by Ken Rock This is such a pervasive problem. At almost every dealership I visit, as I sit in the accounting office going through parts invoices, I notice that half of the invoices have the words ‘cash sale’ as customer. If you ask the parts people why there are so many ‘cash sale’ invoices, the […]

by Melissa Maldonado, Director of Customer Support, Auto/Mate In my position I visit many dealership accounting offices, and recently I’ve noticed a common problem. Accounting employees aren’t being properly trained. This is a big problem because if your office isn’t being managed efficiently, your money isn’t being managed efficiently. Typically, new hires are trained by […]

Our monthly roundup summarizes Auto/Mate’s presence in the news. Check out our latest articles, event participation and press releases! Publications The Scheduling Tug of War Used Car Dealer Magazine With customer pay and recon vehicles battling for the service department’s time, how do you decide which one wins? Mike Esposito shares a few recommendations. Inside […]

by Mike Esposito, president and CEO, Auto/Mate It’s been over 20 years since I managed a large Chevy store, but some things never change. Many dealers still have issues with the recon process and getting pre-owned inventory out to the front line in a timely manner. The crux of this problem starts with pay plans and the fact that […]

by Dominique Conti, Marketing Director, Kimoby Car dealerships are under increasing pressure to boost their revenues and mitigate their operational costs in order to remain competitive. One of the ways dealerships are choosing to address these challenges is through innovative new marketing techniques, such as business texting. The reason? Gone are the days that car […]

by Ken Rock Here’s what I’ve noticed in dealerships: the problem isn’t just a lack of training, it’s the general lack of a thought process that any training is needed. At dealerships, we often take people who do their jobs well and make them a manager. The problem is, we don’t teach them how to […]

Your accounting staff may not generate revenue like your sales or service staff do, but what happens in your office has a huge impact on the profitability of your business. If your office isn’t being managed efficiently, your money isn’t being managed efficiently. On Wednesday, July 31st Auto/Mate’s Director of Support Services, Melissa Maldonado, will […]

Did you see us in the news this month? Publications How to Prevent Harassment in the #MeToo Era F&I Showroom In the June issue, Dave Druzynski urges dealers to set aside old handbooks and corny training videos, to create an enforceable policy that aligns with current best practices. Is Your DMS Ready for the Digital […]

Three Auto/Mate employees recently celebrated their 20th work anniversary at Auto/Mate. Notably, Auto/Mate’s President and CEO Mike Esposito is one of them. The other two are Kelly Shaw, Payroll Benefits Manager and Donna Irwin Lane, Programmer Analyst. Three Auto/Mate employees recently celebrated their 20th work anniversary at Auto/Mate. Notably, Auto/Mate’s President and CEO Mike Esposito […]

by Dominique Conti, Marketing Director, Kimoby The car industry is changing at an accelerated pace, with retail store consolidation, compressed margins, aggressive competition from independent service shops and difficulty in recruiting and retaining qualified personnel. Another major shift in the auto sector may actually help to mitigate these challenges: digital retailing and servicing. As new […]

A big part of the workplace culture here at Auto/Mate is volunteerism, and we encourage our employees to participate in local community events that benefit a good cause. On Sunday, June 9th a group of Auto/Mate team members rode their bikes or walked in the Tour de Cure, an annual fundraising event that benefits the […]

Did you see us in the news this month? Publications How to Avoid Workplace Harassment CBT News In this CBT News video interview, Dave Druzynski shares tips on how to avoid harassment claims and how to appropriately address claims when they happen. Treat Technicians with Respect Fixed Ops Magazine A 2018 Technician survey revealed deep […]

by Dominique Conti, Marketing Director, Kimoby   In today’s hypercompetitive market, car dealerships are facing tremendous challenges, including declining new vehicle sales volumes, competition for aftermarket servicing and major shifts in customer expectations. Did you know that text messaging can play an integral part in mitigating these issues? As the most widely used feature on […]

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 […]