Graff Chevrolet is proud to serve the auto dealership needs of cities such as Bay City, Midland, Saginaw, Mount Pleasant, Essexville, Pinconning, Coleman, Sanford, Carrollton, Frankenmuth, St. Charles, Birch Run, and Zilwaukee. They provide exceptional customer service, a warm and friendly environment, are heavily involved in community events and recently completed their training to become AskPatty.com Certified Female Friendly®.

Note: The population of Bay City Michigan is 33,780.

Case Study

Event: Facebook initiative aimed at reaching women and families to build stronger brand perception of Graff Chevrolet as a welcoming family friendly place to shop for and maintain their cars.

Event Name: Cutest Baby Photo Contest

Link to Contest Baby Photo's on Graff Chevrolet Facebook Page.

Launched: March 26, 2012 - April 2nd 2012

Promoted through Facebook, Twitter and Word of Mouth

Results

1. Facebook Fan Base grew from 960 to over 3600, a gain of 2600 during the 7 days of the initiative

2. Capture of over 2600 new opt-in new contacts for women to send follow up marketing and advertising

3. Sold 2 New Family oriented vehicles

4. Highest level achieved in interactions with women on Facebook

5. Low attrition rate of new Facebook fans gained during initiative (-70 in 30 days)

Quote from Lisa Kusey-Rechsteiner Graff Chevrolet, Inc. General Manager on the success of the initiative:

"We weren't really sure what to expect.  We knew that the Great Lakes Bay Region has many adorable babies, but weren't sure as to how many photos would be entered into the contest.  What a terrific community turn out!  We received over 560 baby photos to enter into the contest.  Many of these photos still receive daily visits and
comments on Facebook yet today, which is two weeks after the contest conclusion.  This couldn't have been facilitated without the help of our internal T.E.C. (text, email, call) Center and our website company Xspond out of Brighton, Michigan."

Congratulations to Graff Chevrolet!

Jody DeVere CEO, AskPatty.com

Spent a week in Vegas leading up and over Super Bowl weekend immersed in the world of car dealerships, auto makers and the best and brightest minds at the Digital Marketing Strategies Conference (DMSC) and attending the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) convention. Wanted to share some highlights to give you an insider view of what goes on behind the scenes with highlights of what happens when 20,000 automotive industry professionals gather in Las Vegas!

Digital Marketing Strategies Conference (DMSC) Tuesday - Friday

Best Speaker by far was Inspiration Speaker - Todd Durkin, CEO of Fitness Quest 10 Strategy. If you ever have the opportunity, run do not walk to hear this man speak! He will energize you and the entire room.

Fitness Quest 10 is a premier health and human performance facility in San Diego CA. We specializing in Sports Performance, Personal Training, Massage Therapy, Pilates, and Yoga. Owner and founder, Todd Durkin, is a leader in the fitness industry training athletes like LaDainian Tomlinson, Drew Brees, Carson Palmer, and Reggie Bush just to name a few. Todd’s passion for health and fitness has lead Fitness Quest 10 to be recently named one of the top 10 training facilities in America by the nationally publicized Men’s Health magazine. To find out more information about Fitness Quest 10 please visit his website at www.FitnessQuest10.com.

Lots of thought leaders and awesome workshops during DSMC on social media strategies and connecting with shoppers at ZMOT, Winning the Zero Moment of Truth, a new Google 75 page FREE eBook. Attended social gathering galore with some of the brightest minds in the industry. Had the opportunity to keynote on "What is Your Strategy To Dominate Your Market with Women Buyers?" to rally dealerships to deliver a WOW experience to women.

Thank you Brian and Glenn Pasch and PCG Digital for including me in this powerful thought leader educational event.

Go here to watch the video highlights of the DMSC Conference.

“Using All The Terms In One Short Story”

I was going into work one day and my thoughts were focused on selling a car. I had a couple of bad days where it seemed like everything went wrong. The “Up” I had turned out to be a “Bogue” that was also “Upside Down” in his trade…No deal.

The next “Up” I got wasn’t much better off…He was “Hooked” so bad he didn’t have a chance of doing anything. Then I had a “Be Back” that wasn’t much better off than the first two

“Fresh Ups” I had earlier…He was “Clobbered” and reminded me of the guy I had last week that was “Buried.”

“The Finance Departments Language & Lingo”

When it comes to Car Business Language & Lingo terms and jargon, the finance manager and sales managers have a couple of terms that they like to throw around. Sure, they use all the other terms that we already talked about, but they have a couple of terms that are more directly related to the specifics of working a deal. The first term is called…

• “Leg”—When it comes to “Leg” the more the merrier for the finance manager. If a deal comes back to the finance office without any “Leg” then the finance manager will not be a happy camper. For most finance managers, their performance can be directly related to how much “Leg” they consistently get or can create. Or in other words, their paychecks can be directly related to how much “Leg” they get per deal. So what exactly is “Leg” you ask?

So you’re looking for a new or used vehicle, and you have a vehicle that your trading in. The problem is, you know that you’re “Upside Down” in your trade. You are well aware that you have negative equity of say $5,000 (at least that’s what you think it is), but no problem…You’re gonna trade anyway.

When it comes to having negative equity and or being “Upside Down” there seems to be several other terms in a car dealership that salespeople use to describe your problem. In fact, having negative equity and the related car business language and lingo that go along with it probably wins the prize in terms of different phrases for negative equity which leads up into the next term which is…

The next term thrown around in a car dealership might lead you to believe that maybe someone is going on a cruise. Or perhaps maybe they are going water skiing. You might even think that maybe there was some kind of a boat party out on the water. This is more of an old school term as I don’t hear it too much in todays market. The term refers to someone paying full list price for a vehicle. Now you might think that’s a “Lay Down” which it is, but there are several terms that have more than one meaning. Let’s just say a “Lay Down” has a couple of synonyms with the first being…

• “Full Boat”—When referencing a “Full Boat” in a car dealership, you might hear the following verbiage from one salesperson to another. “Hey Scott, how did you do on that last “Up” you were working? Scott would respond by saying, “Those people were a complete Lay Down. I got a Full Boat on them.” Meaning they bought and paid for everything. That term could also be used in the finance office. The finance manager could also get a “Full Boat” by selling a customer all the products they sell in the finance office.

I was standing in the showroom one day and my buddy Scott was standing outside when a car pulled up. I was thinking…”That looks like my “Be Back” from last week.” After they got out of the car, I could plainly see it wasn’t my “Be Back.” Holy Shit! That’s a “Fresh Up” I said to myself as the customer looked like a stone cold buyer. I was right on the money. Scott had a “Lay Down” and when the customer left they were totally “Laid Away.”

With all that being said, here’s part II of Car Business Language & Lingo. Click Here if you missed part I. Below is a continuation of lingo and jargon used in a car dealership by the salespeople and managers.

Well, we've been through some intense weather situations in the Ask Patty Nation in the past month or so, and our thoughts are with those affected by the devastation of the southern tornadoes and storms.  Hopefully those ill-named "April showers" are past us because we're all most certainly due for some May flowers as we prepare for summer.  This month in the AskPatty CFF Carnival, we see a plethora of impressive updates and a wide range of awards and accolades, unique events, and a couple of relocations to satisfy growing business needs - all great things in the AskPatty Nation!  

Congratulations are in order to Tammy Darvish of DARCARS who is being honored by Northwood University for "The Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award" on Sat April 9, 2011 in Midland, MI.  She is one of 5 recipients.

Hi-Tech Car Care in Arizona celebrated Earth Day this year by holding a unique recycling event: child car seats.  He collects used car seats and dismantles them, recycling the components individually.  The foam seats go to a local animal shelter for use as beds!  Awesome job, Hi-Tech team.

Big Congrats to Domenic Nigro for Nigro's Auto Body in Philadelphia who started the Spring by working with the American Red Cross to raise money for the Japanese disaster victims. The shop gave customers the opportunity to donate up to half of their deductible, which Nigro’s then gave to the Red Cross for this cause.  Nigro's has also become a distributor of AutoTex PINK, Passchal Bags, and the Mobile TattleTale app, and shows no signs of slowing down.  

Curry's Auto Service has a couple of pieces of big news:  First, they opened a brand new location in Fairfax,VA, on April 4, plus - owner Matt Curry was recognized as a Locally Grown Hero by NFTE!  Congratulations Curry team on your continued growth and recognition!

Alta View Tires & Service participated in this year's Alta Gala -The Alta Gala is an annual collaborative fundraiser for Alta Community Enrichment (ACE), Friends of Alta and Alta Historical Society.The goal is not only to raise money for these 501(c)3 non profits in Alta but to raise awareness of the arts, environment and history of Alta.Check out the Silent Auction page and see what we donated!

Potomac Falls Express Lube Owner Pat Wirth named finalist in SmartCEO magazine as the ECO/CEO of the year!  Check out the whole story here: http://bit.ly/gz7IUq

Mountain View Tire is holding a "Show us your Mountain View" contest on Facebook - fans are encouraged to share their favorite photos of themselves in a mountainous vista, and a lucky winner will receive $500 in free tires.  Best of luck to everyone who enters!  

Waukegan Tire is making history with Passchal line of luxury bags, and the saga continues as they introduce Passchal's latest line of bags.  The new line is named after Waukegan Tire co-owner Julie Scroggins’ daughter Mary Ann, who was diagnosed with TSC in 2009. Mary Ann decided to focus on spreading awareness of this disease and to help find a cure. Working in partnership with Passchal, the 18-year-old freshman art major at Illinois State University channeled her talents to design a line of handbags. Each item is one-of-a-kind due to the nature of the markings on the inner tubes. 

Victoria Transmission & Auto Care, in Victoria, BC, will be hosting a Ladies Night and Car Maintenance Clinic on June 1st.  Call to sign-up today 250-382-2833, or visit their website for more information: http://www.victrans.com

Hepner Tire & Auto in Woodstock, Virginia, hosted their First Annual Ladies Car Care Clinic in March.  It was a great success and they are planing to make it a yearly event for all their customer's.   Follow them on FaceBook to lean more: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hepner-Tire-Auto/146608228721796

Jeff Matt, owner of Victory Auto Service & Glass, with locations in Brooklyn Park, Ham Lake and Fridley, Minnesota,  has been honored with a 2011 Eleven Who Care award for his work with a local charity.  He regularly donates use of the shops space and services, to Free 2B!, an Anoka County non-profit that helps cash-strapped residents with repairs.   Follow this link for the full article: http://bit.ly/dMwuBU

Schoen Place Auto is proud to be the only auto repair shop listed in Rochester Woman Magazine's 2011 Business & Resource Directory.  Experience Peace of Mind at Schoen Place Auto.  Follow them on FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/SchoenPlaceAuto?v=wall, or stop by for a visit!

Adolf Hoepfl & Son Garage hosted the Second Annual "Oldie but Goodie" Classic Car Show on April 30th, and had a blast! There was a BBQ and all enjoyed some cars you just don't get to see on the road anymore.  In addition to a great time for the customers, they were able to raise over $1,000 for the tsnuami victims in Japan and for The School of American Leadership!  All this community pride is one more reason why they were also named a winner of the Pinnacle Award from the 2011 Better Business Bureau Awards of Excellence Program!

Lone Star Chevrolet in Houston, Texas has been named a BBB Awards for Excellence Pinnacle Winner for 2011.  This coveted award recognizes the dealerships commitment to excellence in the marketplace and gives consumers greater confidence when choosing Lone Star Chevrolet.  Congratulations!

Fisk Automotive is experiencing some growing pains, and has relocated to a new larger location in their home city of Fullerton.  They will be celebrating the move with an Open House event.  Happy Housewarming, Fisk!

After Hours Auto Repair of Wichita, KS, is moving as well, into a bigger and better facility in a great new location with fabulous visibility.  They're holding an Open House celebration on June 18.  Good luck with the move, After Hours Team.

Quality Plus Auto Repair & Mufflers held their First Annual Car Care Maintenance event in recognition of Car Care Awareness month in April.  They provided Free Vehicle Checks, a BBQ lunch for all in attendance and car maintenance tips.   Making their customers happy is why so many nominated Quality Plus Auto Repair for the "Best Auto Repair Shop" & "Best Customer Service" for the 2011 Best of the Mid-Valley.  Follow them on FaceBook for updates throughout the year: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Quality-Plus-Auto-Repair/261525272488?sk=wall

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Now the car business is very unique when it comes to having its own language. I remember when I first got in the retail side of the business back in the mid 80′s, and I thought everyone was speaking a different language in the car dealership I was working in. Being that I was a young strapping 28 year old, and very wet behind the ears. I was about as green as they get at that time in my life. 

When I started hearing terms like “Up’s” and “Be Backs” I thought I needed to go back to school and lean this specialized language everyone was speaking at the store. I had no idea I was getting into a new business and that I’d need to learn a whole new vocabulary.

Recognition, nominations, awards, interviews, and superlatives are the theme for this month's carnival, as reports of merits and accolades flooded in this month from the AskPatty.com nationwide network of Certified Female Friendly® automotive locations.  Congratulations are in order to everyone who was featured, nominated, selected, recognized, and interviewed.  You're doing things right, and your communities are taking notice!

At Victory Auto Service & Glass of Minnesota, Owner Jeff Matt has been honored as one of the "Eleven Who Cares" in recognition of outstanding volunteers that serve the community.  Each year hundreds of volunteers are nominated for the award and the Eleven Who Care Board of Governors select the eleven to be honored. Created 27 years ago, the honorees represent the variety of opportunities available in the community, and truly exemplify the belief that one person can make a difference.  Jeff Matt has been recognized as a Key supporter of Free to Be, Inc. in Anoka County.  The shop supports this worthy cause throughout the year by providing assistance with Car Repair, Car Donations, Vehicle maintenance,  and Resource management.  Follow them on FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Victory-Auto-Service-Glass/271461792862

Business is booming at Hometown Garage in Burlington, Maine.  Even in the middle of the snowiest winter season, Herb Farnsworth says business has been improving year after year.  They are doing everything right for their location: Free Shuttle Service, Text Messaging Updates, a very generous Referral Gift sent with a Thank you card, and more.  Their website is full of helpful information, and they are a Green Shop, with a full recycling program in place.  Check them out on the web: http://hometown-garage.com/

Larry Moore, owner of Larry's Autoworks in Mountain View, California, was recemty interviewed on the consumer benefits of more environmentally friendly choices in auto maintenance and repair.  As an example, he said most consumers don't know much about "re-refined oil" and copper free brake pads. These options do not cost any more but can have a significant impact on the environment.  A Certified Green Business of Santa Clara County, Larry knows how to make a business successful and environmentally friendly.  Follow the link for  more of Larry's interview: http://www.youtube.com/user/kocharhook#p/f/27/_eh0huyppzo

At Okanagan Car Care of Kelowna, BC, Canada, SunFM morning show Host Susan Knight (The Breakfast Club), hangs out with Okanagan's Bruce Stranaghan,  to do her feature called "52 New".  How many new things can you learn in 52 weeks?   This week thanks to Okanagan Car Care, Susan learned how to change a tire!  Really how hard can it be? Go to Susan's YouTube channel to see how she did, or follow the Okanagan Car Care Blog posts: http://www.okanagancarcare.blogspot.com/

Island Honda on Maui, HI - Special Olympics Hawaii Receives $20,000 from the Hawaii Honda Dealers Association, including our own Certified Female Friendly® Island Honda.  The winner of its "The Power of Your Gift" holiday campaign: Special Olympics Hawaii. In addition to the cash donation, the local non-profit will also receive free 30-second public service announcements, which the Hawaii Honda Dealers will run from March through April, 2011.  Visit Island Honda online: http://www.islandhonda.com/

Congratulations to I-70 Auto Service of Kansas City, MO; they have been awarded the NAPA AutoCare Metro Select shop of the year.  Follow them on FaceBook to congratulate their hard working staff and schedule your next appointment.  http://www.facebook.com/I70AutoService

Victoria Transmission & Auto Care of Victoria, BC, Canada, has been nominated as a finalist to receive the "Outstanding Customer Service Award" for all of Victoria, not just automotive service, by the Victoria Chamber of Commerce.  They have also been honored with a nomination for "Automotive Business of the Year" from the Business News Group of Vancouver Island.  From their sustainable business practices to their top-notch customer service, Victoria Transmission exceeds customer expectations.  http://femalefriendlydealer.askpatty.com/?d=Victoria_Transmission_and_Auto_Care

At Larson's Service of Peabody, MA, Diane Larson and her Certified Female Friendly® shop was written up as "The Daily Item" at Itemlive.com http://www.thedailyitemoflynn.com/articles/2011/01/11/its_your_business/business01.txt

Jon Lancaster Toyota Scion of Madison, WI is planning a Ladies Day event for early March!  On Thursday, March 3, 2011, 6:30 PM you can learn about Oil, Filters, Fluids, Belts, Hoses, Tires, Check Engine Lights, Fuel Economy and Appearance of Your Vehicle.

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AskPatty® and Certified Female Friendly® are U.S. registered trademarks owned by AskPatty.com, Inc.