Auto/Mate employees have been long-time participants in the Workforce Team Challenge, a local 3.5-mile road race that allows us to demonstrate a commitment to our community while having fun in the process! Last week, 21 Auto/Mate employees, including a couple of first timers, ran for a good cause in the Capital District Physicians Health Plan […]

by Ken Rock Recently I was sitting in an office with a service manager and a few advisors. Someone walked in and said, “The balancer’s not working again.” The service manager’s shoulders kind of sagged as he responded, “OK. I’ll call someone.” He then told me the balancing machine was 25 years old and on […]

Our monthly roundup summarizes best practice articles, participation in events and all the latest news. Publications Digital Dealer Uncovering Policy and Shop Supply Abuse Auto dealers are letting thousands of dollars per month slip through the policy and shop supply cracks. This abuse is hard to spot because the expenses are lumped into the GL. […]

On April 12-13, a group of really smart women (and a few smart men) gathered in Lake George for the New York Celebration of Women in Computing (NYCWiC). This annual event encourages women to complete their studies in computing by allowing them to explore different careers in the field, as well as meet women leaders […]

Sometimes I hear people say things that get me pretty riled up. One of the phrases that bothers me most is “That’s not my job.” Whenever I hear this, I immediately know that person is not a team player, bad for morale and a poor representative of their company. I was boarding a plane not […]

Americans spend billions of hours waiting in line every year. Are your workflows in sales and F&I making their experience better, or worse? Dealers have been turning to technology to solve workflow and customer experience issues for many years. After all, it’s what the digital consumer expects. If your dealership is transitioning to a digital […]

Want to know what’s happening with Auto/Mate? Check out DMS Central on a regular basis and read this monthly roundup! Publications Albany Biz Journal How Auto/Mate turned a blocked acquisition (which could have been a disaster) into a good thing It’s been one year since the FTC blocked the acquisition of Auto/Mate by CDK Global. […]

Does your dealership sublet rental cars to customers? I’ve noticed a pretty common problem that might be causing your dealership to lose money. When a customer rents a car from you, the proper procedure is as follows. First, open a repair order (RO) and enter in the dollar amount for whatever the rental car costs. […]

When someone talks about workplace harassment, many of us automatically think of sexual harassment, especially in the wake of the #MeToo movement. While sexual harassment is a very serious concern and in need of continued attention, it’s important that you don’t focus all of your anti-harassment efforts on sexual harassment, and inadvertently overlook other types […]

In case you missed us, here’s our roundup of the latest news and events from Auto/Mate. Publications WardsAuto Auto/Mate Chairman Recalls Crash Course on How the FTC Works In a WardsAuto Q&A interview by Steve Finlay, Auto/Mate Chairman and CTO talks about the doomed CDK-Auto/Mate deal and its aftermath. AutoSuccess How Mobile Tablets Increase Customer […]

Some dealership employees forget they work in the service business. Recently, while I was talking to a service manager, one of his employees sent a message that a customer needed to talk to him. The manager shrugged and said something like, “I’m on my time. I don’t care.” He then proceeded to complain about customers […]

by Dave Druzynski   Somewhere out there is the perfect candidate for your job opening, but finding that person can be a challenge. How much thought and time do you put into your hiring process? Many dealers still have a “give ’em a shot for 90 days” mentality, believing that if a new hire doesn’t […]

Here’s a roundup of our latest articles, events and news!     Publications F&I Showroom Your Pay Plan is Driving Talent Away 45% of dealers cite personnel/turnover as one of the top three issues that keeps them up at night. In this article, Chief People Officer Dave Druzynski explains why it might be time to […]

Are you headed to the NADA Convention & Expo in San Francisco? If you’re a current customer, visit Booth #2301S to check out our newest DMS features and updates.   If you’re not a current customer, why not? Consider making 2019 the year when you finally choose to work with a DMS vendor that puts […]

By Dave Druzynski, Chief People Officer, Auto/Mate   In today’s age of social media, Weinstein and #MeToo, preventing workplace harassment needs to be at the forefront of every dealer’s mind. A single incident can hit social media so quickly that you can have an online boycott of your business being set up before you even […]