[cmojica]

If you use both, please speak up. I'd like to know why and what success you've had. I have an opportunity to use both, but for right now we utilize Black Book. Any feedback is appreciated.

Thanks!

[Andrew Carr]

Again, as a green pea to internet, I am anxious to hear input on this as well and any other trade evaluation sources you use.

I try to look at my site as a customer. I inherited black book service because it's what my previous internet manager had. I am currently in the search for a better option.

Looking at it through the eyes of a customer, I would be a little put off. I do all this research using KBB and NADA and all of the sources that people I trust tell me to use and then I get on a dealer site and they have "Black Book"? Where did this come from?

I would find this discouraging and my focus would be shifted from being excited about my vehicle search to concerned about my trade and why all of a sudden the dealer is using something different to show me what it might be worth. As a consumer, I would view "Black Book" as something that the dealer is going to use to try to rip me off on my trade. After all, people I trust have told me to use KBB.

I want my site to encourage people...not discourage them. I think black book takes away some opportunities to get people amped about coming in.

I think that if I can get KBB or this new NADA service that Autotrader is testing in California markets, it will give customers the impression that all of their research is correct and valid and that the dealership is on the same page...it will be seamless to them.

As for using both...that's an interesting approach as well. That might also make me perceive that the site is informational and put in place to help me conduct research.

Enough of my rambling, lets hear from some people with experience!

[Alex Snyder]

Like Andrew, I try to look at the trade appraisal tools as a customer instead of a lead-hungry dealer. I've used Black Book, KBB, basic trade appraisal forms and I have yet to find one that doesn't set the stage for an argument before ever seeing the customer.

I've been wanting to see something different. I wish vAuto would take me up on a suggestion I've had for them for a while. Dale loves it when we talk about it, but I'm not sure why he won't do it


Here is what I want from vAuto:
vAuto looks at cars all over the place and has an unbelievable amount of data based on what is in the market. Using that data there could be a CSS-encodable plug-in for our websites. We could market this plug-in as "Trade Analysis" or something like that. Instead of giving the customer an appraisal on their car, I would like to see vAuto return the results of how many cars like theirs are currently in the market. The dealer would default the radius based on whatever circle the dealer wants to draw around the dealership's zip code, but the customer would have the ability to change the mileage radius and zip code. As the mileage radius changes, the number of cars in the market changes along with another key feature: the number of days it is currently taking for that car to sell. Of course, the customer would have the ability to plug in the car they're interested in buying as well. This is where it could be a little bit of an issue for the dealer, but easy enough to sell around.

Then, to solicit a lead, the system would ask the customer if they would like the information emailed to them and have a representative contact them to better explain that data. Maybe have a few more pieces from the vAuto war chest available for the email.

There are other variables I'd like to see as well, but I think you get the overall jist of what I'm after.

Essentially, this is a way to keep the customer on my website while providing data they would see as a service to them. We're not giving them a number for their trade, but we would be soliciting a lead to explain market demand (instead of a fight over the trade value) and ask them what day and time they'd like to schedule a professional trade appraisal.

Although you may not get as many leads as Black Book or KBB will (wrongfully in my opinion) get you, I see this as a win for the dealer and the customer.


If any vAuto customers see this as something they'd like too, please help me push Dale.

[Andrew Carr]

Alex,

I love this idea. Something like this would really give you an edge and make your site "stickier". It would also give people a reality check about what really has to happen with their trade and what a dealer is up against when they invest in it. As long as this could be presented in a manner that doesn't scare or discourage people from moving further in the process, I think it would be great.

Are you talking about the Dale Pollak? I just got my hands on a copy of "Velocity" today. I know it's old news, but I'm jazzed about it.

Alex, did you find that out of KBB and Black Book that one put customers less on the defensive about their trade than the other? I know it may be the lesser of two evils, but I am anxious to get rid of Black Book.

Are there any other viable options currently on the market?

[Alex Snyder]

Andrew - I currently have this trade appraisal tool that is working fantastically.....drum roll please........it is a big fat.....continue the drum roll......bunch of.......NOTHING! I don't use one at all.

Are there times that I miss having a trade appraisal tool for the sheer amount of leads it brings in - yes. Did it hurt our sales one bit when we got rid of it - no. My theory is that if you have a site with the right content, conversion points, and ways of getting people to it you're going to get leads.

I don't like to set the stage for certain unattainable expectations.

Take Black Book for example; it gives the customer a range of values. What does the customer go for: the highest number. What does the dealer go for: the lowest number. Now, we have a fight on our hands to meet somewhere in the middle before the customer ever comes in. If I'm going to have that fight, I want to have it on my showroom floor.

On top of all that, if I have the best site and SEO strategy in town I just shot myself in the foot. That is due to the fact that I have devalued someone's trade first, and now it is very easy for one of my competitors to snag that customer away from me. And I'm now the bad guy that customer is going to tell stories about.

Yep, I am talking about the Dale Pollak. The oh mighty used car philosopher

[JoePistell]

I currently have this trade appraisal tool that is working fantastically, customer submits the Trade in details and.....drum roll please........customer on the edge of his seat now.....continue the drum roll......page opens..... and a big bunch of.......NOTHING comes back (except a phone call from our sales team)!

Now before you flame me, we all agree that evaluating the tradein is a highly complex process that requires a hands-on review by a professional. Shoppers "want" a push button one price evaluation, but we all know, what comes back is junk. IMO, you need a human (aka sales rep) to explain all that and move the conversation forward.

This silly lil' open ended tradein form is our single greatest lead generator by a factor of 2:1.

[Alex Snyder]

Originally Posted by JoePistell

Now before you flame me

No sir, I wouldn't flame you. I'm going to give you a new knick name: Sled Lot Joe

[AutoArchitech]

We have talked to Dealers about this very issue over the last few months. The general feeling from the was Black Book keeps people on your page while Blue Book has people navigate away from your page. It is almost like the name recognition of Blue Book has people open up a new window and type kbb.com instead of staying on the Dealer page. Nothing scientific, just the general "feeling" of about 1/2 of the dealers I asked. I thought that was odd that they all came to the same conclusion.

I do know a few that are using the one powered by NADA in my HomeNet tool, mainly because the customer can upload a photo of the car, and it supports English and Spanish.

I like Joe's idea, a phone call is the best.

[Jason Walter]

We have used the KBB plugin for 4 years now. I personally like it alot... I personally like the idea of giving the customer one price instead of a range. I also think KBB give the most accurate numbers in our area. It generates a ton of lead for us and a very good closing rate. We do have it framed in so the customer is not leaving our site.

With that said, our entire staff is pretty trained on working with a customer that has used the tool. We don't try and get to fancy with our contact with the customer and it works very well. We just contact them by phone or email and say we noticed that they were on our website and may be interested in trading in a _____ and that it sounds like a nice vehicle...we would love to see it. We don't even talk about the vehicle they are interested in....

In my opinion you are better off having something that will give the consumer a figure. In our situation, as soon as we went to that model from the fill out a form/we will contact you model our leads tripled.

[AutoArchitech]

Originally Posted by Jason Walter

We do have it framed in so the customer is not leaving our site.
.

It was not a matter of having it framed in (I think that is the only way they do it) It just seemed like when a lot of customers saw it they opened up a new window and went to KBB.com themselves.

Strange huh?