebody stand out on your lot for 30 minutes before going out to help them? Then why should an Internet lead be any different.

I personally believe it’s every person’s responsibility in the dealership to make sure Internet leads are handled in a timely fashion. Everyone from the Dealer Principal down should be watching response times and making sure customers are handled promptly and professionally. Most CRM tools now have the ability to notify a person on their cell phone when the lead has arrived. Not to mention, managers can normally see on a dashboard which leads have been handled and those that have not. It’s about execution folks! If you’re not executing then somebody needs to visit the process and put one in place that’s going to give you the best possibility to execute in a timely manner.

Now let’s talk about the “off-hour” Internet lead. This is one case where I think we should send an auto responder. The one’s I’ve seen lately are not exactly thrilling me. So let’s think about what we would like to accomplish with the “off-hour” responder. For me it would be about setting up a phone conversation with the customer once the dealership has opened. With that in mind, here’s an auto responder that I would personally be using:
(Customer first name),

I just happened to be checking my e-mail and I noticed your request for information on the (model). Our dealership is currently closed, but I will be contacting you in the morning when we open. Would you prefer an early or late morning call? Also, which number would be best for me to reach you?

I look forward to helping you with the (model) and thanks for choosing (dealership name).

Sincerely,

Jerry Thibeau
ABC Motors
595-749-2015

That auto responder should not be sent 1 minute after. I would say 10-15 minutes would seem more realistic that it came from a real person. Hopefully when I arrive in the morning there’s an e-mail waiting for me with the details. If I am a customer who is up at 2:00AM submitting leads, this is going to make me think…”I don’t want to be getting no phone calls at 9:00AM when they open, maybe I better respond to this.” So wouldn’t it be nice if we had a reply from the customer telling us exactly when to call them. One would think this would increase our contact ratio when attempting to call Internet customers. You get that Internet customer on the phone, it now becomes a phone-up and you’re one step closer to making that appointment. There is also something else you can put in that template which will help your cause, but unfortunately I have to leave some things in the bag of tricks for dealerships currently paying for my services.
About the Author: Jerry Thibeau is a sales trainer and the President of Phone-up Ninjas. His company focuses on helping dealerships around the world increase sales by teaching automotive professionals the proper techniques for scheduling more appointments with phone and Internet customers.

bpulseadmin · Dec 19, 2009

DealerRefresh Welcomes a new sponsor – Dealix

Dealix provides dealers with the most efficient way to connect with new and used car buyers who are researching their auto purchases on the independent sites across the Internet.

The Dealix Lead Platform

Dealix's state of the art Lead Platform sources, validates, and delivers high quality leads fast. Dealers benefit from the significant investment Dealix has made in our platform.

Faster Lead Delivery: Nearly 90% of Dealix leads reach our customers in fewer than 30 seconds, enabling them to respond to consumers' requests for information without delay, which provides a better overall consumer experience and leads to faster sales.
Reduction in Delivery of Duplicate Leads: Platform enhancements include additional processes to recognize customers requesting more than one auto quote, and to ensure that dealers are not served duplicates.
Quality Controls: The Dealix Lead Platform incorporates TARGUSinfo On-Demand Lead Verification ServicesTM to confirm the consumer's name, address, and phone number contained in all leads.

The Dealix Quality Pledge™

Dealix has one goal: to connect dealers with serious, motivated car buyers in the most efficient and cost-effective way possible. The Dealix Quality Pledge™ is a promise that we'll only charge for a lead that has the opportunity to be turned into a sale. (Please see "Quality Pledge Criteria" below.) And we back this Pledge with Hassle Free Lead Return™ - our commitment to review questionable leads and remove them from a customer's bill if they don't meet our quality criteria.

To read more about Dealix lead services and their Quality Pledge, click here.

Please Note: Our sponsors are important to us, and we hope to advertise products and services that we feel would be relevant to the community, however sponsors are not "endorsements" of dealerrefresh. As with any purchase, always do your research and comparisons. Find out if Advertising on DealerRefresh.com works for your company.

bpulseadmin · Dec 19, 2009

Autotrader.com cross-shopping data shows BMW top cross-shopped vehicle among Saab shoppers.

ATLANTA – December 18, 2009 – With the announcement today that GM will shutter its Saab division, BMW may be a winner, according to cross-shopping data from AutoTrader.com, the ultimate automotive marketplace. Thirty-three percent of Saab shoppers also looked at BMW vehicles while researching and comparing new and used vehicles on AutoTrader.com, a larger percentage than looked at any other brand.

Audi, another German manufacturer, may also see some new customers, as 31% of Saab shoppers also looked at Audi models listed for sale on AutoTrader.com.

“The top four brands Saab shoppers also looked at while on our site were all European, showing some preference for European styling and handling among Saab shoppers,” said AutoTrader.com President and CEO Chip Perry. “As the Saab brand is shut down, it is likely many of those buyers will gravitate to those other European brands, although our shopper activity on AutoTrader.com shows Saab buyers are also interested in some American and Japanese brands.”

The top 10 brands that Saab shoppers also looked at on AutoTrader.com during 2009 and the percentage of Saab shoppers that also looked at those brands are:

BMW – 33%
Audi – 31%
Volvo – 29%
Volkswagen – 27%
Toyota – 27%
Nissan – 26%
Honda – 24%
Mercedes-Benz – 24%
Ford – 23%
Chevrolet – 22%

About AutoTrader.com
AutoTrader.com, created in 1997 and headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., is the Internet's leading auto classifieds marketplace and consumer information website. AutoTrader.com aggregates in a single location millions of new cars, used cars and certified pre-owned cars from thousands of auto dealers and private owners. The site attracts about 15 million unique monthly visitors. Through innovative merchandising functionality such as multiple photos, videos, detailed descriptions and comprehensive research and compare tools, AutoTrader.com unites new and used car buyers and sellers online to improving the way people research, locate and advertise vehicles. AutoTrader.com is a majority-owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises. The venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers is also an investor. For more information, please visit www.autotrader.com.

Sep 7, 2010

Nice increase in the unique visitors. I feel the only option to increase the sales is to be reflected among the 20 rankings on the search engines. This will definitely help to boost our sales.

May 3, 2010

I would not list Drivetime in any reviews. They are a subprime preditory lender. Keith Sachett is the Regional Manager who doesn't know the first thing about true auto sales and finance.

Dec 21, 2009

Brian's absolutely right about Google Maps. However, Google Maps is actually an aggregate and most sites like DealerRater.com are certified to be included in that feed. Thus, there's typically no need to directly post to Google Maps, as most customers will only post in one place it may be more beneficial to have it posted on a third party site which will then also feed to Google Maps.

talvarez · Dec 17, 2009

Consumers state that online reviews are becoming MORE influential than online advertising. Especially to the Gen Y consumer

Over half of all U.S. consumers and 69 percent of Millenials believe that online customer reviews and ratings influence their buying decisions more than any other type of online advertising, and 51 percent have purchased products based on an online recommendation. In fact, 24 percent of U.S. consumers would like to have an online service that recommends a product based on other consumers’ preferences.
Neil Patel's Digital Marketing Blog

Deloitte Study: http://www.deloitte.com/us/mediademocracy

Dec 17, 2009

The hardest part that we find is actually getting the dealers involved.

We attempt to actively notify every dealer when a review is written and provide a free signup for them to respond (on site and in private) to the reviewer in order to rectify any problems.

Even with all that, very few dealers ever sign up or respond.

Dennis
Car Dealer Check

talvarez · Dec 17, 2009

With Google now launching real-time search results, Online reputation management will be a big deal going forward in 2010

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www.marketingpilgrim.com

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www.multilingual-search.com

Dec 16, 2009

I agree with Brian also in the encouragement for dealers to check into the Car Dealer Reviews. This is huge for the Online Automotive world. Make sure your on top of them and find out what is said.

One thing I do see a lot is the dealers do not try to rectify the issues from dealer reviews. Getting a negative response from a consumer & the dealer not taking the time to rectify the issue the consumer had during their visit. Regardless if it is a service visit, purchasing a new or used vehicle. You will see that once you work with the consumer that had the negative experience encourage them to go back on the reviews and post a positive one. It will show the next viewer you and your dealership taken the time to make it right!

Having the negative reviews turn to positive reviews will greatly impact your dealership business & reputation.

Just my 2 cents.....

Brian Pasch · Dec 13, 2009

I would also encourage dealers who engage in car dealer review websites or general review websites like yelp, citysearch, or judysbook that you add a tracking phone number that is unique to each site in your targets.

You will be surprised that the more you invest in projecting a positive reputation online, the more calls that we be coming in from these sites.

Also keep in mind that the grand daddy is still Google Maps, so make sure you are building positive reviews on Google Maps. Google maps is the "yellow Page Book" on the Internet age and it can get thousands of impressions a month for your dealership listing.

Dec 13, 2009

Craig,

I couldn't agree with you more. We have followed your dealership's best practices, and have achieved success with the strategies you mentioned. It is a total dealership philosphy on how we treat our guests and the importance of third party reviews.

We are pushing for Hyundai Dealer of the year on Dealerrater.com...it's coming down to the wire here with only a few weeks left!

Dec 12, 2009

Actively watching, responding to comments on, asking for reviews, training salespeople on, directing customers to and striving to win another Dealer of the year title on Dealerrater.com.

It takes more than just signing up for or building a profile on any one of these sites. It takes active involvement to properly leverage customer reviews most importantly actively taking care of customers to a degree that they feel like they want to write a review.

Going beyond having happy customers that will write about you, it takes salespeople that understand the power of online reviews who show their prospective clients these reviews and then show them an experience consistent with what they read.

Online reviews are a powerful source of information and customers for those that truly understand that review sites such as Dealerrater.com are changing the way customers buy cars.
Craig

bpulseadmin · Dec 9, 2009

Expansion of Autobytel's New Car Program Provides Dealers with Access to Most Comprehensive VIN-based Coverage in the Industry

Irvine, CA December 2, 2009 Autobytel Inc. (Nasdaq: ABTL), a leader in providing online consumer leads and marketing services to the auto industry, today announced a new agreement with Edmunds.com, Inc. to include inventory-based leads sourced directly from the Edmunds.com site as part of its New Car Leads Program for dealers. The inclusion of VIN-based leads from Edmunds.com, widely considered to be one of the top online destinations for prospective car-buyers, is the latest step in the evolution of Autobytel's New Car Leads Program to meet increasing consumer demand for specific online inventory.

"We are pleased to expand our relationship with Edmunds.com to include these high conversion, high purchase intent leads as part of our new car Leads Program for dealers," said Autobytel COO Mark Garms. "With data showing that new car shoppers are five times* more interested in specific inventory than in price quotes, it is critical to generate the broadest range of highly motivated inventory-based car shoppers. This is exactly what the Autobytel program is designed to do as it gives dealers access to the most comprehensive VIN-based inventory lead coverage in the industry."

As part of the agreement with Edmunds.com, VIN-based leads submitted on Edmunds.com for a specific vehicle in the inventory of an Autobytel member dealer will be included as a part of the mix of high quality consumer leads Autobytel sends to its dealers. Each customer lead will go through the patented Autobytel lead process and the company's proprietary Quality Verification System®, and will benefit from Autobytel's multi-pronged lead follow-up treatments, such as Rapid Response, Custom Messaging and Email Manager. The VIN number will be included in each lead to ensure a knowledge-based customer interaction.

This further expansion of the Autobytel New Car Leads Program is the latest in a series of initiatives from Autobytel to generate higher lead conversion for its network of dealers and is specifically designed to help member dealers reach the online in-market car shopper of today who, increasingly, is demanding the ability to search new car inventory. Most recently, Autobytel announced an agreement with Vast.com for the addition of inventory-based leads from high quality lead sources (including AOL and KBB) into the Autobytel New Car Leads Program.
*Source: Edmunds.com

About Autobytel
Autobytel Inc. (NASDAQ: ABTL), a leading automotive marketing services company, pioneered the automotive Internet when it launched autobytel.com in 1995. Since then, the company has helped tens of millions of automotive consumers research vehicles; connected thousands of dealers nationwide with motivated car buyers, and helped every major automaker market its brand online. Today, through its flagship website Autobytel.com®, its network of automotive sites including Autoweb.com®, AutoSite.com®, Car.comsm, CarSmart.com®, CarTV.com®, and MyRide.com,®and its respected online partners, Autobytel continues its dedication to innovating the industry's highest quality Internet programs to provide consumers with a comprehensive and positive automotive research and purchasing experience, and auto dealers, dealer groups and auto manufacturers with one of the industry's most productive and cost-effective customer referral and marketing programs.

bpulseadmin · Dec 6, 2009

Waltham, MA (December 3, 2009) -- DealerRater.com, the nation’s premier car dealer review Web site, announced today that the Web site has gathered more than 100,000 reviews written by DealerRater.com community members.

“We officially hit our 100,000th review on Monday, November 30th,” reports Chip Grueter, president of DealerRater.com. “We are thrilled to reach this exciting milestone and it speaks to the strength of participation in our community. It was a happy coincidence that the review that put us over the top was a positive review for one of our Certified Dealers, Bourne’s Auto Center.”

DealerRater shared the milestone celebration by providing gifts to both the DealerRater reviewer as well as the dealership that was the recipient of the 100,000th review.

David of East Falmouth, Massachusetts was the DealerRater community member who wrote this review. He was directed to the Web site by the service associate at Bourne’s Auto Center in South Easton, Massachusetts after he purchased his car from this dealer and had returned for his first service call. David found the DealerRater site “very intuitive and easy to use.” He was very happy to be part of the celebration.

Michael Kelley, General Manager of Bourne’s Auto Center explains, “We have a new partnership with DealerRater and can already see how the Certified Dealer Program allows us to keep a pulse on how satisfied our customers are with their experience here at Bourne’s Auto Center.”

On November 12, 2009, DealerRater.com entered its eighth year of business. Dealer reviews posted on the site increased 36.5% over last in the same time period. Registered users have also increased by 20%.

As to why the site has experienced significant increases in both reviews and register users over the past year, Grueter sites that, “Customers are now logging onto third party review Web sites, like DealerRater.com, to publicly share their experience or to research prospective dealerships. In the past, customers have relied on friends and family to share information about dealerships. Increasingly customers are exploring new vehicle brands and new geographic areas outside of their referral zone. DealerRater.com provides trustworthy information to fill these gaps and give customers more confidence when they walk into a dealership for a sale or service transaction.”

About DealerRater.com
DealerRater.com was founded in 2002 as the first car dealer review Web site worldwide. DealerRater.com is committed to providing a central collection point for informative reviews. The site currently features more than 24,000 US and International car dealers and over 100,000 user reviews. DealerRater.com provides the opportunity for users to search for car dealerships, read current reviews, write their own review, and find car deals – all for free. Car dealers are rated on the criteria of customer service, quality of work, friendliness, price and overall experience. DealerRater.com users also have the option to recommend the dealer to other users and provide a descriptive review. Web site users and car dealerships may post free auto classified ads. DealerRater.com visitors may request vehicle quotes and Certified Dealers receive free vehicle leads.

About Chip Grueter
Chip Grueter is the president of DealerRater.com. Mr. Grueter founded DealerRater.com LLC in 2002 as a way for Web site users to share their sales and service experiences at automotive dealerships with other Web site users. Mr. Grueter holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Computer Science from Boston College. Mr. Grueter’s favorite dealership customer service perk is free vehicle loaners.

About Bourne’s Auto Center
Bourne’s Auto Center, owned by Jason Bourne, is the largest independently owned dealership in Massachusetts. Located in South Easton, Massachusetts, the dealership specializes in pre-owned vehicles. Bourne’s Auto Center is one of only three independent Massachusetts dealers in the DealerRater Certified Dealer Program. The dealership prides itself on high quality customer service and offers complimentary loaner cars to every service customer.

Apr 4, 2012

So Kijiji helps <a href="http://www.westendhyundai.com">car dealers</a> find buyers online? It sounds like a good idea to me. About two weeks ago, my friend told me of a new car dealership about 20 minutes away that I had never heard of before. I can totally see the need for this.

May 2, 2010

The inventory of car dealers in canada is a valuable content that will give kijiji a competing edge and more popularity. The dealers will benefit but it will also come with a dependence cost.

The dealers will basically be handing over their business and independence to kijiji. Perhaps should the dealers create a big portal for themselves instead of depending on a classifieds site???

Apr 29, 2010

8 million Canadians visit Kijiji.ca ?

Are you sure you dont mean facebook.ca?

this site is popular but canadians in general are not avid users of classifieds compared to their Americans neighbors.Kijik conducted a heavy marketing compaign but now the fad seems to be gradually fading.For the statistics to be reliable for business ends,they need to be tracked over a stable period after the initial(fad) launch.

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