Tag Archives: call center

May Auto Sales Make Up for April Slump

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In retrospect, April was a bit of a disappointing month overall for auto sales, especially compared to the rest of 2013 and late 2012. As the numbers come in from May, however, it is clear that this is going to mark a strong start to the summer.

Among the month’s winners were General Motors, who reported the best monthly sales since September 2008, as well as Nissan with its best May sales ever. According to early reports, Chrysler, Ford, and Toyota also had increased sales in May, but as of publication, those numbers are not finalized yet.

Going into the summer months, pickup sales are expected to continue rising. People are buying them for both business and pleasure, from home construction to camping and off-road recreation. The F-Series, Ram, and Chevy Silverado have all sold very well so far and are expected to see a healthy spike when May’s sales numbers are finalized.

With May over, summer is officially here. Are you ready to move more inventory and boost foot traffic in your dealership? Special Finance Group is ready to assist you with their Complete Special Finance Solution. To learn more about what Special Finance Group can do for you, go to http://www.specialfinancegroup.com, and connect with Special Finance Group on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

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Auto Sales: April’s Big Winners

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Now that April is done and the sales numbers are finalized, the auto industry is seeing that April might not have been as strong as March, but some automakers finished up April feeling very happy indeed.

Among the best performers in April were Nissan with 80,003 units, Ram with 32,124 units, and Ford with 204,969 units sold. Compared to 2012, they had volume increases of 24.62 percent, 49.38 percent, and 17.77 percent respectively.

Nissan NA was the highest performing automaker overall, however, with a 23.16 percent increase over April 2012. They also saw an 18.23 percent daily sales rate increase. Chrysler Group had Ram’s strong sales in their favor, but it was brought down by Chrysler’s disappointing numbers, only bringing in 27,836 compared to 31,879 in April 2012.

Going into May, dealerships will be enjoying some of the best weather they will have all year. Americans will be thinking about getting out of town, going to the beach, or hitting the road for summer vacation, and if they don’t have a road-ready car, they will need to get one soon. Plus, consumers are still figuring out how to spend their tax refund. With the right marketing push, dealerships could make a lot of money in May.

If you are looking to move more inventory and boost foot traffic in your dealership, Special Finance Group is ready to assist you with their Complete Special Finance Solution. To learn more about what Special Finance Group can do for you, go to http://www.specialfinancegroup.com, and connect with Special Finance Group on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

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Better Special Finance Accepts No Excuses

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“A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.” Great advice can stand the test of time, and when it comes to special finance, one of the most lasting and helpful pieces of advice anyone can give is, “Don’t accept excuses.”

Today, I was re-reading some of the excellent articles over at Special Finance Insider’s website, and I came across Brett Boatright’s tough-love article “Who’s Selling Who?” He walks through the typical excuses that salespeople, sales managers, finance managers, and used car buyers doll out when they fail to deliver on funding deals. The leads are the problem, the banks are the problem, the inventory is the problem…and so on and so forth.

The truth is that these are excuses, and there are steps that every special finance department can take to improve from the sales people to the finance managers. Most of the problems stem from not following through with leads, failing to be diligent with paperwork, and not knowing banks and finance companies’ programs inside and out. Every employee should take a moment periodically to take inventory of their day, how their time is spent, and how they can improve on their work. If they aren’t up to date on bank and finance programs, they need to schedule the time to learn it. Taking these simple steps can already put your special finance department back on the right track.

Special Finance Group wants to give your special finance department the tools it needs to succeed and exceed your expectations. To learn more about Special Finance Group’s Complete Special Finance Solution, go to http://www.specialfinancegroup.com, and connect with Special Finance Group on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn!

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Automakers Break Records with March 2013 Sales

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After 2012′s record-breaking sales, it seemed like the auto industry would eventually hit its peak and plateau. Now that March is over, though, it hasn’t happened yet. For nearly every automaker, March 2013 sales were significantly higher than one year ago.

Cadillac saw the highest increase in volume of sales with a 49 percent increase compared to March 2012, but Ram and Dodge also did extremely well with 24 percent and 15 percent increases respectively. Ford was the top seller overall with 229,335 units, though it was on the lower end of sales increases with a 6.86 percent increase.

Going into April, dealerships across the country need to dive in and realize that they could see some of their best numbers in years this spring. Now that auto loans are more accessible than ever, even to consumers with poor credit, dealerships simply need to focus on getting car shoppers in the door. Americans are ready to buy, and with the right promotion and customer outreach, they are almost guaranteed to do well.

Are you looking to move more inventory, increase profits for service and parts, and bring in more foot traffic to your dealership? Special Finance Group’s Complete Special Finance Solution can give you all that and more. Go to http:///www.specialfinancegroup.com to learn more, and connect with Special Finance Group online through Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn!

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Survey: Dealerships Responding Quicker to Internet Leads

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A new mystery shopper survey shows that dealerships who respond quickly and effectively to internet leads are getting an edge over the competition.

According to the survey, auto dealerships have a quicker response time to internet leads. Half the time, salespeople respond to customer inquiries within 30 minutes, down from 1 hour two years ago. Even busy dealerships have set up automated e-mail responses to internet inquiries so that the person gets a response right away if the dealership is too busy to call in the next hour.

One problem that arises for dealerships receiving internet leads and inquiries is that it takes time to contact these potential customers, answer their questions, and convince them to stop by for a test drive. Dealerships that had a quick response time weren’t always the best when it came to thoroughly answering questions, while other dealerships had the exact opposite problem. Mini had a 15 percent non-response rate with leads, but they got a 63 percent satisfaction rate for answering customer questions, 19 percent higher than the industry average. Besides that, the sales team has to take care of customers walking in the door and can’t always help every internet lead satisfactorily.

As part of Special Finance Group’s Complete Special Finance Solution, dealerships get the advantage of a fully-staffed business development center which tracks internet leads, answers customer questions, and schedules appointments to stop by the dealership. With Special Finance Group, you can focus attention on the customers coming through the door while still getting the most out of internet leads.

Want to learn more about the Complete Special Finance Solution? Go to http://www.specialfinancegroup.com, and connect with Special Finance Group on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn!

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Backdating Deals: A Costly Mistake

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For years, backdating sales contracts was a common practice for dealerships across the country. They used to backdate to get in on time-sensitive manufacturer incentives or because they wanted to hit a sales target.

Almost three years ago, a California appeals court ruled against a San Diego dealership for backdating contracts and ordered that the dealership pay $50 to every member of the class action lawsuit. Additionally, they had to pay around $400,000 in legal fees.  The court ruled that backdating violated the Truth In Lending Act since the buyer will have to pay additional interest, and if the APR changed as a result of backdating, the dealership will be violating the law unless it falls within one-eighth of 1 percent of the calculated rate.

According to Gil Van Over, writer for Wards Auto, the auto industry has not taken the proper steps so that dealerships will not be tempted to backdate a deal. Automakers have charged back on incentives when a contract date is just outside of the incentive deadline. Some dealerships have just argued that the court was wrong in its ruling and that if a car buyer is driving the car already, they should be paying interest. Fortunately, automakers are starting to catch up, and if the dealership reaches out to factory auditors and provides proper documentation, the dealership will not be charged back on incentives. As to arguing that the court ruled incorrectly, the law is the law. The court’s job is to interpret the law. Just because you disagree with the court’s interpretation of the law doesn’t mean that your dealership will not be subject to that same law and its interpretation.

Backdating is tempting, but it is a costly mistake made by too many dealerships. Be vigilant, and make sure your dealership isn’t making this mistake!

Special Finance Group is ready to help your dealership bring in more customers and close more quality deals. Find out more about our Complete Special Finance Solution here or go to http://www.specialfinancegroup.com. You can also connect with Special Finance Group on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

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1 in 4: Why 25 Percent of Car Shoppers Are “Still Shopping”

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Every day, dealerships have customers walk in and out the door without buying a car. It is a fact of life. There is no way to get every person who comes into the dealership to purchase a car. No dealership will ever have a perfect record, but this isn’t a reason to get lax or not to strive for improvement. A new consumer survey just released might shed some light on where dealerships are losing the sale.

According to the survey conducted by CAR-Research XRM, the top 12 reasons why consumers aren’t buying are as follows:

25 percent: Still Shopping
15 percent: Price
13 percent: Financial
10 percent: Inventory
10 percent: Style
5 percent: Payments
4 percent: Sales Staff Issues
4 percent: Trade
3 percent: Decision Maker Absent
2 percent: Time Constraints
1 percent: Negative Equity

1 in 4 customers leave the dealership with the vague response that they are “still shopping.” The price, financial issues, and inventory are still high on the list, but a full quarter want a car but need an extra push of urgency. They don’t feel any loyalty to this dealership over any other dealership, and they are still chasing that idea that the next dealership will offer a better deal.

With Special Finance Group’s Complete Special Finance Solution, partner dealerships will have more customers walking in the door and ready to buy. Our telemarketers reach out to consumers who are ready to buy and they establish a sense of excitement and sense of urgency. These customers walk into the dealership with their financial documents on-hand, ready to buy a car that day. Special Finance Group turns “still shopping” into “done shopping.”

Find out more about Special Finance Group and the Complete Special Finance Solution by going to http://www.specialfinancegroup.com, and connect with Special Finance Group on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

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No License, No Car: Why Dealerships Cannot Sell Without a Driver’s License

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Last week, Gil Van Over at Ward’s Auto published an article “Believe It: Valid ID Needed to Buy Car.” In the article, he explains why dealerships cannot (and should not) sell a car if the purchaser does not have a valid driver’s license. As he puts it, “You can’t clear airport security by showing an expired driver’s license. You can’t rent a car with an expired driver’s license.” Why should you be able to buy a car without a valid driver’s license?

There are a number of problems that can arise if a dealership sells a car to a person without a valid license. The buyer might have multiple DUI convictions which automatically bans them from registering a vehicle. In that case, the dealership will have to pay off the loan. In another case, a buyer might be using someone else’s social security number and personal information that they purchased illegally, but their story will fall apart if asked for a valid driver’s license.

State and federal laws including the Patriot Act and the Red-Flags Rule require valid identification from the potential buyer. These laws also require that the dealership be vigilant and do their part to battle identity theft. At Special Finance Group, our call center representatives speak with potential customers every day. When they set appointments at associated dealerships, our representatives require that customers bring identification and verification of income including but not limited to their driver’s license and social security card. This way, we do our part to battle identity theft and protect our associated dealerships.

Find out today what Special Finance Group can do for you! Go to http://www.specialfinancegroup.com and check out our Complete Special Finance Solution! Be sure to also connect with Special Finance Group on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn!

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From Online to On the Lot: An Easier Car Buying Experience

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The internet has unquestionably changed the way we shop for cars. Customers start shopping long before they walk into a dealership, everything from researching makes and models online to reading dealership reviews on Google and Yelp. More than ever, car shoppers will walk into a dealership with a clear idea of the car they want and the price they want to pay.

A recent survey from Accenture shows, however, that car dealership websites are not effectively helping potential car buyers to move forward through the car buying process. Instead, 73 percent of respondents said that browsing dealership websites made them more likely to turn off the computer and use other sources in their car search.

Overall, the results of the study showed that car shoppers want to complete most of the work before they go into the dealership. They want dealerships to make the process from online researching to purchasing the vehicle in-person as seamless as possible, and they want consistent customer service every step of the way.

The great news is that with the help of Special Finance Group, any dealership can streamline their car buying process and give customers the seamless internet-to-dealership experience that they clearly want. Special Finance Group’s Complete Special Finance Solution includes a dedicated website www.ApprovedLoanStore.com where car shoppers can fill out a secure online auto loan application and read glowing testimonials from real customers. Within 24 to 48 hours, the applicant is contacted by a representative and set up with an appointment at an associated dealership. It simplifies the car buying process, increases foot traffic in the dealership, and gives a nice boost to the parts and service department, and this is only one part of the Complete Special Finance Solution!

You can read more about the benefits of Special Finance Group’s Complete Special Finance Solution by going to http://www.specialfinancegroup.com or connect with Special Finance Group on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

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2013: Reviewing Your Dealership’s Resolutions for the New Year

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2012 was an outstanding year for the auto industry with strong sales numbers despite setbacks like Hurricane Sandy. Every dealership across America had the potential for their best year since the start of the recession. The question is, though, how did your dealership perform?

Looking back at the goals your dealership set for 2012, how close did you come to meeting those goals? More importantly, did you do everything you could in order to meet those goals? Many dealerships aren’t taking advantage of the opportunities right in front of them such as an efficient special finance department. A well-run special finance department alone can bring in additional business. Not only will the dealership sell more cars, they will also bring in more business for the normal sales and service/parts department.

What about dealerships that already have a special finance department? Well, if a special finance department isn’t running properly, there is almost no point in having one. Look at your dealership’s special finance department if you have one, and ask yourself if there is room for improvement. Is there a steady stream of customers coming in the door, or are you slogging through sub-par leads hoping to find some real customers?

Fortunately, Special Finance Group has Complete Special Finance Solutions suited for dealerships that currently have a special finance department and those who do not have a special finance department. With Special Finance Group, partner dealerships get a fully-staffed business development center which tracks all leads and advertising, sets appointments for potential customers, and manage general customer service. Additionally, partner dealerships will have two special finance experts at their location to manage all in-house operations, and Special Finance Group hosts monthly meetings to review dealership performance and educate reps about the latest consumer laws to maintain compliance.

Want to learn more about Special Finance Group and their Complete Special Finance Solutions? Go to http://www.specialfinancegroup.com, and connect with Special Finance Group on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net