- Dec 18, 2009
- 142
- 9
- First Name
- Mark
The weight is more for printing stickers from what I remember. It will print all of the higher weighted ones first , then go down the line. I don't know if it makes a difference on how exports are sent out.
Vin Explosion Frustration: OEMs, give us the data!
- Thread starter Bryan Barnett
- Start date
- Apr 7, 2009
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- Joe
Bryan Barnett,
You definitely GET IT. This is a nationwide epidemic that has no quick fix. This is why the few stores that really roll up their sleeves and deep dive and conquer the Options SNAFU make more sales and more profits.
Don't get frustrated when you explain yourself to those that don't "get it", just keep chipping away! When you are working with others to complete your vision (inside and outside your company), you'll learn that everyone has their arms filled with tasks and you want them to drop everything and take on your new vision (read: task). It's up to you to communicate your vision in a context that identifies profit sucking problems corrected by your improvements that lead to future profits.
Keep up the WORK, your going down the right path, you've got a good head on your shoulders. Heads up to all you vendors out there, put Bryan Barnett on your radar, he's a diamond in the rough.
Welcome aboard BB!
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- Dec 18, 2009
- 142
- 9
- First Name
- Mark
Since you are already with Homenet, have you thought about trying out the handheld device? That way you can be at the car and check off the options while looking at the sticker. It will be much less time consuming.
- Apr 7, 2009
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- Joe
BB,
Glad to see your using the "strikeout and rename" feature in webiol. Here is a google docs copy of the PowerPoint presentation that I made for Homenet around 02-03. It established the Options SNAFU problem and my solution to it. I am sorry to say that HN stopped short of the "web 2.0 solution" that made it work on a large scale (slide #14). I havent given up on slide #14!!!!
BB and AA,
Weighting: Not All Options are Equal.
I held the option weighting idea until HN bought into my "strikeout and rename" concept. Actually, Categories are supposed to be weighted too. Option/Category weighting allows us to assign numbers to options (and categories) so we can create a hierarchy (aka a ranking system). Once we have ranks assigned to options and categories, what can we do?? A boat load of fun stuff
- Self populate Window Stickers with only the HOT options
- Auto-generate HTML tags to make a HOT option pop off the page
- (example: drop Power steering,
- add Bose centerpoint surround sound 10 speaker audio system)
- Dramatically Improve Home Web Site Internal Search Quality
- (example search: SUV w/roof, leather, and 3rd row)
- Weighted options will become the mapping backbone of Comment Generators
- and...
- Apr 7, 2009
- 4,638
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- Joe
AA,
Ya, HN had us participate in iol2GO beta, we use it now. iol2GO dosen't solve the option SNAFU. The problem is that everyone buys their options data from Chrome, who get it from the manufacturers and no one in that chain cares what it's used for (or cares to make it better).
I just picked one of yours out of the blue and gave is a 5 second scan: http://www.baltimobiles.com/inventory/details.asp?vehicle=1G1AL18F367640223
Strikeouts
Steering wheel, urethane
Seat, easy entry, front passenger
UPPER and lower case madness:
SUNROOF, POWER, TILT-SLIDING includes mirror map lights
Piggy back option comments drive shoppers nuts:
SPOILER, REAR, DECK-LID, BODY-COLOR (With 2LT Preferred Equipment Group Included with (TV5) Sport Appearance Package.)
It all traces back to Chrome not offering an upgrade that re-words and re-formats the SNAFU.
re: iol2GO.
My DEP's (Date Entry People) are split on it. My multi-roof guy loves it, my single roof guy dosent. iol2GO and webIOL don't play well together (sometimes).
As much of a pain as it is to go in everyday and check boxes on my fresh inventory, I actually don't mind the fact that it isn't an automated process.
1.) It forces me (and the sales staff) to be more familiar with the inventory. It's pretty easy to not walk outside and touch a car when it's 90 degrees with 88% humidity at 9:14am (Can you tell I'm still climatizing to the east coast?).
2.) If it were easy, my competitors would do it. I'd like to think my customers are visiting the competition's website, not getting the information they want, bouncing and ending up at my site and converting to a lead.
1.) It forces me (and the sales staff) to be more familiar with the inventory. It's pretty easy to not walk outside and touch a car when it's 90 degrees with 88% humidity at 9:14am (Can you tell I'm still climatizing to the east coast?).
2.) If it were easy, my competitors would do it. I'd like to think my customers are visiting the competition's website, not getting the information they want, bouncing and ending up at my site and converting to a lead.
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Joe -- I'm blushing....thanks for the kind words. 
Just read through your powerpoint and almost felt like I met my soulmate! Don't tell my wife... Seriously though, the presentation hit it right on the head...you were obviously way ahead of the curve on this stuff. Guess I owe you a big thanks for getting homenet to add these features....I do use the 'editor' as well to get rid of the garbage that is added on to some of the features (along with, on a used vehicle, things like '1 year free satellite radio service'). Funny also that you mentioned floor mats...that's an automatic used vehicle strikeout every time (doesn't matter if there's a disclaimer on the vehicle listing saying the customer must confirm features...if it's listed on the listing and the customer mentions it, it's very hard to say no or at a minimum not a desired situation to deal with). Love the fact that all of these changes are saved for every similar car in inventory along with future vehicles as well. Your page 14 idea would be great...too bad nothing's been done about that yet. If I have a vehicle that I can't run the VIN through my OEM (Chrysler or Kia in my case), I end up just using a much more basic options descripition based on strictly a visual look at the vehicle. The page 14 option would certainly help with this. The other thing that would be nice on new vehicles is a system that automatically would populate correct trim, equipment, etc., based on the MSRP on the vehicle once a similar (exact) MSRP'd vehicle has already been edited. For example, we currently have around eighty 2010 Kia Optima LX's with exactly the same MSRP. Once I edit one of these with the correct trim, tranny, options, it sure would be nice if I could click a button to automatically do the rest. Sure, there might be the one rare time when another 2010 Optima somehow ended up with the same MSRP but had something different about it (maybe an older priced unit that just coincidently also had an additional option that brought it to the same MSRP). But I'd take this trade-off anyday. Instead, I currently have to go one-by-one, editing all 80 of these vehicles at a good hour's worth of time minimum. Of course all of this could become irrelavent if the automated OEM feed ever became a reality.....
Matt DoCampo -- I've had both of those thoughts before as well. Definitely good points. Completely agree that doing the manual edits does keep me quite versed on our inventory (however at nearly 900 vehicles on one lot, that only goes so far...). For sure a silver lining, but I'd still take the automated feed and rely of other ways to stay up on what we have if I had a choice. Regarding getting a leg up on the competition, yes definitely agree with you on that as well. Though again the trade-off is that I have less time available to work deals with my sales staff, buy cars, and other tasks that can also give us a leg up vs. others. Again, would still take the automated feed....but I'll also admit I'm just damn sick of doing the edits!
Just read through your powerpoint and almost felt like I met my soulmate! Don't tell my wife... Seriously though, the presentation hit it right on the head...you were obviously way ahead of the curve on this stuff. Guess I owe you a big thanks for getting homenet to add these features....I do use the 'editor' as well to get rid of the garbage that is added on to some of the features (along with, on a used vehicle, things like '1 year free satellite radio service'). Funny also that you mentioned floor mats...that's an automatic used vehicle strikeout every time (doesn't matter if there's a disclaimer on the vehicle listing saying the customer must confirm features...if it's listed on the listing and the customer mentions it, it's very hard to say no or at a minimum not a desired situation to deal with). Love the fact that all of these changes are saved for every similar car in inventory along with future vehicles as well. Your page 14 idea would be great...too bad nothing's been done about that yet. If I have a vehicle that I can't run the VIN through my OEM (Chrysler or Kia in my case), I end up just using a much more basic options descripition based on strictly a visual look at the vehicle. The page 14 option would certainly help with this. The other thing that would be nice on new vehicles is a system that automatically would populate correct trim, equipment, etc., based on the MSRP on the vehicle once a similar (exact) MSRP'd vehicle has already been edited. For example, we currently have around eighty 2010 Kia Optima LX's with exactly the same MSRP. Once I edit one of these with the correct trim, tranny, options, it sure would be nice if I could click a button to automatically do the rest. Sure, there might be the one rare time when another 2010 Optima somehow ended up with the same MSRP but had something different about it (maybe an older priced unit that just coincidently also had an additional option that brought it to the same MSRP). But I'd take this trade-off anyday. Instead, I currently have to go one-by-one, editing all 80 of these vehicles at a good hour's worth of time minimum. Of course all of this could become irrelavent if the automated OEM feed ever became a reality..... Matt DoCampo -- I've had both of those thoughts before as well. Definitely good points. Completely agree that doing the manual edits does keep me quite versed on our inventory (however at nearly 900 vehicles on one lot, that only goes so far...). For sure a silver lining, but I'd still take the automated feed and rely of other ways to stay up on what we have if I had a choice. Regarding getting a leg up on the competition, yes definitely agree with you on that as well. Though again the trade-off is that I have less time available to work deals with my sales staff, buy cars, and other tasks that can also give us a leg up vs. others. Again, would still take the automated feed....but I'll also admit I'm just damn sick of doing the edits!