Androidify ME!

This will be a blog about creating my first android app.  It is going to be an involved application using video and customer interaction, so it will prove to be a challenging adventure.  Expect everything in a good movie; tears, anger, sweat, tension, oh and the occasional WTF!!!!   So starp on your boots and enjoy the ride the hardest parts are in front of us.



Ken

Is your inventory "Marriage Material"?



     In the last couple of weeks, I have seen several articles and heard mention about some of the great relationship building companies in the market today.  We have all heard about Nordstrom’s policy about returns and Disney's regard toward guests at their parks.  I want to take some time and really look at your online vehicle inventory with you, and how it can relate to the relationship puzzle.

    

 Everyone wants an attention grabbing shiny "new" car, whether you call it "Keeping up with the Jones'", or our nations other pastime.  Everyone’s version of that vehicle is different.  New attention getting vehicles have been a force in the Automotive Dealer Industry since the automobile was invented.  Think of all the fins, curves, flares, and spoilers from when you were younger.  Does that first test drive of the car you've always wanted still bring a little smile to your face? Automobiles move us, whether we own them or not. 

  

 America's fascination with the automobile has been a relationship all unto itself.  It’s a relationship that we can tap into with your online inventory.  But there are some things that we need to recognize and do before it will become a possibility. 

    

     Dating is an example that I like to use when thinking about an online shopper.  The person is looking for a long term commitment,  someone that they're going to spend a lot of time with, someone that won't quit on them, and there always has to be some sort of attraction.  Before a "First Date" you always get dressed up.  I mean, you never know when you are going to find "The One"...

Here are some of the guidelines I like to think about:

1. Dress up for your "First Date"! - Make sure your vehicle is standing tall before you shoot.  Stickers, mud, dirty interiors, and wheels and rims covered in filth do not make a great first impression.
2. Present yourself in a "Good Light"! - Check your descriptions and specifications.  Incorrect information at the beginning of a relationship can turn it ugly.
3. Always Call back for a "Second Date"! - Have processes in place to field calls and return them as soon as the first date is over.
4. Be what you Put online! - If your images show the vehicle standing tall, make sure that when it is time for the "Second Date" that it is in the same condition.  Don't pull the vehicle up for a test drive in any other condition.
5. There is always an end to the "Honeymoon"! - Keep in contact with “The Newlyweds" after the sale.  Offer support and services.  Ask when you can schedule their first oil change for them.  Offer to enroll them in money saving programs that either your dealerships or OEM offers.  Show them that their relationship with their vehicle is as important as your relationship with them.

Nordstrom & Disney are two great models of taking care of their customers, but if your dealership can actually change people from customers to Family.  If you just picture your vehicles as "Marriage Ready", and your customers as future sons and daughters in-law, you'll find that blood is thicker than water.