High-Tech Showrooms
“Today’s showrooms are all about comfort,” says Jeff Burke, marketing director of the distribution division for Alliance, Ohio-based Terry’s Tire Town. “Of course, you are seeing more space on the walls being dedicated to ‘up sells’ for other automotive components – bug deflectors, running boards, etc. – but the smart dealer is the one that is diversifying its product offering in addition to providing exceptional service.”
Burke says that today’s showrooms are taking on more of a high-tech look, and he cites one particular vendor that has helped make showrooms more comfortable, attractive and informative. It’s called AutoNetTV.
“Flat-panel TVs are dramatically changing the look of showrooms. We installed them with this new video programming because we wanted to offer the customers in our waiting rooms something that was informative as well as entertaining,” Burke says. “This service does all of that.”
AutoNetTV provides automotive television programming specifically targeting customers in the waiting areas of automotive service centers. AutoNetTV entertains and educates customers who wait for their service to be completed.
“We receive 12 DVDs a year – one per month – on a timely basis, and run the programs in our showrooms continuously,” says Burke. “It’s basically used to give our customers information on service – tips, etc. A host or hostess provides the dialogue, and the mission is to inform in an entertaining way.”
AutoNetTV, based in American Fork, Utah, was the brainchild of Sean Whiffen, who first considered the concept in 2003. His dream became reality in 2005, and today it serves more than 3,800 locations in the U.S.
“As an independent reporting organization, not owned or operated by an automotive service company, we bring objectivity to understanding any discomfort and uncertainty associated with having a vehicle serviced,” says Whiffen. “Our goal is to help educate our clients’ customers, provide them with a better understanding of basic automotive issues and help them enjoy the ride along the way.”
AutoNetTV assembled a team with broad experience in the startup and management of television production. Team and advisory panel members have ASE (Automotive Service Excellence) certifications and decades of experience in automotive services.
Whiffen says that coming up with the concept was essentially a no-brainer.
“We knew that the retail market – the Targets, Wal-Marts, etc. – already was ahead of the automotive aftermarket in terms of marketing products and services with the 21st century customer in mind,” Whiffen says. “We recognized that many vehicle owners really didn’t know what needed to be done to service their vehicles, or they lacked confidence in the information available to them.”
So, AutoNetTV took advantage of that void and partnered with CBS to develop hour-long featurettes to educate waiting customers about vehicle systems and service – a virtual who, what and when that reinforces the store’s efforts and can lead to future sales opportunities.
“We have segments on replacing and repairing tires, tire pressure monitoring systems, exhaust service, radiator service, replacing wiper blades, alignments, shocks, struts, etc.,” Whiffen says. “All a dealer needs is a big-screen TV!”
