HOW APPLE PAY IS CHANGING RETAIL PAYMENTS Apple Pay is a mobile payment service that allows consumers to use supported Apple mobile devices as a means to make payments at retail and online checkouts. The concept, as defined by Apple, intends to digitize and replace “outdated and vulnerable” magnetic stripe card transactions that take place regularly at… Read more »
MAKE 2015 A YEAR FOR GROWTH! As 2014 swiftly comes to a close, equipment dealers across the nation are thinking of the kinds of changes they can make in the coming year. Let’s revisit an article published by industry consultant Ron Slee at the beginning of 2014 that provides some direction on where to start…. Read more »
EASY ACCESS TO SALES DATA CAN IMPROVE SALES PERFORMANCE, FILL IN GAPS If someone asks how your business is doing, you certainly can answer if business is up or down compared to last year. But do you know which salespeople are producing the most business or have the highest average sale? What about which customers have… Read more »
TECH SAVVY WAYS TO GEAR UP SALES FOR SLOWER SEASON As your busy season begins to slow down, just because customers are no longer eagerly lining up for needed new equipment and service doesn’t mean you need to put up with months of lackluster sales. With some thought and creativity, it is possible to still… Read more »
IS YOUR SERVICE DEPARTMENT IN THE RIGHT HANDS? (PART 2) Second of a two-part series by Anne Salemo, President, Charter Software Inc. In the first part of this series, we talked about the qualities your service manager should have in order to be trusted with managing the highest potential profit margin in your dealership…. Read more »
PCI COMPLIANCE: A MUST FOR EVERY SUCCESSFUL MERCHANT PCI compliance is a complex topic that often draws a serious lack of attention. As a reputable merchant, you must protect your customers’ cardholder data. PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) is a technical safeguard put in place by the PCI Security Standards Council that… Read more »
CRM AND THE SAVVY SERVICE MANAGER As outlined in the article, “Is Your Service Department in the Right Hands?” a service manager’s role encompasses much more than just mechanical knowledge. Customer management skills, the ability to up-sell, and the effective use of technology are additional—and critical—components to a successful service manager’s qualifications. Knowledge of how to… Read more »
First of a two-part series on how to determine if you have the right service manager in your dealership. by Anne Salemo, President, Charter Software Inc. SHOULD YOU TRUST JUST ANYONE WITH MANAGING THE HIGHEST POTENTIAL PROFIT MARGIN IN YOUR DEALERSHIP? In Jim Collins’ book, “Good to Great” he speaks to the importance of having the… Read more »
NEW SERVICES=NEW RISKS: HOW CONTRACTS CAN HELP OR HURT YOU As you grow as an equipment dealer, so may your potential risks. In his article, “Changes in Industry and Dealership Business Model Create Risks for Dealers,” attorney Lance Formwalt, of Seigreid Bingham, P.C., tells dealers of the new risks they may expose themselves to by adding new or… Read more »
USING WINDOWS XP AFTER APRIL 2014 COULD BE COURTING DISASTER Are equipment dealerships the last holdouts for Windows XP? The extreme reluctance of rental and other businesses to migrate from XP has been a source of much consternation at Microsoft, which for years has been asking their customers to move to more modern versions of the… Read more »