FOJ FORUM II: Good advice, lively conversation
Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Automotive News Canada
  • Automotive News Europe
  • Automotive News China
  • Automobilwoche
AN-LOGO-BLUE
Subscribe
  • Subscribe
  • Account
  • login
  • HOME
  • NEWS
    • Dealers
    • Automakers & Suppliers
    • News by Brand
    • Cars & Concepts
    • Coronavirus Coverage
    • China
    • Shift
    • Mobility Report
    • Special Reports
    • Digital Edition Archive
    • This Week's Issue
    • VW badges rtrs web.jpg
      VW Group operating profit drops by half in 2020
      Washington Auto Show postponed amid ongoing COVID-19 pandemic
      Subaru expands Feeding America donation, advertising
      Mass. dealership group to pay $1 million in unemployment scheme settlement
    • Audi to build EVs at new company majority owned by VW Group
      European Chamber rules out American, European export curbs as cause of chip shortage
      Used-vehicle market posts first contraction in 2020
      Tight chip supplies could persist for as long as a decade
    • Detroit Aerial Panorama during sunset
      Developing future workers to fuel growth in mobility
      Getting around in Las Vegas often involves long waits for a crowded monorail ride, below, or taking escalators up and down to cross elevated pedestrian walkways along the Strip.
      Las Vegas offers best and worst in transportation challenges
      Where is transportation headed?
      In pandemic environment, RV industry ‘roaring back'
    • Crashes involving electric vehicles, such as that of a Tesla Model X in California in 2018, pose battery-fire concerns for first responders.
      NTSB says automakers need to better arm emergency responders
      An EVgo electric vehicle charging station
      Charging network EVgo near merger to go public, report says
      The Cruise AV autonomous vehicle, based on the Chevy Bolt
      Honda taps GM's Cruise to bring new mobility to Japan
      Aurora teams with PACCAR on self-driving truck development
    • Elon Musk interview
      Tesla’s Model Y, on sale since March, is a showcase of EV technologies competitors will benchmark.
      Technologies of Electrification
      Cadillac’s Lyriq EV will be unveiled Aug. 6.
      Future Product Pipeline
      A CALL TO ACTION
    • GM, Unifor go from strife to ‘right solutions’
      Crashes involving electric vehicles, such as that of a Tesla Model X in California in 2018, pose battery-fire concerns for first responders.
      NTSB says automakers need to better arm emergency responders
      The Toyota C+Pod’s interior has a stripped-down, minimalistic feel, with big knobs and buttons.
      EV design for Japan's tight turns
      Genesis' delayed relaunch back on track with new crossovers, upcoming EV
    • Access F&I
    • Fixed Ops Journal
    • Marketing
    • Used Cars
    • Retail Technology
    • Sales
    • Best Practices
    • Dealership Buy/Sell
    • NADA
    • NADA Show
    • Automakers
    • Manufacturing
    • Suppliers
    • Regulations & Safety
    • Executives
    • Talk From The Top
    • Leading Women Network
    • Guide to Economic Development
    • PACE Awards
    • Management Briefing Seminars
    • World Congress
    • Aston Martin
    • BMW
      • Mini
      • Rolls-Royce
    • Daimler
      • Mercedes Benz
      • Smart
    • Fiat Chrysler
      • Alfa Romeo
      • Chrysler
      • Dodge
      • Ferrari
      • Fiat
      • Jeep
      • Maserati
      • Ram
    • Ford
      • Lincoln
    • General Motors
      • Buick
      • Cadillac
      • Chevrolet
      • GMC
      • Holden
    • Honda
      • Acura
    • Hyundai
      • Genesis
      • Kia
    • Mazda
    • McLaren
    • Mitsubishi
    • Nissan
      • Infiniti
    • PSA
      • Citroen
      • Opel
      • Peugeot
    • Renault
    • Subaru
    • Suzuki
    • Tata
      • Jaguar
      • Land Rover
    • Tesla
    • Toyota
      • Lexus
    • Volkswagen
      • Audi
      • Bentley
      • Bugatti
      • Lamborghini
      • Porsche
      • Seat
      • Skoda
    • Volvo
    • (Discontinued Brands)
    • Virtual reveals (Sponsored)
      • GENESIS: 2021 GV80
      • KIA: 2021 K5
      • LEXUS: 2021 IS
      • NISSAN: 2021 Rogue
      • TOYOTA: 2021 Venza and 2021 Sienna
    • Auto Shows
      • Detroit Auto Show
      • New York Auto Show
      • Los Angeles Auto Show
      • Chicago Auto Show
      • Geneva Auto Show
      • Paris Auto Show
      • Frankfurt Auto Show
      • Toronto Auto Show
      • Tokyo Auto Show
      • Shanghai Auto Show
      • Beijing Auto Show
    • Future Product Pipeline
    • Photo Galleries
    • Car Cutaways
    • Design
  • OPINION
    • Blogs
    • Cartoons
    • Keith Crain
    • Automotive Views with Jason Stein
    • Columnists
    • China Commentary
    • Editorials
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Send us a Letter
    • Nikon turns lens on auto factory, build quality
      Bosch_information_domain_computer web.jpg
      Bosch, Continental battle to supply the brain of the connected car
      A victory lap for Detroit car design
      Stellantis_logo_blue_background web.jpg
      In 'merger of equals,' PSA is buying FCA, Stellantis prospectus says
    • view gallery
      1 photos
      A New GM
      view gallery
      1 photos
      The Bridge
      view gallery
      12 photos
      Leo Michael's best of 2020
      view gallery
      1 photos
      UAW Deal
    • Shifting gears away from the stick shift
      SEMA still a wonderful circus
      Penske still has plenty of races to win
      Ford's turn in the hot seat
    • January 19, 2021 | Small car part causes big problem
      January 12, 2021 | Automotive industry shined in 2020
      December 8, 2020 | In a year that lacked luster, All-Stars showed how to shine
      November 24, 2020 | Female talent in automotive is expanding
    • Dan Shine
      Don't totally ‘forget about 2020'
      Jamie Butters
      Big auto show era truly over
      John Possumato
      Missing piece to the mobility puzzle: Helping carless people
      Dave Versical
      Female CMO is new norm
    • How Tesla, GM transformed EV market in 2020
      Is sales recovery nearing an end?
      Beijing's uphill battle to boost EV sales
      Nasdaq-like Star Board poised to become key finance platform
    • EV charging
      Time for U.S. to embrace the EV
      Ford's ‘Finish Strong' ad sets right tone for '21
      UAW settlement brings justice, voting rights
      Dealers should be treated as partners in EVs
    • Is banning ICEs in our best interests?
      GM should share EV risk with dealers
      From Toyota store to hydrogen highway
      Ready to buy Mirai, but where to fuel?
  • DATA CENTER
  • VIDEO
    • AutoNews Now
    • First Shift
    • Special Video Reports
    • Weekend Drive
    • AutoNews Now: Tavares to have 38 direct reports at Stellantis
      AutoNews Now: VW to take 'radical, new approach' with flagship electric sedan
      AutoNews Now: Biden to revisit fuel efficiency rules
      AutoNews Now: Tavares: Stellantis needs to be 'great rather than big'
    • First Shift: Ford prices Takata recall at $610M
      First Shift: Honda to test Cruise AV in Japan
      First Shift: Trump pardons former Google self-driving engineer Levandowski
      First Shift: GM's surprise path to building electric delivery vans in Canada
    • N.J. dealer helps position peers for ‘electric revolution’
      DCH Millburn Audi
      'Finding the diamond in the rough': How 2020's No. 1 dealership retains talent
      Don Johnson Motors
      'Distinctive culture' cuts turnover, carves career paths at Wis. dealership group
      Why 2020 could be a record year for buy-sells
    • Why the pickup is the auto industry's 'battleground'
      Carlos Ghosn's quest to restore his reputation
      Why Ford must execute to avoid 'deep trouble'
      Why Honda is 'locked and loaded' for 2020
  • EVENTS & AWARDS
    • Events
    • Awards
    • Congress Conversations
    • Retail Forum: NADA
    • Canada Congress
    • Europe Congress Conversations
    • Leading Women Conference
    • Fixed Ops Journal Forum
    • ANE Shift
    • Shift: Mobility at a Crossroads
    • Shift: The Future of Mobility (CES)
    • 100 Leading Women
    • 40 Under 40 Retail
    • All-Stars
    • Best Dealerships To Work For
    • PACE Program
    • Rising Stars
    • Europe Rising Stars
  • JOBS
  • AN Solutions
  • +MORE
    • Leading Women Network
    • Podcasts
    • Webinars
    • In the Driver's Seat
    • Publishing Partners
    • Classifieds
    • Companies on the Move
    • People on the Move
    • Newsletters
    • Contact Us
    • Media Kit
    • RSS Feeds
    • Shift: A Podcast About Mobility
    • Special Reports Podcasts
    • Daily Drive Podcasts
    • AAM
    • Gentex
    • Reputation.com
    • Ricardo
    • Ricardo
    • Allstate: Want more from your F&I?
    • Ally: Navigating the future of automotive retailing
    • Amazon Web Services: Any place, any time, any channel
    • Amazon Web Services: The power of the cloud
    • Amazon Web Services: Universal translator: Harnessing sensor data to build better automotive software
    • Epic Games: Transforming the auto industry with digital assets
    • FTI Consulting: Crisis as a catalyst for change
    • Google: 5 trends shaping the auto industry's approach to a new normal
    • IHS Markit: Automotive loyalty in the wake of the COVID-19 recession
    • IHS Markit: Autonomous vehicles: Automotive and transportation disruption
    • IHS Markit: COVID-19: The future mobility delusion
    • IHS Markit: The battery electric vehicle (BEV)
    • Level5: 2020 Automotive E-Commerce Report
    • Naked Lime: Bring social reputation together as part of big-picture marketing
    • Wells Fargo Auto: Switching gears from LIBOR to SOFR
    • Ally: Do It Right
    • DealerSocket
    • Deloitte: Cyber everywhere: Preparing for automotive safety in the face of cyber threats
    • Facebook: The road to a zero-friction future
    • Guide To Economic Development
    • PayPal Credit: How consumer financing helps drive sales for online auto parts retailers
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Fixed Ops Journal
December 15, 2019 08:00 PM

FOJ FORUM II: Good advice, lively conversation

David Kushma
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print

    ORLANDO — Experts in fixed operations offered hands-on recommendations for improving parts and service repair procedures at this year's Fixed Ops Journal Forum. There also was a look at the future of a profession grappling with changes in vehicle technology and consumer behavior. The second annual event was held Nov. 13 at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress. Here are highlights.

    Lexus legend

    Chitty's example

    Richard Chitty, retired parts and service chief of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc., described how he had to address the negative effects of the recalled flagship LS400 sedan soon after the U.S. launch of Lexus in 1989. He used that experience to help develop a philosophy that came to define Lexus as the standard of fixed ops excellence and customer satisfaction.

    STEVEN MILLER
    Chitty

    Chitty cited his six R's of service: reservation, reception, (w)rite-up, repair, redelivery and re-contact. He displayed flow charts he created that detailed job processes for all dealership fixed ops employees, from porter to technician to service manager. Individual dealerships can create similar productive processes for their shops even without the backing of a dealer group or automaker, Chitty added.

    "The biggest thing you folks do is create the big word of trust," Chitty told forum attendees. "People are going to spend their money someplace they like, trust and respect. You've got a short time to do that trust factor. But you'll keep the independents at bay working on that trust."

    STEVEN MILLER
    Hargreaves
    Technical writing

    Preparing effective estimates

    Mark Hargreaves, service manager of Gator Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge in Melbourne, Fla., offered advice on training technicians to write repair estimates that are more likely to persuade customers to accept service recommendations.

    Among his tips: First, pay attention to what service customers say they want done and how they prioritize these items. Then propose needed additional services, in order of urgency and importance. Provide essential information in ways customers can understand and visualize. Use keywords. Be specific and precise.

    "An organized estimate will increase the adviser's close ratio," Hargreaves said. "It will decrease the time it takes to get authorization, and it will increase your hours per repair order. If we can do a better job when we write the descriptions up on the estimates, we'll make more money."

    STEVEN MILLER
    Vantine
    Who's calling?

    Service BDC to the rescue

    Sarah Vantine, business development center director for Scott Clark Auto Group in Charlotte, N.C., said the BDC she created to field service calls at the group's three dealerships "rescued our shops."

    Previously, Vantine said, the dealerships' service advisers were required to take customer phone calls. That annoyed customers with appointments who had to wait for advisers' attention and left many calls unanswered. With the dedicated service BDC, she said, advisers have more time to complete walkaround vehicle inspections on the service drive.

    More than two-thirds of the dealerships' service customers now schedule appointments, Vantine added. A large percentage of the 40,000 calls the BDC handles each month are made to service customers, to inform them of promotional offers and solicit business, she noted.

    "Our representatives are empowered to handle a price call, to check part availability, to see if [customers] have an open recall," Vantine said of the service BDC. "It's sped up shop times, it's sped up wait times. We've had better retention, better customer satisfaction and a much more controlled pace in our shop for our technicians."

    STEVEN MILLER
    Williams
    3 questions

    Focusing on hours, not dollars

    Tully Williams, parts and service director for Niello Co. dealership group in Sacramento, Calif., urged forum attendees to concentrate on generating service hours rather than focusing exclusively on fixed ops revenue.

    Williams identified three key performance indicators: "First, how are my hours being tracked — by writer, by technician, by store? Next, how do we get more hours — are our techs doing the great-quality recommendations that we would sell to our family members? Last but not least, are we selling these recommendations to all of our customers? Selling today's hours is the most important thing we can do."

    Williams emphasized the importance of making accurate daily forecasts of labor hours per technician, and using those numbers in setting goals for service advisers to persuade customers to approve repair work based on techs' recommendations. Every repair order should include a vehicle inspection by a tech, he said.

    He cited the "big four" of service and parts sales: brakes, tires, batteries and maintenance. Pay plans for service and parts managers as well as employees should reward achievement of the performance indicators, Williams said. All employees and managers should know the dealership's goals for service and parts sales and whether those goals are achieved every day, he added.

    STEVEN MILLER
    Starling
    Disney directions

    Magic Kingdom's service lessons

    Alan Starling, president of Starling Automotive Group in Orlando, said the opening of the Walt Disney World resort and theme park in his community in 1971 offered valuable lessons on customer service.

    Starling described Disney World as not only "the happiest place on earth," but also the cleanest — an example for his dealerships' service departments. He said he learned from Disney to dream big, to innovate, to go the extra mile to serve customers, to build a respected brand name, to educate and invest in his company's future leaders and to help his young employees with such innovations as a program to help them repay student loans.

    In other words, Dream, Innovate, Service, Name, Education, Youth — or "DISNEY" for short.

    "It's hard to think of an American today whose name is as powerful as Walt Disney," Starling said. "We need to ask ourselves in our business, have we built our company name in a steady, positive and memorable way? This is about repeat business and building relationships."

    STEVEN MILLER
    Sims
    Roll Tide

    "Expect excellence"

    Cecil Sims, vice president of fixed operations at Mercedes-Benz of Birmingham, told the forum audience that University of Alabama head football coach Nick Saban — whose teams have won six national championships — is a majority owner of his dealership. Saban's motto is "Expect excellence" — a standard Sims said he has worked to instill in his operations along with Mercedes-Benz's slogan, "The best or nothing."

    Sims said the dealership defines its success by how it is perceived as a luxury retailer, not just a car dealership. To that end, Sims added, he expects his service consultants to do such things as send handwritten notes thanking customers for their business.

    "We want people with a cultural mindset who feel winning is like breathing — it's not optional," Sims said of his employees. "We expect personal and professional excellence. We set that excellence as a standard of operation, and we hold our people accountable."

    STEVEN MILLER
    Lowenbaum
    How to hire

    Maximizing human capital

    Surveys of job seekers suggest that barely 1 percent would consider working at a retail dealership, said Max Lowenbaum, vice president of sales for the online hiring platform Hireology. Dealership service departments that need to hire technicians amid an industrywide shortage must offer job candidates pay stability, meaningful earnings potential, a clear career path and work-life balance, he said.

    Service departments need to advertise jobs digitally to potential candidates, Lowenbaum said, noting that nearly one-third of job seekers drop off if an employer's application process or career website is not readily accessible on mobile devices. Dealerships have lost as many as 2 million applicants by failing to respond to candidates promptly, he noted.

    By contrast, Lowenbaum added, two-thirds of newly hired employees are more likely to stay for three years or more if employers offer a positive experience during their first days on the job.

    "There are people in the market," Lowenbaum said. "The issue is that those people are not considering retail automotive, or being a technician, as the place that they would consider working."

    STEVEN MILLER
    Kane
    Good, better, best

    To sell service and parts, offer choices

    Tom Kane, parts and service director of Universal Nissan-Hyundai-Genesis in Orlando, argued that it's better to offer fixed ops customers a choice of products, warranties and prices and ask which best meet their needs, than to give them a take-it-or-leave-it offer. That means service and parts departments should develop a competitive retail pricing strategy that takes into account customers' income levels and vehicle ages, he said.

    A menu of "good-better-best" offerings can increase sales, profitability of repair orders and customer satisfaction and retention rates. Kane said. It reduces pressure on service advisers to give discounts and encourages customers to approve recommendations for additional work. He cited examples from his dealerships of choices of alignment and brake service, as well as factory or aftermarket parts.

    "On our service drive, do we just say, 'We have one offering, one alternator, you want it or not?' " Kane said. "You are not going to sell too many of those. We have to realize who we are talking to, and it's not just one type of customer."

    STEVEN MILLER
    Reed
    No deal

    Sell on more than price

    Dealerships need not — and should not — engage in excessive price discounting to compete with aftermarket service providers, said Don Reed, CEO of DealerPro Training. Playing "let's make a deal" with customers to try to persuade them to buy additional work is a losing game, Reed argued.

    "There's no dealer in America who can't compete with the aftermarket and win," Reed said. "The aftermarket doesn't do major mechanical repairs. The aftermarket does C-level technician work. But we have some fixed ops managers who start discounting their prices down to ridiculous levels."

    Reed cited the example of a dealer client who offered a $10.95 oil change, which he called "the dumbest marketing ploy I've ever seen." The dealership lost thousands of dollars each month providing 850 oil changes to "mooches" who did not buy additional service, Reed noted.

    "You've got to fix the dealer first before you fix that process," he said.

    STEVEN MILLER
    Harkins
    Easy does it

    Don't "pound" recall customers

    A recall provides an appropriate opportunity to recommend other needed repairs and maintenance to customers, said Lee Harkins, CEO of M5 Management Services. But a hard sell in such situations is counterproductive, he warned.

    "In a lot of stores, when that recall client comes in, everybody thinks it's a golden opportunity to pound the stuffing out of them," Harkins said. "It's the worse thing you can do. All you're doing is reconfirming that you're trying to put pressure on them. You're shooting yourself in the foot."

    STEVEN MILLER
    Veig
    Here come the OTAs

    Software fixes aren't scary

    The over-the-air software updates increasingly provided by automakers to perform repairs and maintenance on connected vehicles may reduce the need for some physical inspections by dealership service departments.

    But Almog Veig, director of fixed operations for David Lewis and Associates, reassured dealers and fixed ops managers that such updates need not threaten their overall service business.

    "Technology is coming, whether you like it or not," Veig said. "This is not going away. This is something that we have to learn to adapt to. We offer so many other services that over-the-air updates are not going to eliminate our business. They're actually going to drive us to be better at the store level."

    STEVEN MILLER
    Colosimo
    Battery charging

    EVs and service profits

    Mark Colosimo, vice president of data and analytics at the automotive consulting firm Urban Science, acknowledged concerns that the arrival in large volumes of electric vehicles with fewer parts and maintenance needs could reduce dealership service visits and fixed ops profits. But he described "a pathway by which we can overcome any loss of service."

    Colosimo cited projections that EVs will account for as much as 25 percent of U.S. new-vehicle sales by 2030. Dealership service departments will be better equipped to fix EVs than independent repairers, he said. That could attract owners of older vehicles who might otherwise go to independent garages or chain stores rather than dealerships for service, he added.

    "We can increase customer retention through preparation and training — preparing our techs now" to work on EVs, Colosimo said. "Making sure dealerships are open when customers are available. And getting those old vehicles back to you [for service]. They are getting older and older, and that means more service business."

    STEVEN MILLER
    Chenenko
    Caution flags

    Warning about alternative-fuel vehicles

    Nate Chenenko, leader of the mobility practice at the consulting firm Carlisle & Co., agreed with Colosimo that electric and hybrid vehicles offer dealerships ample opportunities to increase fixed ops revenue — with a caveat.

    Given a hypothetical choice between a dealership selling 100 internal-combustion vehicles a month and the same number of alternative-fuel vehicles, he said, the store should aim to sell the latter, "because you will make 50 percent more in the service drive and at the parts counter."

    Owners of alternative-fuel vehicles are more likely today to seek service at a dealership, Chenenko noted. But he added a caution: "I'm not so sure that you can" maintain that advantage, he told attendees.

    "The independent repairer is dramatically better at satisfying the [alternative-fuel vehicle] customer than the dealer is," Chenenko said. To win back those customers from the aftermarket, he said, "you can easily fix the vehicles right the first time. You just have to actually execute that."

    STEVEN MILLER
    Rodio
    Future is mobile

    Car sharing redefines service

    Anthony Rodio, CEO of the mobile maintenance, repair and diagnostic service YourMechanic, argued that the definition of service will change in an era of shared mobility, as fleet vehicle ownership grows and sales to individual buyers decrease.

    Larger numbers of electric and autonomous vehicles will force traditional shops to provide mobile service and boost their automation of functions such as scheduling and catalogs, he said. He cautioned against "lumping together" hybrids and EVs to assess service needs, saying these vehicle types have "very different ownership models."

    YourMechanic offers prepaid maintenance plans to dealers and automakers. Such packages, Rodio said, appeal to customers who don't live near the dealership's service department and enable dealers to target which customers might soon need a new car or truck. "Whether it's fixing consumers' cars, whether it's shared mobility, the future of how this is going to be done is you service the car at the point of need," Rodio said.

    RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
    Volvo provides free kits to relieve debt burden for new techs
    Letter
    to the
    Editor

     

     

    Send us a letter

    Have an opinion about this story? Click here to submit a Letter to the Editor, and we may publish it in print.

    Recommended for You
    That sound you don't hear is a rising wave of BEVs
    That sound you don't hear is a rising wave of BEVs
    Service Counter: Repair downturn a result of the pandemic
    Service Counter: Repair downturn a result of the pandemic
    Pay, poor tools, pandemic are sore spots for technicians, but EVs interest them
    Pay, poor tools, pandemic are sore spots for technicians, but EVs interest them
    Transforming the auto industry with digital assets
    Sponsored Content: Transforming the auto industry with digital assets
    Sign up for free newsletters
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    See more newsletter options at autonews.com/newsletters.

    You can unsubscribe at any time through links in these emails. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

    Digital Edition
    Automotive News 1-18-21
    THIS WEEK'S EDITION
    See our archive
    Fixed Ops Journal
    Fixed Ops Journal 12-14-20
    Read the issue
    See our archive
    DAILY DRIVE NEWSLETTER: Sign up for our daily podcast newsletter for a lively and in-depth discussion of the biggest stories, plus interviews with big industry names.
    Get Free Newsletters

    Sign up and get the best of Automotive News delivered straight to your email inbox, free of charge. Choose your news – we will deliver.

    Subscribe Today

    Get 24/7 access to in-depth, authoritative coverage of the auto industry from a global team of reporters and editors covering the news that’s vital to your business.

    Subscribe Now
    Connect With Us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter

    Our mission

    The Automotive News mission is to be the primary source of industry news, data and understanding for the industry's decision-makers interested in North America.

    AN-LOGO-BLUE
    Contact Us

    1155 Gratiot Avenue
    Detroit, Michigan
    48207-2997

    (877) 812-1584

    Email us

    Automotive News
    ISSN 0005-1551 (print)
    ISSN 1557-7686 (online)

    Fixed Ops Journal
    ISSN 2576-1064 (print)
    ISSN 2576-1072 (online)

    Resources
    • About us
    • Contact Us
    • Media Kit
    • Subscribe
    • Manage your account
    • Reprints
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Automotive News
    Copyright © 1996-2021. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • HOME
    • NEWS
      • Dealers
        • Access F&I
        • Fixed Ops Journal
        • Marketing
        • Used Cars
        • Retail Technology
        • Sales
        • Best Practices
        • Dealership Buy/Sell
        • NADA
        • NADA Show
      • Automakers & Suppliers
        • Automakers
        • Manufacturing
        • Suppliers
        • Regulations & Safety
        • Executives
        • Talk From The Top
        • Leading Women Network
        • Guide to Economic Development
        • PACE Awards
        • Management Briefing Seminars
        • World Congress
      • News by Brand
        • Aston Martin
        • BMW
          • Mini
          • Rolls-Royce
        • Daimler
          • Mercedes Benz
          • Smart
        • Fiat Chrysler
          • Alfa Romeo
          • Chrysler
          • Dodge
          • Ferrari
          • Fiat
          • Jeep
          • Maserati
          • Ram
        • Ford
          • Lincoln
        • General Motors
          • Buick
          • Cadillac
          • Chevrolet
          • GMC
          • Holden
        • Honda
          • Acura
        • Hyundai
          • Genesis
          • Kia
        • Mazda
        • McLaren
        • Mitsubishi
        • Nissan
          • Infiniti
        • PSA
          • Citroen
          • Opel
          • Peugeot
        • Renault
        • Subaru
        • Suzuki
        • Tata
          • Jaguar
          • Land Rover
        • Tesla
        • Toyota
          • Lexus
        • Volkswagen
          • Audi
          • Bentley
          • Bugatti
          • Lamborghini
          • Porsche
          • Seat
          • Skoda
        • Volvo
        • (Discontinued Brands)
      • Cars & Concepts
        • Virtual reveals (Sponsored)
          • GENESIS: 2021 GV80
          • KIA: 2021 K5
          • LEXUS: 2021 IS
          • NISSAN: 2021 Rogue
          • TOYOTA: 2021 Venza and 2021 Sienna
        • Auto Shows
          • Detroit Auto Show
          • New York Auto Show
          • Los Angeles Auto Show
          • Chicago Auto Show
          • Geneva Auto Show
          • Paris Auto Show
          • Frankfurt Auto Show
          • Toronto Auto Show
          • Tokyo Auto Show
          • Shanghai Auto Show
          • Beijing Auto Show
        • Future Product Pipeline
        • Photo Galleries
        • Car Cutaways
        • Design
      • Coronavirus Coverage
      • China
      • Shift
      • Mobility Report
      • Special Reports
      • Digital Edition Archive
      • This Week's Issue
    • OPINION
      • Blogs
      • Cartoons
      • Keith Crain
      • Automotive Views with Jason Stein
      • Columnists
      • China Commentary
      • Editorials
      • Letters to the Editor
      • Send us a Letter
    • DATA CENTER
    • VIDEO
      • AutoNews Now
      • First Shift
      • Special Video Reports
      • Weekend Drive
    • EVENTS & AWARDS
      • Events
        • Congress Conversations
        • Retail Forum: NADA
        • Canada Congress
        • Europe Congress Conversations
        • Leading Women Conference
        • Fixed Ops Journal Forum
        • ANE Shift
        • Shift: Mobility at a Crossroads
        • Shift: The Future of Mobility (CES)
      • Awards
        • 100 Leading Women
        • 40 Under 40 Retail
        • All-Stars
        • Best Dealerships To Work For
        • PACE Program
        • Rising Stars
        • Europe Rising Stars
    • JOBS
    • AN Solutions
    • +MORE
      • Leading Women Network
      • Podcasts
        • Shift: A Podcast About Mobility
        • Special Reports Podcasts
        • Daily Drive Podcasts
      • Webinars
      • In the Driver's Seat
        • AAM
        • Gentex
        • Reputation.com
        • Ricardo
        • Ricardo
      • Publishing Partners
        • Allstate: Want more from your F&I?
        • Ally: Navigating the future of automotive retailing
        • Amazon Web Services: Any place, any time, any channel
        • Amazon Web Services: The power of the cloud
        • Amazon Web Services: Universal translator: Harnessing sensor data to build better automotive software
        • Epic Games: Transforming the auto industry with digital assets
        • FTI Consulting: Crisis as a catalyst for change
        • Google: 5 trends shaping the auto industry's approach to a new normal
        • IHS Markit: Automotive loyalty in the wake of the COVID-19 recession
        • IHS Markit: Autonomous vehicles: Automotive and transportation disruption
        • IHS Markit: COVID-19: The future mobility delusion
        • IHS Markit: The battery electric vehicle (BEV)
        • Level5: 2020 Automotive E-Commerce Report
        • Naked Lime: Bring social reputation together as part of big-picture marketing
        • Wells Fargo Auto: Switching gears from LIBOR to SOFR
        • Ally: Do It Right
        • DealerSocket
        • Deloitte: Cyber everywhere: Preparing for automotive safety in the face of cyber threats
        • Facebook: The road to a zero-friction future
        • Guide To Economic Development
        • PayPal Credit: How consumer financing helps drive sales for online auto parts retailers
      • Classifieds
      • Companies on the Move
      • People on the Move
      • Newsletters
      • Contact Us
      • Media Kit
      • RSS Feeds