Customer experience is the new mantra in the auto retail industry. I seem to be writing about it every week. I also can’t escape using the word digital in just about every column lately. Can’t help it – the two are linked in so many ways. The used car world is just as deep into user experience and digital as the new car world. Did you read that online used car retailer CarMax is opening a new “customer experience” center in Olathe, KS? It supports the new CarMax customer buying experience, allowing one to sit at home and complete the entire purchase transaction, then have the car delivered.
It should come as no surprise that customer experience and digital were heard constantly during the Marketing 360 event here in Los Angeles last week. The theme was digital disruption, after all. I thought some of the information and insights gleaned there would be useful for my readers. Learn more in my story this week.
For dealerships, keeping compliant with the myriad of regulations related to all aspects of the business is both tough and necessary. Non-compliance can be costly in monetary and reputational terms. This week, Ashlie Nutter of MBAF addresses a tricky compliance issue which, if a dealership gets it wrong, could be a public relations disaster. She looks at new interpretive guidance from the Department of Defense related to the Military Lending Act, and its implications for GAP insurance. This may seem very specific, but many of my readers are dealers, compliance officers, and F&I folks. This is stuff you need to know.
And of course there is the always popular Transaction News.
Enjoy!
