DEALER STORIES
The Extra Mile with Toyota Of Cool Springs
What the heck is "the extra mile," and how do we walk it for our customers?
Toyota of Cool Springs has a fun story that may get us closer to an answer.
Tim B was driving home with a new member of his family, a kitten. Suddenly he discovered his new friend was not in its carrier but had found its way inside the dash of the car. 🐈
Calling for help, Tim was told by the service department at the Cool Springs dealership to come into the shop, where 5 team members worked to get the cat out. Eventually, the dashboard had to come off, but it worked, and the cat was returned to Tim (and into its carrier).
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️In Tim's 5-star review/retelling of the event, he says he has become a loyal customer of the dealership due to them walking this extra mile for him.
So, if we are defining "the extra mile" from this story, it starts with listening to the customer's problem and treating it like your own… even when it’s nowhere in the job description.
Telling it like it is - “Saving the cat” is a literary metaphor for establishing the story’s hero… this is a bit on the nose.
|
|
|
|
AUTOMOTIVE
Vans, Plans, and 999 from Vietnam
🚐💻 Ford is showing off its new van like a proud parent who finally gave up their motorcycle. The Electric Tourneo Van is more than a minivan in both sizes and in a unique "office on wheels" vibe. The 230-mile range electric and plug-in hybrid version comes with an onboard generator, providing enough power to sustain a home office away from home.
This really complicates the whole "working from home" conversation. Does the parking lot at the office count as returning to the office? “I drove, what more do you want?!”
🎉📈 Toyota did NOT announce a production cut for October. We know. It feels good to read it. The company has been on its back foot a good deal this year as ongoing supply shortages created monthly and eventually annual production downgrades.
Last month, they reported a 23% increase in global vehicle output, beating their downgraded target of 750K with just over 771K. The company is on track for its 9.2M annual projection, downgraded from 9.7M earlier this month. Finishing the fiscal year with a 600K increase from 2021.
Toyota: OEM and expectation management gurus.
🚢🇺🇸 VinFast wept, for there were no more worlds to conquer - unless you look outside South East Asia, which they are now. The company spent 5 years developing a solid home base and has signified a transition toward expansion by shipping its first batch of EVs to the US. 999 (a lucky number in Vietnam) VF 8s are on the way to California with $40K price tags and 290-mile range batteries.
A North Carolina plant may bring VinFast production into US tax credit eligibility in 2024. For now, they are putting faith in the vehicle's stand-alone appeal.
Something pretty Spartan about entering a market that is low key incentivizing people to buy from somebody else... #Respect
TL; DR - Ford has a new van with office space, Toyota is making good on its choice to accept an unavoidable setback, and VinFast is setting up shop in the SunShine State.
|
|
|
|
AUTOMOTIVE
Hyundai Finds a Way
Not long ago, Hyundai and the South Korean government expressed frustration over the Inflation Reduction Act. The act limited the brand's access to EV tax credits in favor of domestically sourced and manufactured vehicles.
Who ya' gonna call? A new deal with battery maker SK will help Hyundai reach and maintain compliance with the rolling requirements of the act.
The battery deal and a new plant in Georgia will reassure people Hyundai is still very much in the US auto market now and for the foreseeable future.
Telling it like it is - EVs, batteries, making deals in the US - this article is like a summary of OEM news for the last few weeks.
|
|
|
|
TOGETHER WITH CAROFFER
Stay Ahead Of The Market
As used car prices drop, the water rises, and more inventory is underwater.
PremiumXchange mitigates wholesale loss and manages turn in a declining market. Dealers can exchange vehicles that underperform in their market for better-suited inventory from one of CarOffer's 13,000 rooftops!
You don't have to take losses amid market disparity, sit on depreciating cars, or lose your mind figuring out the best next step.
Check out CarOffer's summary and webinar on PremiumXchange to see how they have empowered dealers like you!
|
|
|
|
|
AUTOMOTIVE
VW Making Friends
Volkswagen defeated Tesla this week, but not in any of the ways you are thinking.
Actress Alyssa Milano traded in her Tesla for a VW EV in protest of Elon Musk's leadership of Twitter.
The move has drawn some accusations of performative activism - which doesn't sound like something a celebrity would do at all, right?
Foxconn is expanding its operations, currently focused on iPhone assembly, to include EVs. With a goal of 5% market share in EV manufacturing by 2025.
No plans are confirmed, but talks like these have begun, leading to assumptions VW will not build a new North American plant of its own.
In the interest of clarity- We have no reason to believe Alyssa Milano is secretly trying to become better friends with Apple’s Tim Cook through Foxconn through VW, but the timing is weird, right?
|
|
|
|
WHAT THE KIDS ARE INTO
Let's Make InstaFest Posters The New Business Cards
🎶Have you been dying to know what a music festival based on your Spotify history would look like? 🎺
🎼 We were not either, but now that we found InstaFest, we are having fun comparing lineups. 🎸
🎤 Just log in to your Spotify account through the app and get a PDF showing your listen history as a Bonnaroo-style poster.
Telling it like it is - Make one and send it our way, and we will send back a music suggestion based on what you like!
|
|
|
|
QUICK HITS
- “Gaslighting” is the Webster word of the year. Or maybe we are making it all up…
- Mauna Loa, the world’s largest volcano, is erupting for the first time in 40 years. Don’t worry, it's more of a lava flow than an explosion. 🌋
- US home prices continue to slide for the third month.
- World Cup: USA beats Iran 1-0 and advances to the knockout rounds
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|