e-mail communication with our customers

[Edana]

We have a simple spot on our website that says to 'enter your email address to be added to our e-mailing list'. It is stored in a database and accessible for bulk emailing/newsletters. Homenetinc.com has created as well for our group a car page for each customer to monitor their service history. The history is pulled at the close of business automatically from our DMS. We can send a newsletter through this as well with vehicle specific email for recalls and safety tips as well. It is a great and cost effective solution to your problem. Hope this helps.

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Edana Sidline
Price Auto Group

[Attidude is Everthin]

Its seems to me that the replys are missing the big picture. Everyone is suggesting a tool to use, what you need is the tool box first. A true CRM, customer relationship management software. No plugs here, there are several out there.

[Edana]

Yes. Homenet Inc. (www.homenetinc.com) created this for us among many other software solutions and the names are stored in a data base where you can send out bulk email updates for Newsletter subscribers or it can be posted on your website. We have a self enrollment on our site as well. They really do a great job!

[carman045]

HM,

Log on to Carabunga.com and see if this product will meet you needs. If you use ADP, R/R or UCS DMS systems they use your data base and you can do direct mail or email produce marketing programs on line and your customers can with-in a week.

Hope this helps

[jimmuntz]

A word about plugging products-

As moderator I have been content to let this string play out. Normally our policy to to prohibit the use of the forum for the advertising of products and services. However, we do see some benefit from allowing in to proceed in this case. If regular users of the forum disagree, feel free to contact me via post or email. We will continue to edit out inappropriate marketing messages from other discussion strings.


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Jim Muntz
Publisher WD&S Publishing
jimmuntz@dealersedge.com
Phone 800-321-5312
FAX 800-314-4770

[David Cates]

All of us would like to plug our products in here, but I for one believe it could get out of hand and we would have more "plugging" than substantive discussion.

If nothing else, it would be nice if whoever has a product / service to advertise would at least have to be a registered member, so that we can see who it is. I know there have been plugs in here and in other departments by those who would like to come off as dealership personnel but more than likely are affiliated with the companies they mention. I also think having to register would allow regular users to eventually decide if the poster offers credible and helpful input to the discussion or merely continues to use the forum as a free billboard.

More importantly, I think most dealers know there are products out there that will help them. I know there is one about to be released that is extremely cutting edge, superior by far to anything I have seen to date, and I have seen most. But even the best products wont help if there arent the proper processes, personnel, expertise, technology, and commitment in place. Discussions on these matters would be more beneficial to dealers, and from what I can tell this board has made its name on providing discussions that help dealers and dealer personnel, not vendors.

As always, just my two cents. Doesnt mean its right.

[guys5]

Whilst we can all spent big Dollars on sophisticated Email Data Capture programs, the facts are that less than 20% of customers emails are responded to ! is this true of your dealership, Do you Know ???

[info@metricals.com]

To answer guys5 question, my company researched dealer e-mail response capabilities this year and found that a large percentage of dealers tested did not respond at all. So just make sure you can effectively handle the online volume you get now before launching a monster e-mail campaign.

[BDC Manager]

I would also encourage that you check out cowboy because they to have a product called myservice record which allows the customer to log in an see there service history, and etc..

[puredealer]

Regarding dealer communications and follow up on email, many dealers do not follow up well at all. In addition, the majority of dealers say "bring it on" when we first meet to discuss websites and related Internet/traditional promotion with them. On the other side of the coin, we have a major success story with one dealer doing 3/4 of car sales through the Internet.

We've needed to throttle back the lead faucet many times until the dealer was truly ready to properly handle the email that a well built and promoted site could bring.

In one extreme case, we went from about 100 to 1200 leads per month in a one month period, thus overwhelming the dealerships involved despite their aggressive approach to handling Internet ups. Although this occurred several years ago, when lead management tools were scarce, the dealer felt they were ready to accept as much as the Internet could bring. Lesson learned.

Whatever software/process you buy into, just make sure you will have time to use it, and that it is simple to use as well. Training is also a HUGE part of this. Make sure that training is involved, and that there is some committment for ongoing support for the product/service you buy.

Good luck, and let me know if I can be of any help.

-Michael

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www.puredealer.com