My New Adventure - Al West Nissan

[BillVaughnKMC]

I know I haven't been super active lately, but I felt we had a chance to accomplish something and I didn't want to blow it.

Our team had our best new Nissan volume since April of 2021!!!

I couldn't be more proud of our team!

 

[BillVaughnKMC]

Never thought I would be so excited about selling 1 or 2 cars a day.

But I'm pretty happy right now with the consistency that we are starting to see.

When I first got here, there were several days a week that we didn't sell a single car.

For the last 3 weeks now we've only had one day where we didn't deliver a vehicle.

I'll call that progress!

 

[Tallcool1]

Never thought I would be so excited about selling 1 or 2 cars a day.

But I'm pretty happy right now with the consistency that we are starting to see.

When I first got here, there were several days a week that we didn't sell a single car.

For the last 3 weeks now we've only had one day where we didn't deliver a vehicle.

I'll call that progress!

That is more than progress! That is fantastic.

 

[BillVaughnKMC]

I must say, I myself am starting to go through the "change fatigue" that I had talked about before. I still haven't had a stretch where I wasn't getting used to a system or coordinating some product switch. I don't think I've had a week straight where I could just focus on running the store.

Between learning all of the new systems that they had, changing some of the systems after deciding they were inferior, and learning all of Nissan's systems, ordering, marketing, etc. I'm pretty much spent. Ha. They didn't have one system that I had used before. Completely different website, CRM, DMS, appraisal tool, IMS, warranty company, F&I software, and lending software than I had used before.

Then I switched websites, CRM, appraisal tool, IMS, and warranty company plus I've had a few vendor partners that I've added that have been kind enough to offer their services at no cost that I've set up. So... NO MORE CHANGES. I'm done. Leave me alone.

 

[BillVaughnKMC]

Sad news.

My little adventure is over.

I found out that things that I was promised will not come to fruition.

Time to move on.

Thank you all so much for your support over the last few months.

Some might not have understood why I was so active online throughout this, but it has been cathartic for me. Your support and belief in me have been extremely valuable.

Thank you.

 

[Dan Sayer]

Sad news.

My little adventure is over.

I found out that things that I was promised will not come to fruition.

Time to move on.

Thank you all so much for your support over the last few months.

Some might not have understood why I was so active online throughout this, but it has been cathartic for me. Your support and belief in me have been extremely valuable.

Thank you.

Oh, man, that sucks. I feel awful for you. You'll most definitely land on your feet, and well. You're a beast @BillVaughnAlWestNissan

 

[BillVaughnKMC]

Oh, man, that sucks. I feel awful for you. You'll most definitely land on your feet, and well. You're a beast @BillVaughnAlWestNissan

Thanks, man. On to the next adventure! Ha.

 

[Tallcool1]

Thanks, man. On to the next adventure! Ha.

You will hit the ground running Bill.

I know that switching employers kind of sucks and all, but what a great learning opportunity you had with this Nissan store. That experience all translates to any other dealership be it big, small, or in the middle.

You are a better car guy for having gone through that.

 

[BillVaughnKMC]

You will hit the ground running Bill.

I know that switching employers kind of sucks and all, but what a great learning opportunity you had with this Nissan store. That experience all translates to any other dealership be it big, small, or in the middle.

You are a better car guy for having gone through that.

I completely agree. I've learned a lot. And I have a whole new respect for smaller dealerships. It was definitely eye-opening. I'm glad I got to experience it.

 

[DealerInt]

Bill this is a great thread. The basics-first approach is underrated — most stores try to solve process problems with more software before fixing the culture underneath it.


Curious how you handle pricing decisions at the desk now that you've removed split deals. With one person owning the deal end to end, do managers still step in on overrides or does the salesperson have more discretion on price?