Chrysler posts October CPO sales record, GM declines
Chrysler LLC reported that its Five Star dealers sold a new October record of 9,660 Certified Pre-owned Vehicles (CPOV) in 2007, a 4 percent increase from 9,324 units sold in October 2006.  For the month, each of the automaker's brands posted increases; Chrysler brand sales rose 4 percent to 2,986 units; Jeep brand sales were up 2 percent to 2,681 units and Dodge brand sales advanced 4 percent to 3,993 units. Meanwhile, General Motors Corp.'s total pre-owned sales dropped 7 percent for the month while Mercedes-Benz and BMW posted gains.
 

Are you forcing your customers to buy somewhere else?
Whenever your service department doesn’t up-sell windshield wipers (or any other needed maintenance service) while a vehicle is on your drive, it ultimately provides your competitors an opportunity to steal your customers.
In fact, the fast lubes, tire stores, and independent garages are not stealing the business; rather, dealerships are chasing business into their waiting arms. When vehicles need maintenance and you don’t ask customers to buy from you right now, while they are in your dealership, you are opening a wide door of opportunity for the competition.
Wipers should be replaced at least every two years; many experts say once a year. Just for fun, you should run an op code report and see how many wiper blades you have installed in 2007 on vehicles two years and older. If you have sold wipers to less than 10 percent of the vehicles, then it’s time for some service advisor sales training.
It’s an easy sale; it’s a safety issue and it prevents inconvenience for the customer down the road. And it is a valuable customer retention tool.
After your service advisors have written up the primary item, teach them to say something like this: “Mr. Customer, when was the last time you had your wipers changed? For safety reasons, we recommend replacement every year. We might as well install a new set of wipers while you are here today. Okay?”
Another effective technique is to turn on the windshield washers and actually see how the wipers perform. Have the advisor do this when he is sitting in the driver’s seat checking the odometer.
If there are obvious streaks or gaps in the wiped area, then the customer can see it…remember, seeing is believing. The advisor simply says, “Looks like we had better replace those wiper blades, doesn’t it?”