Comments on: Mobile Social Networking Apps WILL Threaten Your Dealers Online Reputation!

By: Nannette Starapoli

Nannette Starapoli — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 16:09:16 +0000

Jeff,

I realize you posted this awhile ago, but I just came across it and had to jump in on the action. Reputation management is a hot topic, and I couldn't agree more about how crucial it is to know what others are saying about you online.

My social media marketing company marks off time two days a week for a member of our team to run through our list of aggregated rating and review sites customized for our automotive dealership clients. We check for new mentions, opinions, ratings, and reviews of experiences with the dealership. Brand reputation monitoring is absolutely essential; if you don't know what others are saying about you, you certainly can't correct any misconceptions, or address any misunderstandings. And whether you want to hear about it or not, word about your business will get out fast. Moral of the story: offer your best service from the get-go, and then pay careful attention to how your consumers respond.

On a side note, having an excellent social presence will also help; customers with questions or issues sometimes feel most comfortable contacting you on social sites they often use (like Facebook or Twitter), and being available, personable, and having consistent interaction with potential clients will boost your positive ratings and encourage others to get to know you. Thank you for an insightful article. Cheers! -Nannette

By: Eric Miltsch

Eric Miltsch — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 23:11:57 +0000

@Gary –

These guys did such a pitch-perfect job of executing this promotion…was just reading about this the other day.

Watch these type of location-based campaigns to continue their growth. Talk about WOM power…

SCVNGR got a nice boost recently with their new alliance with Facebook places.

By: Gary

Gary — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 23:05:52 +0000

Mobile social networking can also work in your favor. Has anyone heard of SCVNGR yet? http://www.scvngr.com They did an interesting campaign with a dealer down in St. Louis. http://www.jaywolferacefortheride.com/

By: Brian Hasenbauer

Brian Hasenbauer — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:15:20 +0000

I wouldn’t worry so much about the check ins not showing up in Google Alerts since the real benefit (in my opinion) is that the check ins show up in the Twitter feed (if on check in you select “tell Twitter”).

That way whomever is checking in at your dealership is implicitly telling all of their Tweeps (Twitter friends) that they are at your dealership.

By: Alex Snyder

Alex Snyder — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 13:59:45 +0000

Whrrl check-ins are indexing on my name. Not on the Dealership name though. I have yet to see any check-in from Yelp or Foursquare hit any of my Google Alerts though.

Yes, I have Google Alerts setup on my name….and all of our Execs’ names too.

By: Brian Hasenbauer

Brian Hasenbauer — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 22:30:53 +0000

Great article.. love the site. Is anyone using any repeat check in, Mayor offers or other type Four Square loyalty programs?

I was considering implementing a customer loyalty program in our service department. 5th check in is free oil change, 10th check in is a gift card to the movies or restaurant and the Mayor gets something as well.

However, I don’t want those that work here checking in and becoming Mayor since it interferes with a customer becoming Mayor and getting the Mayor special.

Would love to see what other dealers are doing.. I understand the tips section etc but am not sure that it will drive customer loyalty which is what I desire.

By: Jeff Mello

Jeff Mello — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 20:05:49 +0000

Jeff,

I just had this exact conversation with an dealer last week using the Service Dept. analogy.

The combination of Smart Phones and Social Media has led to an empowered consumer and a definite need for dealers to focus on customer service.

Reputation Management is very important but finding out and dealing with a negative or positive comment, post, tweet, etc. is after the fact. It starts with providing the best customer service first.

By: Stan Sher

Stan Sher — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 22:14:12 +0000

Really awesome article Jeff. Ever since the reputation management trend hit I find myself being just like the customers. I love review sites. I love to be able to read about other experiences. I do not mind spending more money if my experience is better. I use my dealership’s positive reputation as a closing line on the phone and in person when dealing with customers that want to shop. This program is awesome because it is in tune with the mobile world.

By: Eric Miltsch

Eric Miltsch — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:21:14 +0000

Location based activity is definitely a hot item now…having your guests “check-in” at your store(s) is good, having them post a review (can be) great, and getting them egaged with a “tip” or “to-do item” in Foursquare is even better.

By: Mark Dubis

Mark Dubis — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 21:22:11 +0000

The reality is every dealer and sales person is a target and if you do not have a strategy in place to be proactive with both happy and unhappy customers, you will suffer the consequences. The trick with getting happy customers to participate and say something nice about you online is to make it very stupid/simple for them to do it.

Even very good dealers have negative stuff out there.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/checkered-flag-honda-service-department-norfolk

Dealerships that ignore their online reputations do so at their own risk. The quality and price of these solutions vary but its clear you have to play the game.

Mark Dubis
Carfolks.com