GM Dealers - Share your thoughts on the new CDK Website

[AdamMurray]

The fact that we continue to discuss forced programs in 2017 tells the story of a digitally disconnected OEM.

Why wouldn't GM adopt the Shift Digital model (or hire ShiftD!) and let dealers select among a group of the best companies? While some may think that there are still some flaws in that model it still beats by a mile the current model and it offers a compromise to what the OEM wants (control) and what the dealer needs (choices).

I'll also say that for every person complaining here there is a solution: Stop complaining and fire them, period.

Agreed.

We were about to go off the reservation with our CDJR point and put up a DI site right before FCA gave us the option to use DI on-program and still keep our co-op, URL and brand-site leads. It's still not as great as an off-program DI site but much better than the turd we were forced to use when dealer dot com was the only option.

Seriously contemplating doing the same for our Chevy store but it is really difficult to justify the loss of funds from going off the reservation and abandoning CDK.

 

[Eley Duke]

I'll also say that for every person complaining here there is a solution: Stop complaining and fire them, period.

That's not a solution. GM ties SFE (Standards For Excellance program) money to being compliant by using their mandated CDK site. We have run a dealer.com site as primary and CDK 2nd, but that is a lot of work, and the sites are competing against each other and someone has to manually enter rebates or incentives, promo pricing, etc vs CDK that auto uploads the info. Bigger dealers that have dedicated website admin might be able to accomplish having 2 sites, but not even Hendrick runs separate sites with GM from CDK.

 

[yagoparamo]

@Eley Duke and @AdamMurray

Of course is not easy, why would the OEM make it easy!

All I'm saying is that if you guys want, you guys can. As a matter of fact listen to yourselves:

You know you can, you know how to, but it takes work (lots of it). But it takes lots of work to be the best at anything you do in life (take that at least as a positive).

I'm not saying any of this to argue your points, I was more than anything encouraging you and others like you to fight the status quo that the OEM tries to impose.

 

[Alexander Lau]

That's not a solution. GM ties SFE (Standards For Excellance program) money to being compliant by using their mandated CDK site. We have run a dealer.com site as primary and CDK 2nd, but that is a lot of work, and the sites are competing against each other and someone has to manually enter rebates or incentives, promo pricing, etc vs CDK that auto uploads the info. Bigger dealers that have dedicated website admin might be able to accomplish having 2 sites, but not even Hendrick runs separate sites with GM from CDK.

Having worked in attribution the past year, I see a lot more traffic from secondary sites than corporate compliant sites, on average. I could go into a long list why, but I don't have the time. I feel as if I went into a tirade on the subject about 5 years ago. Broken record...

 

[Nickole Kamran]

I wanted to comment on some of the above issues with the SRP and VDP. We just got next gen last Monday and after some playing with it I have found a couple tips that may help.

1. For the srp only showing one vehicle and it being too big.

Change your columns to 3 instead of one and you will get a grid look. You can view more vehicles at once. And it seems to get more interactions as well.

2. For the miles ...

You will need to look under the specification and not offers tab on the vdp but there is a setting you can change so miles display on the srp for you.

Other tips:

You can go in and change your page theme colors to get a more unique look to your page. I changed ours from the white and gray (we and gmc buick) to the black and red. When you change themes certain things are still locked but you can go in and adjust each section a little more.

I am still playing with it and adjusting and have training on it next week but I will keep checking this thread to see if anyone else needs help or finds and others tips and tricks that could help us all.

I will say I do miss the count down timers on specials and I also wish the specifications tab would be the default open tab instead of current offers but I am told that those are common complaints and hopefully we will have a resolution soon.