Have you been blitzed by team ATC yet?

[JL]

Paul- It's the internet business, 100% of your customers are anonymous before they raise a hand. I'm not sure why you are so defensive. Hopefully your autoresponder doesn’t demand phone, email, ssn and birthdate prior to a reply regarding your inquiry

The reason that my prodding continues to justify your response is irrespective of my name and company affiliation. The beauty of my anonymity is that you can focus on what's being said rather than who is saying it. Truth of it is that nothing I have ever posted here has any affiliation to the company I work for.

There was a post a few months back about image control online. It was a great read Jennifer, you really ought to check it out. I hope you weren't counting on any referrals from the hundreds of ATC reps that visit with your prospective clients. Hmm...What do you suppose happens the next time that an ATC rep who reads this blog happens to be sitting across the desk from a GM when their TKCarsites homepage is experiencing difficulty?

Paul, when I'm wearing the company logo you can be the customer who is always right and I'll do my best to agree with you whenever possible and give you warm fuzzies about me and the company, but I think this site is meant to uncover obstacles and share observations and opinions. If revealing my company affiliation hinders my ability to express an opinion openly than I am in effect doing a disservice to you by supplying you with that information, wouldn't you agree?

I prefer my credibility to be determined by my observations. Case in point, you responded to my query because the facts were clear and undeniable so you offered a response to explain a glaring contradiction on your part that is damaging to your overall position. You are questioning my credibility and why again does it matter who I work for?

Who am I?

Joe L. "Vendor"- empowered by anonymity, I face no irrational repercussions and I can sharpen your saw rather than kiss your ass. It may not feel as good, but this is a better deal for you.

I have more to say about the paper you wrote and I’m feverishly working on an anonymous rebuttal, but we can take that offline. I'm certain this banter is of little interest to most readers. If any of you are interested in a counterpoint send me an email, I know you’ll love the address. [email protected]

 

[Jennifer Schrader (blog)]

JL;

I may have failed to mention to you but as many GM's are gearing their money from 3rd party resourcs as Shall I say AT? and putting it toward a quality site that actually produces quality leads.

Again, it must have been the right ingrediants I placed in my prior comment for the Cool-Aid.

So no I don't feel I need any AT referrals, because they will be shaking in their little shoes because the GM would soon realize, why am I paying AT that $XXXX.XX when I can pay the same for quality leads & a Custom Website? Who is out? let me guess AT!

You may still be behind the 8 ball there JL, might I remind you, TK Carsites has been voted #1 for the past 4 years!

This may be the learning curve for you and many of the AT Reps out there. But as the AT Blitz team can throw out the discounts that the local rep cannot even budge on? That tells me AT needs to start putting more money into training and start investing into someone to do the Blogs, SEO & SEM! (Just a suggestion for you to pass on).

 

[Amanda Marsal]

Jennifer,

Do you ever leave that desk of yours? Lady, you need to take a deep breath and go outside and enjoy the summer... Just so that you and Paul know, most of the ISM's that are in the trenches on a day to day basis are aware of the way things should be (whether that is possible or not). The point is that any ISM that has not been under a rock lately realizes that their own website is where the money is. My dealerships are currently with AutoTrader, and will continue to do so until the time that I can get some great leads coming off of my new and improved TK site!!! I am sure that most ISM's are frustrated as I am not just at AutoTrader, but mostly at the GM's and Owner's who allowed them to get to this point, if you really think about it. Ha! Have a great weekend Jennifer.

 

[Jennifer Schrader (blog)]

Amanda

You Rock! It is very rare I leave my office. I just was at the lake all day! and loved everybit of it!



Take Care Amanda !!

 

[Eric Miltsch (blog)]

Amy -

You fired off a response w/out even reading (or understanding my post.)

You said: "of all of the "vendors" you want to compare autotrader.com to....which one can say to you they are spending 70 plus million to drive traffic?

answer: NONE

AT is getting hosed with that 70MM. If that's all the traffic they can deliver us. They need to stop spending so much on traditional media (just as they tell their dealers to do) and spend it on adapting to the new school mentality of the web.

With their budget, the SEO and SMO engagements should be kicking every other industry player around like a bully in the sandbox. New platforms (IE: CarTango.com and EasyAutoSales.com) are popping up everyday - they'll start kicking up some sand...

Kill the TV spending and invest in a platform that creates more user content, powerful interactions and expands the dealer presence. Not a "page-view" mentality that simply caters to the largest advertisers.

I can't even tell you the last time, if ever, I saw a CarsDirect.com advertisement. Fine with me - they still provide us the most traffic, the higher C.R. and our account rep is always looking for new value offers for us to test or review.

Free stuff is always cool.

For those of you not linking your name to your post. That's like taping your note to a rock and throwing it through Jeff's window.

It may add excitement to the thread - but it doesn't add credibility. Post your content, link your name and stick around for the conversation

 

[AMY]

I am not new to autotrader.com...i am somewhat new to reading this blog....i thought it was a professional forum...but finding out that many of you are frustrated internet managers with sharp tongues, bad attitudes and limited perspectives.

So- this is my last communication and i will go on with my wonderful life- helping dealers to be even more successful. YALL have fun singing the blues together.

before i go...a few suggestions:

I wonder how many of you actually take the time to provide quality listings - unique comments, staged photos, have your dealership photos online? apparently you have plenty of time to be a part of the problem...try the solution it has a WAY better return.

Henry- you have no idea what atc financials look like. you shouldn't pretend you know anything about the inside of the company. we are private.

Jennifer- i dont brag about how much my dealers spend...I brag about THEIR success....

not sure what your comment meant about "spending too much time looking up the skirt"...it isnt very professional and a great misuse of this forum to go there. try to be professional instead of tacky...you have just lost all credibility with your remarks.

JL-whoever you are....keep giving them the truth...good luck getting them to see it.

i am out.

 

[Jay Sherman]

So if raising our rates, subjecting us to patronizing "blitzes", insulting us on this thread, and telling us how to sell cars in a rather snobish fashion wasn't enough: Amy offers the ultimate snub : "Talk to the hand!"

Her PR department will be thrilled.

I actually used to do seminars for AT years ago, their "Breakfast of Champions" (Mainly because they sent me to Cancun for doing it) but I can tell you the reps I knew then were very different. Times change I guess.

 

[Jay Sherman]

So if raising our rates, subjecting us to patronizing "blitzes", insulting us on this thread, and telling us how to sell cars in a rather snobish fashion wasn't enough: Amy offers the ultimate snub : "Talk to the hand!"

Her PR department will be thrilled.

I actually used to do seminars for AT years ago, their "Breakfast of Champions" (Mainly because they sent me to Cancun for doing it) but I can tell you the reps I knew then were very different. Times change I guess.

 

[Jon Groenig]

Amy,

If you still happen to be reading, I am more than happy to share my issues about Autotrader with you.

First you made a comment about internet vendors being held to a higher standard for results, that may be true, but Autotrader is not the only vendor I hold accountable for cost per lead, cost per sale, and ROI, every vendor I use is held accountable. The problem with Autotrader is that month after month they have the highest cost per lead, highest cost per sale, and the lowest ROI of all the vendors I use.

Secondly the main subject of this post, the blitz teams. I have always had a great relationship with my local reps and have always been able to take them at their word,I had the impression that this kind of integrity ran through the company, that was before I met the blitz team.

I had the misfortune of dealing with Katie, a blitz team rep from outside my market, I'm sure you know her, she is one the the reps with her picture on the big Autotrader display booth. I made the mistake of extending to her the same trust I have with the local reps. When she came through our market the owner of the store was on vacation in Mexico, we signed a contract with a thirty day out that was contingent on his approval the next week, she assured us the she would hold it until she heard from us, when I called the next week to give he the go ahead, I found out she didn't hold the contract like she said she would and had already turned it in.

At the end of the thirty days I reviewed the results, traffic and click throughs along with the standards I mentioned before. The results did not justify the amount I was spending so I called to cancel. When I called I found out that I was in a 90 day contract, not the 30 day she had written on the contract, and I was not the only dealer to experience this in my zone.

From the minute Katie set foot in my store, everything out of her mouth was a lie, she even tried to tell me my call volume would increase four time more than what I was currently getting, which I new was BS to begin with.

My local reps have been warned that if I see another member of the blitz team in my store they can count on an immediate cancellation.

Amy, if you are still with us, I would love here your thoughts on this.

 

[Amy]

Jay- you are sadly mistaken. I have spent many hours inside stores, rolled up my sleeves and gotten dirty. I might be blunt but i am not a snob. we never had seminars entitled "breakfast of champions"...and when did we supposedly send you to Cancun. You are telling a lie which now destroys your credibility. Care to give us some more details about your "seminars"?

Jon- I welcome the opportunity to share my thoughts. thank you for being the first constructive encounter....

my first comment on this blog was suggesting that yall take advantage of the blitz team because they can offer deals that the local reps cannot. The blog took on a form of its own after that.

I know exactly who you are talking about. It is very unfortunate the experiece you had and i empathize with you. What happened was wrong. that stinks.
That is not how true professionals should conduct themselves and it looks like she made a bad decision.
You mentioned that you had a good relationship with your local reps. I am hopeful that they were able to offer you a reasonable/fair solution?

about the roi, cost per...etc. No matter how good you are it is impossible to track everything that we bring to the store. impossible. unless you are looking at the walk arounds (vehicle details pages) maps, links to your site....fact that virtually everyone on the site is a buyer...there is advertising value outside of what can be tracked to your department.

Question: if 200 people go online and get a map somewhere...after they have spent 65 minutes researching what they want to buy....you think ANY of those showed up and bought a car that you didnt know about?

I think more internet managers should stand up and claim that credit as well....