ATcon is a management consulting firm for automobile and truck dealers specializing in Fixed Operations Consulting and Service Advisor Training. We generally avoid the segregation between service, parts and body shop. By utilizing a holistic approach to consulting we facilitate and enhance the potential for success and greater profitability.
Consulting companies have long made the mistake of categorizing themselves as service, parts, or body shop specialists. We believe our potential clients are best served and have the right to expect assistance in all of these areas, as well as recognition of the need for coordination between departments to achieve the desired results.
ATcon is known for its “clean sheet” approach to consulting. We understand fully that no business has the same situation. Therefore each consulting activity results in recommendations tailored to the individual client.
Dealers: Avoid Conspiracies to Commit Fraud in Your Dealership
by James E. Lawrence.
According to Bernard Boule, who has developed products for auto retail for 20 years and holds numerous patents, trademarks, and copyrights:
- Theft costs $9/employee/day. This amounts to $280,000 a year for dealers with 100 employees.
- Dealerships most vulnerable to this type of theft are those with fewer than 100 employees.
- 50% of all dealers experienced theft during a 5-year period during the 90's, growing at 5% annually.
- The majority of dealers can expect to be victimized by theft of some type every year.
- Reports show in the last 5 years 80% of employees have been involved in theft from their dealership.
Longitudinal crime statistics in the U.S., Canada and UK show that when the economy slows, increasing numbers of employees look for ways to maintain their standard of living at a clear cost to their employer. This can range from outright theft to increased Workers Compensation claims to padding timecards. In short, NOW IS THE TIME TO PREVENT FRAUD IN YOUR DEALERSHIP…
| This is the first of a series of four articles by David Linton written for F&I and Showroom e-magazine, the industry’s leading source for F&I, Sales and Technology. | |
 | Selling the Service 'Up' Many advisors in the service lanes confuse “selling” with “transacting.” Selling is a process that persuades someone to buy something, while transacting is simply conducting business to a settlement. What they fail to realize is that the latter can’t be accomplished without the former … If you have any comments or suggestions, please feel free to drop me an e-mail at dlinton@atconsse.com. Thanks, |
| This is the second of three articles on pay plans appearing in Ward's Dealer Business by David Linton. | |
| | In Search of The Perfect Pay Plan Many service department compensation plans are designed with the specific intent of managing people. But the old axiom is true: Pay plans don't manage people, managers manage people. Don't think a pay plan will do the work for you. “We are in a revolution in reward systems,” … If you have any comments or suggestions, please feel free to drop me an e-mail at dlinton@atconsse.com. Thanks, |
| Better Late Than Wrong |
|
|
| We promised more information on ATcon ASR+ by the 9th and missed the deadline but I think you will appreciate that this is a big deal and we want to get it right. We are pleased to announce our collaboration with MOC1 Solutions on ATcon ASR+. ATcon ASR+ is a comprehensive product designed to address every feature of the additional sales/MPVI process. Most of you understand that this segment of the service business is the most under pursued and yet the most fertile ground to grow your labor/parts sales volume. After all, the customer is already in the shop, they expect us to "notify" them if we see anything out of the ordinary, and they are likely to consider having the proposed work done because of the "convenience" element. ATcon ASR+ addresses the basic process development and training issues to ensure consistent and successful sales performance. It also capitalizes on existing technology in the service department to streamline the process and allow the manager to identify potential problem areas before they become problematic. It provides a myriad of communication alternatives and presentation aids. The ATcon ASR+ package consists of four days of on-site training by an ATcon consultant preceded by the installation of our new ATcon ASR+ software. In addition, the dealership will receive an initial four month license and a monthly review of the ASR+ performance reports by the consultant. Your price for this package is $12,795. After the first four months, the product fee is $1,495/month. Follow the link provided for a more complete description of the product and to learn how you can calculate your potential return on investment. You can also call your ATcon consultant or our office and we will be happy to talk with you regarding ATcon ASR+. |
| Coming January 9th, 2012 |
|
|
| For years our clients have been asking for an Additional Service Request (ASR) electronic tracking process that is linked to their Dealer Management System (DMS). We are excited to announce that on January 9, 2012 we will introduce you to ATcon ASR Plus. More details will follow. |
| | In Search of The Perfect Pay Plan Here is a link to the first of three articles starting in December in Ward's Dealer Business by David Linton. We will send you further links as they appear. Click here to read the first article If you have any comments or suggestions, please feel free to drop me an e-mail at dlinton@atconsse.com. I would like to wish you all the very best during this holiday season. Thanks, |
| Coming January 9th, 2012 |
|
|
| The contribution to be realized from the sale of Additional Service Requests is enormous. Yet it is the most under-utilized, under-trained, under-analyzed, and misunderstood element in service merchandising. Everyone has a reason for allowing this to continue. “It’s too hard to define.” “It’s too difficult to control.” “It can’t be tracked without a ton of paperwork.” Coming January 2012, these excuses are going to be totally eliminated for every dealer. Stay tuned for further details! |
| Would you invest one phone call to increase your Service Net by 260 percent? Our consulting staff regularly submits financial performance data in their visit reports. I review each of these reports looking for the good, bad, and the unusual. When I saw the report below, I became even more convinced that the opportunity for improvement in our service departments is very much alive. The store you see detailed below is not representative of every store by any means and your results may vary. But what if you are the one with this potential and you don’t recognize it? Or maybe you know it’s there, you just can’t see how to trigger it. Is it worth that phone call? Give us a call at 1-800-692-2719. The call is free as is the conversation. Who knows, you might be the next example we use. |
| Once again, for those of us who live in the northern part of North America, the winter tire season is fast coming upon us. Working with a client in Oakville, Ontario, I came across a unique tire and wheel storage solution. I thought the article might be of assistance to those who are in the tire business. It represents a great opportunity to increase revenue and keep the customer coming back at least twice a year. |
ATcon