ServiceToyota limits online warranties 12:01 am U.S. ET | June 17, 2013  Until a month ago, Acton Toyota of Littleton had a nice little side business for five years selling Toyota-sponsored extended service contracts over the Internet. Toyota Financial Services, though, pulled the plug on the business in May, prohibiting Acton Toyota and a handful of other dealerships from selling the contracts nationally online.... Read More »
Dealers can offer free SiriusXM trial to service customers 11:05 am U.S. ET | June 13, 2013  SiriusXM Radio is launching a program this summer that allows dealers to offer a complimentary two-month SiriusXM subscription to qualifying service customers.... Read More »
GM engineers take retail road trips 12:01 am U.S. ET | June 10, 2013  GM engineers have been chatting with dealership service managers about how they diagnose problems and deal with snags on new vehicles. They're shadowing salespeople in showrooms and chatting up customers about what they like and don't like. They're even visiting non-GM stores to size up the competition.... Read More »
GM goal: Loyalty on the lift 12:01 am U.S. ET | June 10, 2013 General Motors' expansion of free maintenance across its 2014 Chevrolet, Buick and GMC lineups aims to draw more customers to the showroom -- and to keep them coming back to the service drive.... Read More »
GM to offer free maintenance across its lineup 9:51 am U.S. ET | June 6, 2013  DETROIT -- General Motors will include free maintenance on most 2014 Chevrolet, Buick and GMC models in a bid to increase sales through better customer loyalty, CEO Dan Akerson said today. Buyers will get free oil and filter changes, tire rotations and 27-point inspections for two years or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first.... Read More »
JAMIE LaREAU Ford dealers’ time to shine is during a recall 2:49 pm U.S. ET | June 6, 2013  A vehicle recall can be good for dealers. If handled right, a recall often helps boost a dealership’s customer retention rate and increase service revenues, an industry observer says.... Read More »
Volume brands adopt free maintenance 12:01 am U.S. ET | June 3, 2013  Free maintenance, largely the domain of luxury brands, is trickling down to some mass-market brands. General Motors recently began including routine, scheduled maintenance for two years or 24,000 miles on sales of all Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500 models, making permanent what had been a one-month promotion.... Read More »
Lincoln trims free maintenance 12:01 am U.S. ET | June 3, 2013  Beginning with 2014 models, Lincoln is cutting back its complimentary maintenance program to 2 years/24,000 miles from 4 years/50,000 miles. In a May 6 memo sent to dealers, Lincoln said the revised program "complements short-term 24-month leases." In a statement, Lincoln said the new program is "competitive with other luxury brands."... Read More »
Chrysler Group offers dealers more training on diesels 12:01 am U.S. ET | June 3, 2013  Chrysler Group is offering additional diesel-engine training to its dealerships to help them sell and service light-duty diesel variants of its two best-selling nameplates this year. Diesel-powered 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokees are being assembled in Detroit, and a diesel-powered 2014 Ram 1500 will enter production this fall.... Read More »
Audi launches program to hire U.S. military technicians for dealer service jobs 10:22 am U.S. ET | May 25, 2013  Audi of America is launching a program targeting military technicians for service department jobs at U.S. dealerships.... Read More »
VW to modify late-model diesels in N. America to prevent improper fuelingMay 22, 2013 06:01 CET  Volkswagen plans to refit more than a quarter million 2009-12 diesel cars to prevent North American customers from mistakenly pumping gasoline into the fuel tanks.... Read More »
VW to modify late-model diesels to prevent improper fueling 4:36 pm U.S. ET | May 21, 2013  Volkswagen plans to refit more than a quarter million 2009-12 diesel cars to prevent North American customers from mistakenly pumping gasoline into the fuel tanks.... Read More »
Automakers, dealers remain opposed to bill preventing rental firms from renting recalled vehicles 6:34 pm U.S. ET | May 21, 2013 Major automakers and auto dealers told a Senate panel Tuesday that they remain opposed to legislation that would prohibit rental car companies from renting or selling vehicles that are subject to a federal safety recall.... Read More »
LETTER TO THE EDITOR Women do well as service advisers 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 20, 2013 I wholeheartedly agree with the assessment of Roger Pipher, fixed operations director of Coleman Buick-GMC-Cadillac in Lawrenceville, N.J., about women as service advisers.... Read More »
LETTER TO THE EDITOR Parts plan could hurt customer care 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 6, 2013 I read the article about the tiff between General Motors and its dealers over the new parts program ("GM wants more parts at stores," April 22). My analysis of the program indicates my store will lose $20,000 a year after we add back the new grid payout.... Read More »
FIXED OPERATIONS Connecting with service customers 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 6, 2013  Soon after employing his first female service adviser, Roger Pipher had an epiphany: He should hire more women. "I just watched her and the customers start to develop relationships that I never saw with men before," said Pipher, fixed-operations director of Coleman Buick-GMC-Cadillac in Lawrenceville, N.J.... Read More »
FIXED OPERATIONS Jaguar F-Type training is hands-on 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 6, 2013  On two high-speed race tracks last month, about 1,300 Jaguar sales and service employees were put behind the wheel of the new F-Type convertible, part of the new way Jaguar Land Rover North America is training dealership personnel.... Read More »
Honda recalls almost 46,000 Fits in U.S., Canada 11:04 am U.S. ET | April 29, 2013  Honda is recalling almost 46,000 Fit small cars in the United States and Canada to fix a problem with the electronic stability control system software.... Read More »
Nissan recalls 123,308 Altimas for spare tire issue 9:36 am U.S. ET | April 29, 2013  Nissan is recalling 123,308 Altima sedans in the United States to adjust the inflation of the spare tires, which could be over- or under-inflated.... Read More »
GM wants more parts at stores 12:01 am U.S. ET | April 22, 2013  General Motors is overhauling its parts program, incentivizing dealerships to beef up their inventory for more same-day repairs and to buy more of those parts directly from the factory. But some dealers complain that they are sinking thousands of dollars into extra parts to meet GM's voluntary program.... Read More »
Jaguar Land Rover N.A. names Duke Hale to head customer service 4:18 pm U.S. ET | April 9, 2013  Jaguar Land Rover North America has hired Duke Hale as vice president of customer service. Hale will head up warranty, parts operations and owner relations in this newly created post.... Read More »
FINANCE & INSURANCE Service lane focus lifts Lithia's F&I sales 12:01 am U.S. ET | April 8, 2013  New software and a boost in spiffs have made it easy -- and lucrative -- for Lithia Motors Inc.'s service advisers to sell extended service contracts and lifetime oil change plans.... Read More »
GM alerts 779,000 owners to need for more-frequent oil changes 10:26 am U.S. ET | April 5, 2013  General Motors is warning owners of almost 800,000 2010-12 vehicles that they may need oil changes more frequently than their onboard oil monitoring systems are telling them.... Read More »
FIXED OPERATIONS Lithia tests 2 service dept. apps 12:01 am U.S. ET | April 1, 2013  Lithia Motors Inc. is testing two apps for the service department: one that shows customers if their vehicle needs service and another aimed at streamlining communication with customers.... Read More »
FIXED OPERATIONS Hyundai dealers get up to speed on quick lubes 12:01 am U.S. ET | April 1, 2013  More than 80 Hyundai dealerships have signed up for Car Care Express. The program helps dealers adopt best practices for speedy oil changes, vehicle inspections, tire rotation, air-filter replacement and other basic services.... Read More »
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Special Report
 Dealer O.C. Welch's big-truck turnaroundAfter Mercury's demise, South Carolina Ford-Lincoln dealer O.C. Welch had to find a way to replace lost revenue. He decided to load up on Super Duty pickups – and sell them online. Mon., June 17» Watch the Video |
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