It happens every day; someone brings their car in for a service or is filling out paperwork to buy a car, and what do they end up doing? Sitting in your customer waiting area. Most dealerships have worked hard to have snacks and television readily available so people can be relaxed and entertained, but here are a few things you may not know about people waiting in your dealership:

1. The average time spent at the dealership is 187 minutes per visit. This is an incredibly long time that you have customers inside your dealership, just waiting for their interaction to be completed.

2. Amenities at most dealerships are very diverse, but only provide a service to the customer. This includes TVs, charging stations, magazines, and food; all of which are benefiting the customer only.

3. Waiting customers make the perfect captive audience that is ready for some form of engagement. Most people who are waiting enjoy any form of diversion from their wait, to make time go by quicker.

4. In-person engagements by sales reps may be considered less appealing to customers. Many people view this as overly direct and “sales-y.”

5. Charj has found that advertising to an on-site audience can yield up to 40% average CTR. On-site audiences are more likely to interact with a touch screen, than an in-person sales consultant.

6. By allowing sales consultants to approach customers off of an engagement, Charj has seen that the conversion rate could increase by over 150%.

7. By allowing customers to choose which advertisements they engage with, it makes the up-sell process much easier and less intrusive, allowing the sales consultant to approach them for specific products or services, such as wipers, winter tires, warranties, etc.

It’s becoming increasingly obvious that utilizing a customer’s time while they are waiting for their paperwork or finished car, could prove to be a huge opportunity in improving engagement and increasing up-selling opportunities.

It may seem like a good idea to always be the one writing about your dealership, but in reality consumer-generated content is as important, if not more so, than your own writing. This means it's crucial to take control of your message.

1. Consumers trust ratings more than they trust you. It’s true; studies have shown that consumers trust reviews 3 times more than any brand messaging.
2. Most car buyers read ratings before buying. Bazaarvoice has found that 68% of car buyers will read ratings and reviews before making any purchase decision.
3. Car buying is a high consideration purchase. In fact, it’s one of the highest consideration purchases consumers make. They will do more research on cars than just about any other purchase, so you want to make sure you have lots of good information for them.
4. Car buyers seek out information in LOTS of places. On average, shoppers will check out 24 sources before they purchase, half of which are digital. Basically this means the amount of information they receive or seek out via word-of-mouth, commercial, or traditional advertising is comparable to the number of online and mobile sources they’re consulting to inform their purchase decisions. Digital sources including your website, competitor websites, and third-party review sources are going to be the top sources they consult.
5. Reviews are easily accessible. 53% of car buyers are looking at reviews on mobile devices, and over 30% are actually reading them while they’re in your dealership.

With all this information, it’s easy to see why consumer generated content is so valuable. Consumers are constantly seeking out information they can trust, and with cell phones always in their hands, it’s easy for them to get that information. This means you need to take the reigns on your consumer generated content and reviews, to ensure that customers are seeing your dealership for what it really is.

Waltham, Mass. – December 8, 2016 – DealerRater has announced that starting today it will feature its growing database of reviews on Cars.com. The move will expand the reach of DealerRater’s three million consumer-submitted reviews and grow the existing Cars.com review platform to continue to help arm consumers with the tools they need to make informed decisions on what to buy, where to buy and whom to buy from.

“This is the first tangible evidence of being part of the Cars.com family, and it’s a win-win for both our brands as well as the industry,” said Gary Tucker, CEO of DealerRater. “DealerRater continues to actively and aggressively extend the reach of our review content across multiple platforms where consumers are shopping to provide more value to our customers. A single review will now be seen by millions of consumers on Cars.com and other frequently visited third-party automotive sites, and ultimately lead to increased walk-in traffic at the dealership. With this broadened syndication, there is no review more valuable to a dealership than a DealerRater review.”

The integration of DealerRater reviews onto Cars.com will adjust dealership ratings to reflect only recent reviews posted within the last 24 months. This is beneficial to consumers because the more recent a review, the more useful it is during the car shopping process. Additionally, more recent reviews will provide dealerships with a better tool to gauge current consumer satisfaction. 

“DealerRater reviews are invaluable to today’s car shoppers as well as today’s dealers,” said Tucker. “We help connect millions of consumers with the right dealership and, more importantly, the right person at the right dealership. Dealers leverage our reviews as a tool to flag and celebrate great customer service while addressing opportunities to perform even better. It’s a win-win for the industry.”

For more information, visit www.dealerrater.com.

ABOUT DEALERRATER

Founded in 2002, DealerRater, a Cars.com Company, is the world's leading car dealer review website that connects consumers with the right person at the right dealership. The site offers more than 2.5 million sales and service reviews across 41,000 U.S. and Canadian dealerships, including a network of more than 5,600 Certified Dealers. More than 14 million consumers read DealerRater content across the web each month. By offering a product suite that allows qualified dealerships to manage their reputations and achieve higher SEO rankings, DealerRater supports new customer connections by growing online presence.

ABOUT CARS.COM

Cars.com is a leading online destination that helps car shoppers and owners navigate every turn of car ownership. A pioneer in automotive classifieds, the company has evolved into one of the largest digital automotive platforms, connecting consumers with local dealers across the country anytime, anywhere. Through trusted expert content, on-the-lot mobile app features, millions of new and used vehicle listings, a comprehensive set of research tools and the largest database of consumer reviews in the industry, Cars.com helps shoppers buy, sell and service their vehicles.

Cars.com companies include DealerRater, Auto.com, PickupTrucks.com™ and NewCars.com®. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Chicago. It is owned by TEGNA, Inc.

ALBANY, NY, UNITED STATES, December 5, 2016 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Auto/Mate Dealership Systems announced today that Patrick Reilly has joined its team as the new Head of Marketing. Reilly brings more than 25 years professional experience in marketing research, advertising, branding and strategy for technology companies and agencies.

In his new role Reilly will oversee the development of a corporate marketing strategy that will increase awareness of Auto/Mate's position as an industry leading DMS provider, fulfill its growth objectives and drive revenue. 

"Patrick brings a wealth of marketing knowledge to this position and I'm excited to have his energy, expertise and guidance for achieving our ambitious vision for Auto/Mate's future," said Mike Esposito, President and CEO of Auto/Mate Dealership Systems.

Prior to joining Auto/Mate, Reilly held senior marketing positions with CommerceHub, a cloud-based retail marketing platform; and with Pitney Bowes Software, a global data, location intelligence and customer engagement solutions provider. His ad agency experience includes roles as EVP of Smith & Jones, and as President of Citrin-Reilly & Associates. Reilly has a proven track record of increasing customer engagement, lead generation and revenue while creating and implementing research-based marketing programs.

"In addition to having a great product, Auto/Mate has a compelling brand, story, company culture and message," said Reilly. "I'm looking forward to executing a strategy that will convince auto dealers that this DMS solution is their best choice."

Auto/Mate's award-winning DMS product is ideal for large auto groups and single-store franchises. Automotive Management Productivity Suite (AMPS) is a cost-effective and user-friendly solution with many advanced features. Auto/Mate is the #1 DMS vendor in customer satisfaction and is known for its outstanding customer and technical support.

For more information, visit http://www.automate.com or call 877-829-7020.

NEW YORK (November 30, 2016) — JUST Capital and Forbes today released the inaugural “JUST 100 List,” which ranks the publicly traded companies in America that perform best on the priorities of the American public. This is the first-ever annual ranking of how America’s top companies perform on the issues Americans care most about.  The rankings are based on one of the largest surveys ever conducted on attitudes towards corporate behavior, involving 50,000 Americans over the last 18 months. This year’s list ranks U.S companies against their peers within 32 major industries. In future years, Forbes and JUST Capital will rank companies across industries.

For the complete list and more, visit: forbes.com/just100. The inaugural JUST 100 ranking of America’s most just companies will appear in Forbes magazine’s December 20 “Impact and Philanthropy” issue.   

“JUST Capital started with the question ‘What if we could see which companies use their capital not simply to maximize profits, but to create a more just marketplace for all stakeholders?’ And today, we can see that some of the biggest companies in America – some of the most important companies in the world – are doing that, at a huge scale,” said Paul Tudor Jones II, co-founder and board chair of the JUST Capital Foundation. “The rankings and data can empower all of us – consumers, employees, employers, investors – to interact differently with the companies that define today’s economy.”

“The JUST 100 List is the most authoritative, unbiased source of data about how corporations perform on the things people in the U.S. care about most. The list combines powerful insights into how Americans feel about corporate behavior with an unprecedented view of how our leading corporations stack up,” explained Forbes editor Randall Lane. “Forbes’ partnership with JUST Capital is an exciting and important one for us and we look forward to growing this work in the coming years.”

JUST Capital conducted its survey in partnership with NORC at the University of Chicago, an independent research institution that delivers data and rigorous analysis to guide programmatic, business and policy decisions. JUST then evaluated the performance of over 890 publicly traded companies against the priorities that emerged in the survey and created a ranking model to develop the JUST 100 List. This selection of companies draws from the Russell 1000 Index, which represents over 90 percent of the U.S. stock market value.

The top six issues ranked highly by the public, in order, were: providing a fair pay for industry and job level; non-discrimination in hiring, firing, and promotion practices; providing a safe workplace; following laws and regulations; respecting workers; and creating jobs in the U.S. JUST’s scoring system is weighted to reflect the relative importance of the public’s stated priorities. JUST Capital’s full methodology is available online at justcapital.com/methodology as both an interactive guide and a comprehensive report.

The 2016 most just companies in America within 32 major industries are (in alphabetical order by industry):

• Aerospace & Defense: Rockwell Collins

• Automobile & Components: Ford Motor

• Banks: SVB Financial

• Capital Goods: Fluor

• Capital Markets: Legg Mason

• Chemicals: Eastman Chemical

• Commercial & Professional Services: Verisk Analytics

• Consumer & Diversified Finance: American Express

• Consumer Durables & Apparel: Whirlpool

• Consumer Services: Marriott International

• Energy Equipment & Services: Oceaneering International

• Food & Staples Retailing: Sysco

• Food, Beverage, & Tobacco: PepsiCo

• Healthcare Equipment & Services: Varian Medical Systems

• Healthcare Providers & Services: Humana

• Household & Personal Products: Colgate-Palmolive

• Insurance: XL Group

• Internet Software & Services: Alphabet

• Information Technology Services: Accenture

• Machinery: Cummins

• Materials: Freeport-McMoRan

• Media: Discovery Communications

• Oil, Gas, & Consumable Fuels: Pioneer Natural Resources

• Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences: Amgen

• Real Estate: Jones Lang LaSalle

• Retailing: CarMax

• Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment: NVIDIA

• Software: Microsoft

• Technology Hardware & Equipment: F5 Networks

• Telecommunications: AT&T

• Transportation: Southwest Airlines

• Utilities: Exelon

JUST Capital and Forbes previously released comprehensive 2016 survey results, which define what ordinary Americans value in corporate behavior, including how different demographic and economic groups see the relative importance of competing priorities. Comprehensive market research results are available at justcapital.com/market-research. Key findings include:

• Overwhelmingly, Americans identified worker pay, benefits and treatment as the defining issues for corporate America.

• The integrity of corporate leaders is a top priority among Americans.

• Americans are positive about business, even while trust in corporations remains low. A majority believes corporations have become less just in the last decade.

• An overwhelming majority indicate they will use information on just corporate behavior in purchasing, employment and investing choices.

JUST will also make the rankings accessible and sortable on its website, justcapital.com. The interactive “Explorer” tool goes inside the rankings to show how companies were scored.

JUST Capital completed its research with funding from the Ford Foundation, the MCJ Amelior Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and Virgin Unite. JUST and Forbes worked with GoodData, Sprinklr, and Viget Labs on their technology tools and with audit advisors Marks Paneth and legal advisors Andrews Kurth Kenyon. Glassdoor also provided research support.

Additionally, the top ranked company in each industry will be able to use an “America’s Most JUST Companies” seal in packaging and marketing.

5 Blogs You Need To Read This Year

1.		17 Things No Customer Said, Ever! By Mark Dubis There is no doubt that auto dealers today have a dizzying array of challenges and marketing channel confusion. (14 Comments)
2.		Let the feet do all the talking! By Jonathan Dawson In too many dealerships the "Hello" leads to a "Goodbye" rather than a "good buy". (2 Comments)
3.		How to Handle the "Shop Around" Objection by Educating the Customer By Brian Maxwell Video: Hear how to address this all-too-common objection.
4.		Ten Words That Will Help You Close Email Leads By Peter Kahn Know which words concur the in box and close more deals. (8 Comments)
5.		This Study About Millennials And Booze Will Help You Sell More Cars By Kyle Reyes Millenials and booze? Yes there is a valuable lesson here too. (4 Comment)

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- AutoNation Inc.'s $500 million brand-extension strategy has a clear goal on the fixed-ops side: keep customers in the family.

The introduction of AutoNation-branded parts should give vehicle buyers at the company's new-car dealerships a lower-cost option for vehicle repair once their manufacturer warranties expire, company executives say. But if those customers leave anyway, AutoNation will market its new AutoNation USA used-vehicle store service to those defectors, in competition with independent shops.

"It's going to be a value proposition to our customer," AutoNation COO Bill Berman said after the nation's largest new-vehicle retailer announced its wide-ranging strategy Oct. 28. "They'll be able to have the experience of a new-car franchise dealer but at a price point that more closely resembles independent and outside repair facilities." 

In new-car dealerships, the rate of defection is high -- typically 67 percent of customers leave after warranty expiration, said Scott Arnold, AutoNation's vice president of customer care operations. AutoNation's defection rate is a little bit better than that industry number, and the aim is to improve it further. 

"We're giving the customers options, and we think we will reduce the defection rate," Arnold said. 

AutoNation's new strategy has four prongs related to fixed operations. 

1. Used-vehicle service outlets. The company plans to open at least 25 AutoNation USA used-vehicle stores beginning next spring. Each will have a service department with 10 to 20 bays offering both express service, such as oil changes, and scheduled maintenance and repair work. The USA stores will offer a fully digital experience using tablet computers, likely reducing customer check-in time to 5 to 10 minutes, Arnold said.

The USA stores will offer two years of free routine maintenance with a vehicle purchase. That will make for an automatic tie back to the service department to boost retention. 

AutoNation will also analyze its customer database to find customers who've left the franchise stores and pitch the USA service offerings to them. 

2. Parts. Both the USA and franchised stores will sell AutoNation Precision Parts for maintenance and repair items. The first such self-branded offering -- AutoNation batteries, made by Exide -- went on sale at dealerships in September at three price points. The top-level battery offers a lifetime replacement guarantee. They are not loss leaders. AutoNation can offer the batteries at a 15 to 20 percent discount vs. an automaker's battery, Berman said, but the retailer will still make money.

CEO Mike Jackson said the company is in negotiation with suppliers for "hundreds of more parts." AutoNation parts will range from wipers and filters up to alternatives to high-cost original equipment such as air conditioning compressors, executives said. 

"We think there will be a high adoption rate, just like we saw with [AutoNation-branded] service contracts," Jackson said. And the profit benefit to the company will be immediate, he said. 

3. Accessories. AutoNation began selling aftermarket accessories such as floor mats in October. They are branded AutoNation Auto Gear presented by WeatherTech. WeatherTech is a well-known supplier of accessories. The WeatherTech line is just "dipping our toe in," Berman said.

AutoNation ultimately will add much more to its accessory portfolio. The plan is to create a system in the store to encourage accessory add-ons at the time of vehicle purchase by building the step into the digital sales presentation, Berman said. 

4. Collision. AutoNation will expand its collision-center footprint and renovate each of the company's existing 70 centers to a new corporate design. Some will be expanded. 

The company also plans to open or acquire at least 18 additional centers over the next two years. It acquired one in Westmont, Ill., in October. 

The effort will expand AutoNation's "collision production potential" by 40 percent, Jackson said. 

AutoNation is working to broaden the number of insurance companies designating the company a preferred repair provider. 

Ten of the company's current locations are already scheduled for renovations beginning early next year, Berman said. The goal is to finish the renovations in about five years. 

"Nobody's collision centers look like this," Berman said. "They're going to be beautiful, inviting, customer-friendly."

A new study by Bazaarvoice dives into user generated content and how valuable it is for the car industry and buying process.

Most of us are aware of the power of user generated content, especially online, but it’s difficult to figure out the best steps to take to make this work for us. On average, car buyers reference 24 sources before buying, 12 of which are digital. Consumers also trust ratings and reviews three times more than brand messaging, over half of consumers looked at reviews before purchases, and most of those who read reviews, read them on their mobile phone. A good chunk of customers will actually read reviews about your dealership while they are at your store shopping!

So we see how important reviews and comments are for the car buyer, but how do we harness that to make it work for us?

It is smart to publish your consumer generated content EVERYWHERE. Especially on digital platforms! The language used in these reviews is more appealing to shoppers, it gives people an in-depth look of not just shopping but owning the car, and removes barriers to purchase.

It’s also important to recognize there’s no such thing as too much consumer-generated content. You don’t need to worry if you’re flooded with reviews, lots of content is GOOD content. Most of the time, people will want more reviews than you have!

Car shoppers are everywhere, so be sure you publish in the right places. Whether it’s websites, social media, review apps, or just word of mouth, you want to make sure your dealership is easy to find or hear about.

To learn more about Bazaarvoice or read their full study, visit their website.

INDIANAPOLIS — (November 21, 2016) — PERQ, a marketing company providing website conversion solutions for dealerships, has announced a seed round investment of $1.7 million, from 4G Ventures, into its FATWIN Web Engagement software platform. The software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform enables the easy creation, and implementation, of interactive online consumer experiences for deal arrangement. The funding will be used to accelerate Sales and Marketing of the software platform and more than 30 new hires within the next year. Bill Godfrey, Managing Director at 4G Ventures, will continue to serve on the Board for PERQ, a role he has held since 2013.

“I love this team's bold vision to develop innovative interactive marketing software that creates exponentially higher lead conversions,” said Bill Godfrey. “They've created a repeatable model of customer acquisition and value attainment, and now it's time to press on the accelerator.”

Launched in the summer of 2015, FATWIN Web Engagement surpassed $1 million in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) within nine months of launch. This rarely-seen growth rate is the result of a fundamental difference in how the organization approaches online consumer engagement, a belief that lead forms are dead and interactive content is the next wave of marketing technology.

PERQ’s Executive Chairman and Co-Founder, Scott Hill said, “We are grateful for the investment of Bill Godfrey’s time over the past few years. This funding from 4G Ventures will allow us to accelerate the adoption of highly engaging, and meaningful, interactive experiences that provide more value, and leads, to dealerships than a simple “contact us” button or static form.”

FATWIN Web Engagement replaces static lead forms and CTA’s with interactive experiences and calls to action that automatically optimize in real time, based on captured lead data and on-site consumer behavior. Using their interactive content platform, FATWIN, they take normal automotive website engagements for vehicle of interest, trade, test drive or incentives, and create connected interactive experiences.

The result of FATWIN Web Engagement is a consistent stream of high-quality, first party opportunities delivered with comprehensive consumer profiles. Dealers have the ability to deeply configure and consolidate their lead capture strategy over time without changing website providers.

Key Facts About the Product:

• Over 200 customers using FATWIN Web Engagement.
• Grew from $0 to $1 million in ARR in less than one year
• Average customer results show a 200% increase in lead volume, 5x increase in consumer data, and up to 15% lift in profit tracked to interactive leads.

Andy Medley, Co-Founder and President of PERQ said, “This funding will allow us to continue investing in hiring Sales and Marketing. The infusion of new talent will be critical as we focus on continuing accelerated expansion.”

About PERQ

PERQ (www.perq.com), a marketing technology provider, boosts website conversions by creating and delivering interactive experiences to the right consumers at the right time. Founded in 2001, PERQ solutions today are used by more than 1,000 businesses across the United States. PERQ’s brands have been named to the Inc. “500 Fastest Growing Companies in America” list on three separate occasions.

Connect with PERQ on Twitter @PERQMarketing or on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/perq.