CBT automotive newscast: October 21, 2021

Inside Automotive:

10 things that can harm your relationships with customers
I’ll Be Back: How to Get Customers to Come Back Again & Again is out now! In the latest book from Shep Hyken, he discusses 10 loyalty killers that can terminate your relationship with your customers. On today’s show, we’re pleased to welcome back customer service and experience expert, New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling author, Shep Hyken to discuss his book and what you can do to ensure your customers come back. Watch the complete segment here.

Headlines:

Automakers are spending billions to move the production of battery cells to their home countries to meet the rapidly growing demand for EVs over the next decade. Automakers plan to simplify supply chains to lower costs, ease logistics, and avoid massive disruptions. Based on a rolling five-year average of announced investments, AlixPartners expects companies to invest $330 billion in the next five years throughout the EV supply chain globally.

Arrival President Avinash Rugoobur said his company’s electric buses and vans will be on the roads in 2022. The vehicles are being produced in local micro-factories and will be in markets in the U.K. and globally. Rugoobur said, “While the majority of our staff is in the U.K. and a lot of our innovations are built here, we do need to see the whole world transition into an electric mobility.”

After 64 years as Bend’s Ford dealership, Robberson Ford, a legacy car dealership in central Oregon has sold its operations to Kendall Auto Group. The new buyer will retain more than 140 employees. Former owner Jeff Robberson said, “It was the right time to retire from the business, started by his father, Gordon ‘Gordy’ Robberson, in 1957. Kendall Automotive Group has 40 dealerships representing 23 automakers across five states.

News & Opinion:

Car owners want more tech even if advanced features go unused
In early October, the J.D. Power 2021 US Tech Experience Index Study was released, and it helps define what customers find valuable in their vehicle purchase. For anyone in sales, it won’t come as a surprise that certain tech features are a hit among car buyers while others don’t resonate at all. The study breaks down what dealers know, expounding on the top features buyers want and the impact of tech on vehicle sales. Read more

Life’s not fair—here’s how to find success anyway
The phrase “life’s not fair” might not seem to be an earth-shattering idea — of course, it’s not fair. It’s one of the first lessons we learn in school, if not before. In any group, there will almost always be someone stronger, smarter, richer, more attractive, or just “luckier” than we are. From a dealership perspective, there’s usually another company that has a better location than ours, or has more inventory, or sells a more popular make. The list can go on and on. That’s life. Read more