Editor’s Notebook: Imports Top Vehicle Quality List
Increased Popularity Means More Maintenance Opportunities
Editor’s Notebook: Common Sense Equals Dollars & Cents
Today’s soaring gas prices should be reason enough to encourage your customers to take better care of their vehicles, but maybe they don’t understand the link between preventive maintenance and fuel economy. That’s where your role as their vehicle service provider comes into play. It’s your prime opportunity to educate them on the benefits of
Editor’s Notebook: Creative Motivation…Linking Fitness and Productivity
I recently read an article in my local newspaper about an area bank that was taking major steps to provide huge incentives to its employees for getting on the fitness bandwagon and/or quitting smoking. And, it’s to the tune of cold, hard cash. While numerous companies nationwide emphasize good health, it’s uncommon that they dangle
Editor’s Notebook: The Chinese are Coming
Chinese auto makers, Chery and Geely, will likely have a presence in the U.S., but the question is when? News reports in February indicated that both companies hit snags — Chery due to a lack of money and Geely because of the inability to pass trial runs of U.S. emissions and side-crash tests. In the
Editor’s Notebook: Deflating a Growing Crime
If you think air bag theft is a bunch of hot air, think again. Insurance and auto industry reports indicate that vehicle air bags can fetch hefty sums on the black market and are becoming increasingly attractive to thieves. There’s even a growing Internet market for air bags. Insurance industry statistics show that approximately 50,000
How Do You Spell Customer Service?
by Mary Della Valle In running a successful import service business today, you need loyal, repeat customers. Just as importantly, you also need reliable, reputable suppliers. Any way you look at it, your parts suppliers play an important role in the day-to-day operation of your shop. So choosing suppliers should be a well-thought-out decision. In
Editor’s Notebook: Thanks For a Job Well Done
Money talks. But it’s not the only incentive to work at full capacity and peak efficiency. Employees can also be motivated to perform job responsibilities well with other incentives, particularly those that relate to their personal well-being and sense of self-worth. In a recent survey of ImportCar readers, we asked the question: “What incentives do
Good Old-Fashioned Efforts Earn Customer Loyalty
Another year is winding down. We all have a lot of tasks to complete before the holidays and some of us are even making resolutions for the new year. Whether we keep them or not is another story. One business imperative you can’t afford to overlook is the effort you make in retaining customers. The
Editor’s Notebook: Taking Image-Building to New Heights
If you think you’re doing a great job with customer service, you might want to think again. Dealerships in your area may have the upper hand. Toyota has launched “Image USA II,” a dealership renovation program aimed at upgrading dealership exteriors and interiors with an emphasis on special customer “touch points” to provide a new
Hurricane Aftermath
May Be Closer to Home Than You Think By now, you’ve seen probably hundreds of reports detailing the destruction left behind by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Destruction to homes, businesses, human lives. The toll is immeasurable to those who were directly affected. To help ease the effects of these tragedies, there has been an outpouring
Friend or Foe? Evaluating China’s Impact on the Global Economy and Your Business
There’s a lot of talk these days about China and how its infrastructure is a growing market for U.S. auto parts. These facts* prove it: U.S. automotive suppliers exported $835 million in parts to the Chinese economic area in 2004; total parts exports to China, Hong Kong and Taiwan last year represent a 16.4% increase
Beware: There’s a New Kid on the Block
You just never know who your next competitor will be. Think beyond the import specialist shop down the road and the franchised service outlet around the corner. Think retail. Think J.C. Whitney & Company, the giant direct marketer of name-brand automotive parts and accessories, providing “everything automotive” with more than 100,000 items covering more than