I was at the mall the other day.  I wanted to take a load off and headed towards a cushy armchair.  As I approached I thought I could see something under the chair.  I bent over and fished out a $10 bill.  Now that was a pleasant surprise.  It’s not like I can retire early, but the Mrs. Fields snickerdoodle I bought with it tasted pretty good.

I was reminded of another pleasant surprise when I spoke with Van who manages an automotive center that subscribes to our Digital Lobby TV.  When we started AutoNetTV, we aimed to help automotive centers improve their CSI and lift their ARO.  We’ve succeeded at that, but our customers also started reporting a benefit we hadn’t intended: We started hearing things like, “I’ve been in this business over 20 years and I’m learning from the AutoNetTV program.”

Of course we’re not training Service Advisors and Technicians to diagnose and repair vehicles better.  But we are modeling how to communicate to typical consumers the complicated world of automotive service and repair.  The AutoNetTV educational programs explain topics in familiar, non-technical terms; simply lay out what needs to be done; and help viewers understand the performance, safety and economic benefits of taking care of the services you recommend.

So when I was talking with Van, I was not surprised to hear him say his “new guys” learn a lot from the program.  Watching AutoNetTV Digital Lobby TV is now part of Van’s training routine for “new guys”.

Click on this link for an overview of our automotive lobby TV program delivered on a powerful digital signage platform.  And stay tuned for our soon-to-be-released digital menu board that’ll kick things up a notch or two. 

We created this fun ad to air on the CNN Airport Network last month.  It highlights Lobby TV and Web Tools in 30 seconds.

AutoNetTV products increase CSI, lift sales and enhance your web presence.  Check out our Product Page.

AutoNetTV's Ross Hayner gives covers the basics of drive belts and diagnosis of common drive belt problems.

Hallie Janssen, Vice President of Anvil Marketing, provides three great tips to improve dealership social media marketing.

Of course one thing every social media marketer needs is content.  Check out AutoNetTV Web Tools to see how you can tap into our vast video library to supercharge your social media efforts.  AutoNetTV has products to improve CSI with automotive Lobby TV, digital menu boards and digital signage.

Any successful digital signage application is comprised of two very important elements: delivery technology and content.  They work hand-in-hand for maximum impact on the audience you are seeking to reach.

In the automotive arena, the obvious target audience is the customer; and with the right technology and content, digital signage can be a powerful training tool for team members as well.

I spoke with Greg Vassar this week.  Greg’s auto center is in New York state.  He has installed the AutoNetTV Digital Lobby TV which uses state-of-the-art digital signage delivery equipment.  Greg’s digital media player has upgraded video on demand (VOD) capabilities.  The player stores an extensive library of AutoNetTV videos on over 75 service and repair topics. 

When Greg recommends a service that his customer is not familiar with, he simply grabs his remote control and pulls up a video on the topic and watches it with the customer on his flat screen TV.  It’s a low pressure, 3^rd party way to reinforce the recommendation and it helps close a lot of sales for Greg.

Now Greg knows his stuff, but some of his newer team members need a little training from time to time.  Greg uses the VOD feature to show team members how to present various service and repair recommendations to customers. 

A robust technology solution also allows individual auto centers and brand affiliates to upload corporate training videos, product information, HR compliance, program launches and so on.

Now on to content:  Frankly good content is harder to find than a good delivery technology.  While AutoNetTV has several partners for entertainment content, it has always felt that the core educational segments that teach and encourage your customers should be produced in-house.  This is the video content that motivates your customers to restore vehicle safety and performance while fending off future, premature repairs – and you get to help them do that.

Together  powerful digital signage technology and top-quality content drive up CSI, loyalty and profits.

If you haven’t looked into digital signage or digital menu boards for your auto center, check out AutoNetTV ‘s offering to see how it can add to your profitability and customer satisfaction.  Digital Lobby TV

This week, a training community is teaching how to cut metal, registration is open for the NCMA cataloging conference, the NHTSA concluded its safety iinvestigation into Chevy Volts and the MACS convention concludes.

Auto Market Weekly's Kari Hawker

This week, collision groups are looking to change a long-standing requirement, PPG’s show truck is touring the country, dealerships are working to regain lost sales and NAPA names its tech of the year.

Auto Market Weekly's Kari Hawker

“Doctor, thank you for seeing me on such short notice.”

“Certainly, Joan.  Please, lie down on the couch.  Now what’s disturbing you?”

“I keep having this dream.  I don’t understand it.”

“Go on.”

“Well it’s kind of fuzzy, but it has something to do with CSI.”

“Interesting.  New York?  Las Vegas? . . . Miami?”

“No, it’s not like that.”

“Do you think this is connected to that dream last month about David Caruso in the wallaby suit?”

“No, no.  I kept getting the impression that CSI was rising.  That my CSI was rising.”

“Hmmm.  Go on.”

“And the word ‘differential’ keeps flashing through my mind.”

“Equations?  Diagnosis?  Is this about Dr. House?”

“It’s more like compensating . . . making up for differences . . . something that requires attention.  But now that you mention it, I do have the feeling that it’s television related.”

“I see.  Let’s take a step back and look for triggers.  When did these dreams start?”

“Monday night.”

“Tell me about Monday.”

“It was a pretty typical day.  I got the kids off to school and went to work.  Oh, on my way home I stopped to have my oil changed.”

“Stop there.  What do you remember about the lobby?”

“It was nice.  Clean.  There was a TV program playing.”

“Go on.”

“Well it was fun to watch.  It had a movie review, a clip from The Doctors.  Oh, and I got a great tip on how to untangle necklace chains from Rachael Ray.”

“I think I know what is going on.  Do you recall hearing the term ‘AutoNetTV’?”

“Yes – there were several segments from AutoNetTV on different car services.  I actually learned a lot.”

“Yes, this is all becoming clear.  AutoNetTV is a cunningly crafted digital signage television program that combines education on taking care of your vehicles with entertaining segments from various sources like CBS, REELZ Channel, and so on.  As you can attest, the program can really get into your mind.  Tell me, Joan; do you feel motivated?”

“Motivated and empowered.  I really see how I can save money by taking care of my car.  My auto center even has AutoNetTV videos on their website so I can research anything I want about my car.”

“Yes, Joan, AutoNetTV is very powerful.  Fortunately, they use their power for good.  Now let me interpret your dream.  One of the AutoNetTV educational segments you viewed was on differential service.  Your differential compensates for the difference in wheel speed between your inside wheel and your outside wheel in a turn.  Your differential requires service on a schedule to keep it running properly.”

“Yes, yes!  I remember now!”

“Listen – this is the astonishing part:  CSI stands for Customer Satisfaction Index.  Your dream is telling you that you are satisfied with your service experience.  How your unconscious mind was able to produce that metric fascinates me . . .”

“Doctor, I was a little embarrassed to mention this earlier, but in my dream that handsome service advisor was sitting right next to me.”

“Ah!  That is the final proof!  Watching AutoNetTV is like having a full-time service advisor in the lobby with the customers at all times.  You have nothing to worry about, Joan.  You are simply under the influence of AutoNetTV’s beneficial forces, urging you to show care for your family by caring for your car.  I pronounce you ‘Cured’!”

“Thank you, Doctor.  By the way, when was the last time you had your cooling system serviced?”

Check out Digital Lobby TV, AutoNetTV’s digital signage program designed to increase sales and CSI while entertaining your customers – and AutoNetTV Web Tools videos for your website.

This week, Polk anticipates a new vehicles sales boom,Motor Age’s After Hours gets a new schedule,AASP of Minnesota is hosting and electronic seminar and a Progressive fraud suit is settled.

Auto Market Weekly's Kari Hawker

Some time ago we produced a video about what automotive center owners and operators wished their customers knew.  I imagine that some of these items are on your list as well. 

• You care for your customers.  You’re concerned about their safety, you want their vehicles to run well and you’re mindful of their budget.
• It’s hard to fix cars.  Mechanical and electronic sophistication grows exponentially and it takes a huge commitment to on-going training and updating tools and diagnostic equipment to keep up.  Time and training to keep current contribute significantly to overhead. 
• Speaking of overhead, you’re running a business that has all of the usual overhead costs that go hand-in-hand with any business operation.  Customers can get thinking “parts and labor” and forget the rest.  I like the restaurant analogy: You don’t value your meal by what the food would cost at the grocery store.  The restaurant has rent, wages, insurance, taxes, utilities, professional fees, equipment, supplies – you get the picture.  The restaurant has to charge enough to not only pay for the ingredients, but for all these other things as well – and make enough profit to remain in business.  If you enjoy the meal and are satisfied with your dining experience, you’ll come back and tell your friends.  It’s the same for your facility.  The value of your service is not the cost of the parts you install, but in your customers’ satisfaction with the results.  If your customers feel that you deliver a good product at a fair price, they’ll be happy to see you succeed as a business.
• This one may also fall in the category of things you wish your technicians knew: you would rather see your customer come in several times a year for routine maintenance than every few years on a tow hook.   Big ticket repairs are always welcome, but you will probably make as much from scheduled maintenance and minor repairs uncovered in a courtesy inspection as you will from one breakdown.  Plus, your revenue stream will be more steady and predictable.  Of course, your customer will save money in the long run and your relationship will be much more solid and trusting.
• A professional image is usually among the top three concerns of service and repair operations.  I can’t overemphasize the importance of having everything your customers see and touch, and every interaction they have with the team convey a well thought out, polished (practiced) professional approach to complete customer satisfaction.
• And you may want your customers to know that behind that professional image are real people with families, interests, community commitments and so on.  Let your customers know about the teams you sponsor, invite them to participate with you in food drives or Toys for Tots.  Use your lobby, website and social media efforts to help spread the word.
• And by all means, let your customers know you value their referrals.  Referrals keep your marketing costs low so you can afford to reward your customers for sending their friends and family your way.

So once you’ve got your list, how do you go about communicating it to customers?  I suggest writing out a couple of short “elevator” speeches on each topic – maybe 10 to 30 seconds long.  These little speeches can be practiced by the team members and used at appropriate touch points during the customer experience (i.e. ask for referrals after you’ve explained your warranty when cashing out).  A rule of thumb: 30 words take about 10 seconds to say. 

More and more automotive centers are turning to digital signage and digital menu boards for their lobbies and other areas to help get out their value proposition.

The better your customers understand you and your business, the more they will appreciate what you do and the higher they’ll value your relationship.

Lance Boldt is V.P. and Co-Founder of AutoNetTV Media, Inc., creators of lobby TV (including digital signage applications), website video and point-of-sale video tools that educate and motivate people to take better care of their vehicles. AutoNetTV