I’ve written 3 different blogs this week and every time I’ve come to post, something has happened that has made me stop and think that this is the topic I should write on, not just once, but on 3 successive days! So whatever the fates want, they apparently know manipulation.

1. Recently I purchased a new VW Golf T.D.I. I love it. It is a great vehicle and gets far better mileage than the Prius I traded in. This is especially true when you factor in that my wife will actually drive it as opposed to her absolute refusal to even ride in the “grandpa car” (Hey! Gold is a good color!). The point of this is I opened up a letter from the factory that thanked me for my purchase and …you ready?... found included a $5 Starbucks card in appreciation for my taking the time to fill out the survey regarding New Car quality I would soon receive. I got it the next day.
2. I received an e-mail from Cobalt proclaiming all the advancements they’ve made since becoming part of the ADP family and that I may soon receive a commissioned phone survey that would grade them and the results weighed when considering what direction to go next. Sure enough, I received a call and after ascertaining it was indeed the announced survey elected to participate in the 10-15 minute survey. My main reason for doing so was to express overall, if not satisfaction, at least appreciation for what Cobalt has done. (I still don’t believe in OEM mandated providers) I answered satisfied or somewhat satisfied to most questions with only the occasional negative. At the end of the survey I was asked which of Cobalt’s other services I would be interested in if they were to available to me at a special reduced cost for completing their survey.
3. I called Chase bank telephone banking to reset my pin. 58 minutes and 3 operators later I was still unsuccessful and very frustrated. The only reason I stayed on the line that long is I had elected to participate in their customer feedback survey and I was ready to voice my displeasure. The rep insisted she would not hang up unless I did first. Through a glitch caused by one of the two reps I was on the line with hanging up, the survey was triggered. The rep was still on the phone when I pressed 1 as “highly unsatisfied” with the results of my call. She actually screamed “No sir, don’t you know what that will do to my rating?”

In all 3 instances any feeling of gratitude that may have been fostered by the attempt of reaching out for my opinion or solve an issue on my behalf was dashed by the emphasis put on “the survey” and “the upsell.”

The car industry, Dealers, Vendors and OEM’s, are rife with examples of those seeking to look good rather than be good. I know of several Dealers that try to attach all categories of the Manufacturers survey to the salesman’s relationship with the customer and make it part of their pay. Worse yet we all know of instances were there are still a lot of survey’s being diverted or “launched”. I’ve heard of one salesperson that literally has a notebook full of created e-mails he, with the full knowledge and endorsement of the Dealers upper management, sent customers survey’s to. He no longer works for the same Dealer so I have no doubt that those same e-mails will be deployed again.

            The system is broken from both sides: Unrealistic expectations and metrics that a client base, no matter the industry or position, can and will begin to leverage to hold hostage providers. When ”supercalifragilsitic” is the only acceptable response, no opportunity for real improvement will occur.

Oh and please don’t use the “I just want to make sure your satisfied, now what else can I sell you or who can you refer?” line. It just demeans us both.

Bryan Armstrong

@bryancarguy

I’ve written 3 different blogs this week and every time I’ve come to post, something has happened that has made me stop and think that this is the topic I should write on, not just once, but on 3 successive days! So whatever the fates want, they apparently know manipulation.

1. Recently I purchased a new VW Golf T.D.I. I love it. It is a great vehicle and gets far better mileage than the Prius I traded in. This is especially true when you factor in that my wife will actually drive it as opposed to her absolute refusal to even ride in the “grandpa car” (Hey! Gold is a good color!). The point of this is I opened up a letter from the factory that thanked me for my purchase and …you ready?... found included a $5 Starbucks card in appreciation for my taking the time to fill out the survey regarding New Car quality I would soon receive. I got it the next day.
2. I received an e-mail from Cobalt proclaiming all the advancements they’ve made since becoming part of the ADP family and that I may soon receive a commissioned phone survey that would grade them and the results weighed when considering what direction to go next. Sure enough, I received a call and after ascertaining it was indeed the announced survey elected to participate in the 10-15 minute survey. My main reason for doing so was to express overall, if not satisfaction, at least appreciation for what Cobalt has done. (I still don’t believe in OEM mandated providers) I answered satisfied or somewhat satisfied to most questions with only the occasional negative. At the end of the survey I was asked which of Cobalt’s other services I would be interested in if they were to available to me at a special reduced cost for completing their survey.
3. I called Chase bank telephone banking to reset my pin. 58 minutes and 3 operators later I was still unsuccessful and very frustrated. The only reason I stayed on the line that long is I had elected to participate in their customer feedback survey and I was ready to voice my displeasure. The rep insisted she would not hang up unless I did first. Through a glitch caused by one of the two reps I was on the line with hanging up, the survey was triggered. The rep was still on the phone when I pressed 1 as “highly unsatisfied” with the results of my call. She actually screamed “No sir, don’t you know what that will do to my rating?”

In all 3 instances any feeling of gratitude that may have been fostered by the attempt of reaching out for my opinion or solve an issue on my behalf was dashed by the emphasis put on “the survey” and “the upsell.”

The car industry, Dealers, Vendors and OEM’s, are rife with examples of those seeking to look good rather than be good. I know of several Dealers that try to attach all categories of the Manufacturers survey to the salesman’s relationship with the customer and make it part of their pay. Worse yet we all know of instances were there are still a lot of survey’s being diverted or “launched”. I’ve heard of one salesperson that literally has a notebook full of created e-mails he, with the full knowledge and endorsement of the Dealers upper management, sent customers survey’s to. He no longer works for the same Dealer so I have no doubt that those same e-mails will be deployed again.

            The system is broken from both sides: Unrealistic expectations and metrics that a client base, no matter the industry or position, can and will begin to leverage to hold hostage providers. When ”supercalifragilsitic” is the only acceptable response, no opportunity for real improvement will occur.

Oh and please don’t use the “I just want to make sure your satisfied, now what else can I sell you or who can you refer?” line. It just demeans us both.

Bryan Armstrong

@bryancarguy

This may seem a bit odd, but I want to address FEAR. Most of us won’t acknowledge the word or the concept. After all we are in the Auto Industry, we fear nothing, right? HA!

I have seen fear: of the unknown, of changing market conditions, of new advertising methods and of embracing change. G.M.’s and Owners refusing to acknowledge that the consumers are often times more informed than even our sales staff and wallowing toward obscurity hoping things will “come back”. Unfortunately, just enough fresh traffic still comes in and an occasional high-gross deal is used to justify that somehow those antiquated tactics will still work.

“Fear is only as deep as the mind allows.” ~Japanese Proverb~

My wife’s Grandmother has had two dreams as long as I’ve known her:

1. To own a Red Ford Mustang convertible
2. To walk the beach in Hawaii

The only problem is she had a debilitating fear of flying. She started working on it 8 years ago: Watching realistic movies, reading books about how planes work, seeing a Doctor, a short flight or two to Denver to see her Sister… Each step small of its own accord, yet meshed into a plan with a firm goal in mind.

Last week, she sent me this picture of her first Maui Sunset:

“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt~

We are less than a Month away from some of the largest Automotive Educational events in the Industry. I, like many, will be in Vegas for half of October. I look forward to Presenting two Sessions, Networking and Reviewing so many Vendors in one place at DD11 and the intense, cutting-edge learning opportunity DSES provides.

Luckily, in spite of whatever politics play amongst Conference Hosts, DrivingSales allows a truly open forum which includes not limiting its Dealer Editors from participating in other Events. ( I thank you Jared!)

I will be out of the Store and away from my Family and worried over both the entire time. Is it worth it? Will it pay off? Of course! When you invest in education, you invest in the future. Doesn’t it just make sense to ensure the future your securing is your own? If you don’t face the Fear of the unknown now, it won’t go away it’ll just get bigger as the gap widens and your lack of understanding increases.

“Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.” ~Dale Carnegie~

Watch a webinar, read and ask questions on these Forums, hire a Consultant that you’ve vetted here on the Vendor reviews and conquer that which you don’t understand.

Conquer your Fear. Conquer yourself. Conquer your future.

Bryan Armstrong

bryanthecarguy@gmail.com

@bryancarguy

This may seem a bit odd, but I want to address FEAR. Most of us won’t acknowledge the word or the concept. After all we are in the Auto Industry, we fear nothing, right? HA!

I have seen fear: of the unknown, of changing market conditions, of new advertising methods and of embracing change. G.M.’s and Owners refusing to acknowledge that the consumers are often times more informed than even our sales staff and wallowing toward obscurity hoping things will “come back”. Unfortunately, just enough fresh traffic still comes in and an occasional high-gross deal is used to justify that somehow those antiquated tactics will still work.

“Fear is only as deep as the mind allows.” ~Japanese Proverb~

My wife’s Grandmother has had two dreams as long as I’ve known her:

1. To own a Red Ford Mustang convertible
2. To walk the beach in Hawaii

The only problem is she had a debilitating fear of flying. She started working on it 8 years ago: Watching realistic movies, reading books about how planes work, seeing a Doctor, a short flight or two to Denver to see her Sister… Each step small of its own accord, yet meshed into a plan with a firm goal in mind.

Last week, she sent me this picture of her first Maui Sunset:

“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt~

We are less than a Month away from some of the largest Automotive Educational events in the Industry. I, like many, will be in Vegas for half of October. I look forward to Presenting two Sessions, Networking and Reviewing so many Vendors in one place at DD11 and the intense, cutting-edge learning opportunity DSES provides.

Luckily, in spite of whatever politics play amongst Conference Hosts, DrivingSales allows a truly open forum which includes not limiting its Dealer Editors from participating in other Events. ( I thank you Jared!)

I will be out of the Store and away from my Family and worried over both the entire time. Is it worth it? Will it pay off? Of course! When you invest in education, you invest in the future. Doesn’t it just make sense to ensure the future your securing is your own? If you don’t face the Fear of the unknown now, it won’t go away it’ll just get bigger as the gap widens and your lack of understanding increases.

“Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.” ~Dale Carnegie~

Watch a webinar, read and ask questions on these Forums, hire a Consultant that you’ve vetted here on the Vendor reviews and conquer that which you don’t understand.

Conquer your Fear. Conquer yourself. Conquer your future.

Bryan Armstrong

bryanthecarguy@gmail.com

@bryancarguy

It’s all in the sprinkles

                I have an obsession with coffee. I’m not talking I like it nor need it to get going in the morning but a full-fledged love of the drink. While at home and at most restaurants I prefer to drink it black but I will have it with cream and sweetened in one way and one way only: a venti latte vanilla breve with 5 shots, no foam and a sprinkle of nutmeg. This concoction of my own careful creative process has been my mainstay at many a Starbucks or up until recently a shop called Beans n Brews. They know me by name and I can even call ahead and simply say, “It’s Bryan, could you make my coffee?” and it would be ready. At just over $8 for this indulgence, I want it perfect.

So it is with much sadness and a sense of longing that I drive by my previously beloved haunt every morning without stopping. Though I am normally (surprise) not a shy nor timid fellow, they don’t, nor will ever know, why they lost my patronage. It’s simple: they forgot the sprinkle of nutmeg one too many times. I gave them the benefit of the doubt, re-explained my order to the same baristas that I’ve dealt with for years. The first few times, I shook it off but when it continued to happen, I was done. There’s a Starbucks on the other side of the street and its $1 cheaper there. They don’t know my name and I can’t call ahead but it’s exactly what they promise to deliver each and every time.

                As I call through customer lists and review customer survey responses, our industry is no different:

 “They didn’t put my seat back and I could never get it just right again.”

 “No one set my radio stations.”

“I didn’t get a sticker telling me when my next oil change is due”

“They just handed me my keys and it took me 10 min to find my car.” 

The list goes on, trivial things, sprinkles really but they all add up to send the message that the customer is not valued, neither listened to nor appreciated.

All the above issues are addressed as part of our process, and all are things that are done correctly probably 99.9% of the time. But by attrition that .01% adds up in lost re-sell opportunity, referral business and of course revenue.

                What are the sprinkles that change the flavor of your business from the competitor who may not be as nice or personable, but does things the exact same way every time to the customer’s expectations? What are the methods you have in place to inspect them? Who does so and how often? Service sells and consistent service sells ten-fold.

Bryan Armstrong 

@bryancarguy

It’s all in the sprinkles

                I have an obsession with coffee. I’m not talking I like it nor need it to get going in the morning but a full-fledged love of the drink. While at home and at most restaurants I prefer to drink it black but I will have it with cream and sweetened in one way and one way only: a venti latte vanilla breve with 5 shots, no foam and a sprinkle of nutmeg. This concoction of my own careful creative process has been my mainstay at many a Starbucks or up until recently a shop called Beans n Brews. They know me by name and I can even call ahead and simply say, “It’s Bryan, could you make my coffee?” and it would be ready. At just over $8 for this indulgence, I want it perfect.

So it is with much sadness and a sense of longing that I drive by my previously beloved haunt every morning without stopping. Though I am normally (surprise) not a shy nor timid fellow, they don’t, nor will ever know, why they lost my patronage. It’s simple: they forgot the sprinkle of nutmeg one too many times. I gave them the benefit of the doubt, re-explained my order to the same baristas that I’ve dealt with for years. The first few times, I shook it off but when it continued to happen, I was done. There’s a Starbucks on the other side of the street and its $1 cheaper there. They don’t know my name and I can’t call ahead but it’s exactly what they promise to deliver each and every time.

                As I call through customer lists and review customer survey responses, our industry is no different:

 “They didn’t put my seat back and I could never get it just right again.”

 “No one set my radio stations.”

“I didn’t get a sticker telling me when my next oil change is due”

“They just handed me my keys and it took me 10 min to find my car.” 

The list goes on, trivial things, sprinkles really but they all add up to send the message that the customer is not valued, neither listened to nor appreciated.

All the above issues are addressed as part of our process, and all are things that are done correctly probably 99.9% of the time. But by attrition that .01% adds up in lost re-sell opportunity, referral business and of course revenue.

                What are the sprinkles that change the flavor of your business from the competitor who may not be as nice or personable, but does things the exact same way every time to the customer’s expectations? What are the methods you have in place to inspect them? Who does so and how often? Service sells and consistent service sells ten-fold.

Bryan Armstrong 

@bryancarguy

             I heard a quote from a Dealer friend of mine the other day which struck me as sad “I spend $100,000 a month on advertising and only half of it works, the problem is I don’t know which half.” The funny thing is in many dealerships the G.M. or Dealer Principal may control or outsource the majority of the ad budget, yet the only Department held accountable to any sort of ROI standard is inevitably the internet. Why should this be? Agencies and Reps. spend huge amounts of time and money investing in building relationships with Senior Management, and are seldom held accountable to the produced results. Perhaps this is because it would reflect on them or on the Owner/GM negatively, because they can claim vague traceability or because the vendor in question once had a glorious track record of produced results.

                Whether it is ego or familiarity that feeds this folly there are plenty of tools that allow for better tracking on all mediums. Custom landing pages, whether it is radio or print all creative should direct traffic to a touch point inside your website where analytics can measure traffic and conversion rates. Also the use of unique call tracking phone numbers (I use CallSource for everything) will also give a clearer picture. I have gone so far as to ensure that every creative in every medium receives its own unique number. This allows me to see, though the consumer may have seen or heard multiple ads, which one inspired the all important click or call. The Custom pages I can do myself now in Cobalt and CallSource the only company I’m aware of that will, for less than $500 a month, provide self-provisioning, unlimited toll free or local tracking numbers that can be pointed anywhere I choose. You can even bounce that cars.com or Autotrader number to your own CallSource number, thus allowing instant reporting and recording of every phone call.

                In speaking with an e-Commerce Director over a large group, I was amazed at how small a sum of the total ad budget was under his direct control. Yet monthly he, as we all are, is held accountable to the sales produced by the total budget expended. This is equal to taxation without representation. Any Director worth their title is not just a student of the Digital Market but of Consumer behavior and has a responsibility to ensure the highest possible return on every ad dollar spent.

                So rather than sit and whine that too much is out of your hands, enact traceable means of measuring effectiveness. You will receive push back, as your radio and newspaper rep may say that multiple numbers will dilute your branding and confuse your consumer. This is a weak argument designed to dodge accountability. If consumer “A” has this week’s ad in front of them and your mailer, they will call the number off the creative that sparked their interest not sit and ponder why you have two different numbers.

Hold yourself accountable above all, if you made a mistake in your choice of ads/creative/delivery medium admit it. Everyone knows it flopped anyway. The upside is by providing clear concise reporting, you may end up with a greater voice in determining where next month’s budget is spent and an increased allocation (and hence reach and traffic) to programs that are working.

                Media is media and continuing to make a distinction between “new” and “traditional” is as my friend Ralph Paglia pointed out in this excellent “5 lies” post, pure folly.

*Disclaimer-Though I normally post every Tuesday, I had a learning moment on Sunday which led me to two revelations:

1. Sparklers should be lit one at a time, not grasped by hand in a bundle of six.

2. Emergency Rooms are quite busy at Midnight on Holidays involving fireworks.             

Bryan Armstrong

Twitter: @bryancarguy 

For more info or to discuss this article you can call me at 801-503-9535. It will ring right to my cell phone, you won’t have my “real” number and I’ll have a record of our entire conversation. I know there are many Companies that offer similar services, I am simply speaking of the one I chose and have had great success with. Should you choose to check out CallSource, the gentleman I have worked with at CallSource for years is:

Jeff Ward

Regional Sales Manager

888-496-1162 toll-free

jward@callsource.com

www.callsource.com

Tell him you read about it here as self-provisioning accounts are NOT the norm any longer, but I’m sure he would work with you.

Good Luck!

             I heard a quote from a Dealer friend of mine the other day which struck me as sad “I spend $100,000 a month on advertising and only half of it works, the problem is I don’t know which half.” The funny thing is in many dealerships the G.M. or Dealer Principal may control or outsource the majority of the ad budget, yet the only Department held accountable to any sort of ROI standard is inevitably the internet. Why should this be? Agencies and Reps. spend huge amounts of time and money investing in building relationships with Senior Management, and are seldom held accountable to the produced results. Perhaps this is because it would reflect on them or on the Owner/GM negatively, because they can claim vague traceability or because the vendor in question once had a glorious track record of produced results.

                Whether it is ego or familiarity that feeds this folly there are plenty of tools that allow for better tracking on all mediums. Custom landing pages, whether it is radio or print all creative should direct traffic to a touch point inside your website where analytics can measure traffic and conversion rates. Also the use of unique call tracking phone numbers (I use CallSource for everything) will also give a clearer picture. I have gone so far as to ensure that every creative in every medium receives its own unique number. This allows me to see, though the consumer may have seen or heard multiple ads, which one inspired the all important click or call. The Custom pages I can do myself now in Cobalt and CallSource the only company I’m aware of that will, for less than $500 a month, provide self-provisioning, unlimited toll free or local tracking numbers that can be pointed anywhere I choose. You can even bounce that cars.com or Autotrader number to your own CallSource number, thus allowing instant reporting and recording of every phone call.

                In speaking with an e-Commerce Director over a large group, I was amazed at how small a sum of the total ad budget was under his direct control. Yet monthly he, as we all are, is held accountable to the sales produced by the total budget expended. This is equal to taxation without representation. Any Director worth their title is not just a student of the Digital Market but of Consumer behavior and has a responsibility to ensure the highest possible return on every ad dollar spent.

                So rather than sit and whine that too much is out of your hands, enact traceable means of measuring effectiveness. You will receive push back, as your radio and newspaper rep may say that multiple numbers will dilute your branding and confuse your consumer. This is a weak argument designed to dodge accountability. If consumer “A” has this week’s ad in front of them and your mailer, they will call the number off the creative that sparked their interest not sit and ponder why you have two different numbers.

Hold yourself accountable above all, if you made a mistake in your choice of ads/creative/delivery medium admit it. Everyone knows it flopped anyway. The upside is by providing clear concise reporting, you may end up with a greater voice in determining where next month’s budget is spent and an increased allocation (and hence reach and traffic) to programs that are working.

                Media is media and continuing to make a distinction between “new” and “traditional” is as my friend Ralph Paglia pointed out in this excellent “5 lies” post, pure folly.

*Disclaimer-Though I normally post every Tuesday, I had a learning moment on Sunday which led me to two revelations:

1. Sparklers should be lit one at a time, not grasped by hand in a bundle of six.

2. Emergency Rooms are quite busy at Midnight on Holidays involving fireworks.             

Bryan Armstrong

Twitter: @bryancarguy 

For more info or to discuss this article you can call me at 801-503-9535. It will ring right to my cell phone, you won’t have my “real” number and I’ll have a record of our entire conversation. I know there are many Companies that offer similar services, I am simply speaking of the one I chose and have had great success with. Should you choose to check out CallSource, the gentleman I have worked with at CallSource for years is:

Jeff Ward

Regional Sales Manager

888-496-1162 toll-free

jward@callsource.com

www.callsource.com

Tell him you read about it here as self-provisioning accounts are NOT the norm any longer, but I’m sure he would work with you.

Good Luck!

This week I had two experiences that I have to share as I believe they have relevance to our industry. I ordered food from a pizza joint and got a massage…stay with me. 

#1- I generally go to an amazing Spa called Sanctuary Day Spa. They have three locations and offer a full line Spa experience as well as a gym in at least one location. My favorite Spa is located inside Southtowne Mall. From the time you enter the unprepossessing entrance, you are transported into another world far away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. The atmosphere is serene and the staff is friendly and extremely competent. I have never received poor service nor regretted any of the fees I have paid.

#2- I ordered from Domino’s Pizza.

In both instances I began my transaction on-line.

#1-In going to the Spa’s website, though I am familiar with their locale and a loyal customer, I browsed the menu of services and since it was Sunday morning and many businesses are closed or have shortened hours in Utah on Sunday, I primarily was trying to book an on-line appointment. Alas, the hours were wrong and the only form available was to either sign-up for their newsletter or enter my info to have someone contact me. Nowhere was an option to schedule an appointment or book services. Basically, everything directed me to “CALL NOW”! So, out of a lack of any other option I called and left a message (though on the site it said they should have been open) and the cheerful “Happy Father’s Day” greeting on the machine made me further wonder about their competence. I called them back 10 min. after their appointed opening time relayed on the outplayed message since they had not returned my call, booked my appointment and had a very relaxing afternoon enjoying the facilities.

#2-When I ordered 3 sandwiches and wings from Dominos.com, I viewed their menu, was directed to the Store that served my area, placed an order for 4 people and paid. I was immediately given a cool widget whose theme I could choose and it tracked my order. Interestingly enough, it relayed the info through every step of the process- “Your order was placed at 5:41 approximate delivery time 22-32 min, Sarah began making your sandwiches at 5:46, your sandwiches were placed in the oven at 5:51, Glen left to deliver your order at 6:01”. My fellow Managers at the Store were giving me grief, “Oh, do you have to place the order on-line because you’re the e-Commerce Director? “And “I bet there’s not even a Sarah working there”. I immediately picked up the phone, was asked to hold and after a 3-5 min wait was answered back with “Do you want to hear about our specials?” I replied no and asked if there was indeed someone named Sarah employed there. The answer that she was busy making sandwiches at the moment won me my lunch.

My Spa visit was over 40 times more expensive than what I spent on lunch, but if I were to compare the two transactions based purely on ease and convenience the pizza joint wins. I literally had to fight to do business with a Spa I enjoy and frequent often and got Dominos for the first time in years because it was easy and transparent. Also, I sent Sara a healthy tip, but Glen who took 26 min to drive about 2.5 miles didn’t fare as well.

How easy are we in the Auto Business making it for our Customers to do business with us?

Transparency and an absence of hassle will win over price and location nearly every time in building engagement and consummating a transaction. Sure, the old argument stands that the customer MAY just take my easily proffered information to a closer Dealer to match the deal I gave, but more than likely, they shopped them anyway and were told to CALL NOW!

So today I will once again look at my on-line presence with a consumer’s mind-set and re-evaluate my sales strategy. After all, though buying a vehicle is a bit larger transaction than getting a sandwich, I want doing business with my Store to be at least as comparatively easy as ordering lunch.  

This week I had two experiences that I have to share as I believe they have relevance to our industry. I ordered food from a pizza joint and got a massage…stay with me. 

#1- I generally go to an amazing Spa called Sanctuary Day Spa. They have three locations and offer a full line Spa experience as well as a gym in at least one location. My favorite Spa is located inside Southtowne Mall. From the time you enter the unprepossessing entrance, you are transported into another world far away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. The atmosphere is serene and the staff is friendly and extremely competent. I have never received poor service nor regretted any of the fees I have paid.

#2- I ordered from Domino’s Pizza.

In both instances I began my transaction on-line.

#1-In going to the Spa’s website, though I am familiar with their locale and a loyal customer, I browsed the menu of services and since it was Sunday morning and many businesses are closed or have shortened hours in Utah on Sunday, I primarily was trying to book an on-line appointment. Alas, the hours were wrong and the only form available was to either sign-up for their newsletter or enter my info to have someone contact me. Nowhere was an option to schedule an appointment or book services. Basically, everything directed me to “CALL NOW”! So, out of a lack of any other option I called and left a message (though on the site it said they should have been open) and the cheerful “Happy Father’s Day” greeting on the machine made me further wonder about their competence. I called them back 10 min. after their appointed opening time relayed on the outplayed message since they had not returned my call, booked my appointment and had a very relaxing afternoon enjoying the facilities.

#2-When I ordered 3 sandwiches and wings from Dominos.com, I viewed their menu, was directed to the Store that served my area, placed an order for 4 people and paid. I was immediately given a cool widget whose theme I could choose and it tracked my order. Interestingly enough, it relayed the info through every step of the process- “Your order was placed at 5:41 approximate delivery time 22-32 min, Sarah began making your sandwiches at 5:46, your sandwiches were placed in the oven at 5:51, Glen left to deliver your order at 6:01”. My fellow Managers at the Store were giving me grief, “Oh, do you have to place the order on-line because you’re the e-Commerce Director? “And “I bet there’s not even a Sarah working there”. I immediately picked up the phone, was asked to hold and after a 3-5 min wait was answered back with “Do you want to hear about our specials?” I replied no and asked if there was indeed someone named Sarah employed there. The answer that she was busy making sandwiches at the moment won me my lunch.

My Spa visit was over 40 times more expensive than what I spent on lunch, but if I were to compare the two transactions based purely on ease and convenience the pizza joint wins. I literally had to fight to do business with a Spa I enjoy and frequent often and got Dominos for the first time in years because it was easy and transparent. Also, I sent Sara a healthy tip, but Glen who took 26 min to drive about 2.5 miles didn’t fare as well.

How easy are we in the Auto Business making it for our Customers to do business with us?

Transparency and an absence of hassle will win over price and location nearly every time in building engagement and consummating a transaction. Sure, the old argument stands that the customer MAY just take my easily proffered information to a closer Dealer to match the deal I gave, but more than likely, they shopped them anyway and were told to CALL NOW!

So today I will once again look at my on-line presence with a consumer’s mind-set and re-evaluate my sales strategy. After all, though buying a vehicle is a bit larger transaction than getting a sandwich, I want doing business with my Store to be at least as comparatively easy as ordering lunch.