DealersEdge Professional Forums

What kind of support would you, the cogs in America's automotive retail machine, give to an uncensored forum, where information is shared among the most important people in the business... YOU? A place to share information, advertise your ideas, and gain the uncensored knowledge and opinions of our peers? I understand the fine line between information and advertising, but what if one could have both?

What you've described is something, I think, that we already have here on these boards....until you threw in the "advertsing" bit .


"Advertising" can be useful and informative and its good to keep abreast of what's going on out there in the world....but it can also be a PITA. Most forums don't allow it. I get pestered enough as it is with people trying to sell me something. However.....

Personally, I wouldn't mind if it was segregated to a seperate area so I didn't have to wade thru it unless I had to.

The admins added the "Office manager" forum (good idea, btw). Maybe they could add a "Vendor" forum ?

Not my call, of course. If the admins said "No" I wouldn't be surprised. That "fine line" always seems to get trampled....much to everyone's annoyance.

DD

The last thing you want is us dealers lambasting you for ADP's lack of support, business model and other parameters out of your control. The one sacred thing we have in these forums is supposed unbiased information and support from peers in our industry. If a dealer feels they want to recommend a service or product they will step up and do so. I think most dealers woul find this "forum" you suggest would be riddled with biased information. You from your previous dealership exp, can proably relate. Great thought though.

This is great stuff, keep it coming. Personally, if I were a dealer , I would want a place where I could see all relevant options and opinions, not just what the admins of the board wanted me to see. Just as a little background, for those of you who did not get an opportunity to read the post I made last week in the IDMS thread, (which by the way has been edited to a shell of its former self) I made a very broad comment on what I, a person close to the street, have seen and heard regarding GM's IDMS pricing. The post in question did not advertise or promote one vendor over another, just stated my personal opinion. It is unfortunate that it could not be shared with the rest of the industry participants that come here for the knowledge, opinions and experience of fellow forum members. A wasted resource, in my eyes.

[This message has been edited by ADP TM (edited 04-09-2006).]

ADP TM-you have probably noticed if you have observed these forums over any period of time that this one has the least activity. I had a post totally removed from this forum once, not just severely edited-no bad words, just the plain, ugly truth according to plain, ugly me. They seem to be quite sensitive. If the doctor gives you a bad prognosis, just keep hunting until you find one that agrees with yours. So much of what is wrong in this business today is due directly to self-inflicted wounds. If you want to keep getting what you're getting, keep doing what you're doing and don't confuse me with the facts, I've already made up my mind.

[This message has been edited by kcatdeejay (edited 04-09-2006).]

ADP TM

I have been a reader of the DealersEdge.com Forum for some time. I have not posted before (was not ever registered). Your posts have led me to register and post a reply.

I believe you are describing a blog. No rules just discussion that becomes venting and agenda pushing. I am not a Ford dealer but I believe there is a Forum that several Ford dealers have established for the exchange of ideas outside of official Ford channels.

The reasons I read DealersEdge.com is to gain insights without the advertising. As a dealer I am constantly receiving advertising for the greatest thing since sliced bread. While I am always open to new ideas and concepts you tend to ignore them when they become so numerous. DealersEdge.com allows for the exchange of ideas without the profit motive of advertising unless advertising is actually purchased. Even then it can sometimes become a Forum for some ones agenda. To me there is still enough useful information to continue to monitor it. I for one, hope that the owners of DealersEdge.com keep it that way and I thank them for doing so. I believe they would tell you they are not doing this for their health or as a great public service. It is a method of advertising for them. They have a service to sell and that is why they spent the money and time to establish and maintain the Forum. I am impressed with the manner in which they present their products and services without beating you over the head. Please keep it that way. They provide the Forum and they can make the rules. DO NOT complain if they edit your posts. If you do not like it invest your own money and start a Forum. If you pay the piper you can make the rules.

As previously mentioned this part of the DealersEdge.com Forum does not receive the amount of posts the other do. Many of them are vents from dealership personnel that apparently are unable or afraid of their owners. If my occupation made me as unhappy as some of them appear to be I would change employers/careers/residence/???. I am aware there are some (OK many) dealer principals that are lousy managers and even worse employers. That is the way it is if you ever find the perfect job keep it a secret, lots of other guys (and gals) are looking for it.

Concerning IDMS As a GM Dealer I am somewhat mystified by it, but not losing any sleep over it. I also learned some time ago to take anything GM promotes as good for me with a grain of salt. If you are close to the street I think this is the attitude of most GM Dealers. I left ADP (maybe in your territory) many years ago for one of the up and coming little guys (Note the lack of advertising, but they are the one closest in ADPs rearview mirror and gaining fast) I am happy and will not make a change unless they deteriorate or GM mandates that I do so. Please note the I said mandates, not suggests, recommends, or urges. You know IDMS stamp might even be a negative!

I did not notice ADP complaining about the mandate for Saturn dealers to use EDS/ARG. I am certain that the purchase of EDS was in part to acquire that customer base. Now it appears to be leaving. Bad buy???? We have all done that on used cars, it only hurts for a little while. It could be worse you could have bought an Oldsmobile Franchise a few years ago.


To DealerEge.com - keep up the good work, I might purchase one of you services some day (seriously). To ADP TM sell (or manage sales) something, if it were easy my brother could fill your position.

[This message has been edited by GMDP (edited 04-10-2006).]

When these forums were started in 1999, Matt Parsons of EDS asked if we would set up an EDS Users Forum, with Matt as moderator. We were happy to do that and extended the same offer to ADP, Reynolds, and the other DMS vendors. Over the last seven years, we have repeated the offer directly to representatives of those companies. For reasons of their own, they have declined.

So far only Autosoft has taken us up on the offer and joined Matt in the moderated user forums.

We would prefer to direct discussions related to a particular DMS provider to a separate forum similar to the way Matt's ADP/EDS-ARG forum works.

Those of you who have followed these boards over the years know that we rarely edit other people's posts. We don't have to. One of the remarkable things about the Dealers Edge forums is that the discussions are almost always constructive with none of the name-calling that is so prevalent on other online discussion boards.

We do, however, try to eliminate blatant advertising (we would be happy to sell advertising space) and posts that, in our opinion, wander out of bounds.

That was the case in the GM-IDMS discussion. We recognize that this is a sensitive issue between Reynolds and ADP but DealersEdge doesn't want to play host to a catfight.

The GM-IDMS discussion has continued in a somewhat modified form and those posts have not been redacted.

Apparently I chose a poor screen name while registering to participate in this forum. It seems that most responses insinuate an agenda on my part. This could not be further from the truth. From most of the postings I have watched over the past 6 months, it appeared that the majority of us forum members were very open-minded. Of course, there are the select few that will bash one vendor over another, one manufacturer over another, etc. Its to be expected. Most of the posts I have read seem to be made by courteous, Internet savvy dealership employees looking for information on available solutions to their specific problems. It seems that my obvious employment status with ADP has drawn more attention than my attempt to provoke thought amongst my peers. My true intention to open forum participants minds to new ideas as opposed to the norm has been lost entirely. Due to the anonymous nature of an online forum, I have a hard time believing posts like the one from GMDP. Hidden name, email, etc...... I for one am proud of the company I work for, its product, and the value I provide to my dealers. I refuse to hide behind a screen name. I have met many dealership employees that are so enveloped in the minutia of their daily routine that they cannot, and will not; accept new ideas, trends, or solutions. Information is meant to be shared freely, and I really expected those of you that have been silenced on this forum to speak up. "If you do not like it invest your own money and start a Forum." Not expensive, and maybe not such a bad idea. GMDP, rest assured I would not request your participation.

[This message has been edited by ADP TM (edited 04-10-2006).]

I, for one feel just a little insulted. This forum is, by and large, uncensored. I have gained much here. The few posts that have been altered or deleted in the past were because they were blatant advertisments, and as it was pointed out, dealersedge.com has very attractive advertisment rates. I have been asked by my owner in the past to tone down my posts, and my APM has made noises about my posts, but other than that, I have pretty much run amuck here.
EDS came on to host their own forum pretty much because I asked them to (other people may have also asked, but to my knowledge, I was the one who pushed Matt to actually do it). I have asked my current DMS to do the same, but they claim to have their own forums (even though they have; to date NEVER answered a single users question on that forum). Autosoft has stepped up, while ADP and R+R, and the others sit quiet. I have looked for other online forums that allow the freedom of expression and thought that are here....guess what...it's not out there. If you want to start your own, go right ahead, I'll come take a look; but please don't insinuate that this forum is biased, I for one don't think it is.

[This message has been edited by Richard (edited 04-11-2006).]

Not Biased, Richard, CENSORED. There is a difference. I agree wholeheartedly that this is the most unbiased forum I participate on! And please, dont feel insulted, that is not my intention. I ask that you read my posts WITH AN OPEN MIND!

I can see this thread is going nowhere. Thank you for participating, those of you with positive comments. Those of you who took this as an attack, keep doing the same things you did today with the same results tomorrow!