The First Pencil

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Kathi and Mike share our insights on the latest of several disappointing changes to the Google Business Profile platform. Google Places > Google Maps > Google Local > Google My Business > Google has failed us all.

Google has a new core update coming in a “couple of weeks.” Let’s hope it corrects the myriad of issues created by the last two. 

Then, we rant a little about Google search...

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Kathi and Mike talk about the micro-actions we take everyday on social and other platforms that provide value to others. Dealers tend to only care about leads and sales, which are uber important, but there are other metrics in mix that can guide where we spend our resources.

Also, we are in the midst of an AI bubble. When will it burst? Who will be left without a clear path to utilizing the bes...

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This week, Kathi and Mike cover:

• The CDK fallout and who it’s falling on: updates on what’s happening in real time with the real people on the front lines
• Zero-Click Search: what it is and what it really means for anyone who isn’t a big brand.
• Google Business Profiles - are they still relevant?

Here’s a link to the SparkToro Zero Click Report. For every 1,0...

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At our core, we are car people. We are upset to witness what’s happening to our fellow car people at CDK dealerships. This fact is the driver for this week’s episode. 

While the CDK cyber attack is causing major disruption to sales, service and parts, there will be even more challenging times ahead for the accounting departments at each store. They will be tasked...

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This week we chat about Kathi’s trip to Vegas for NIADA where she spoke about online reputation management. 

Then we share our thoughts on the CDK outage debacle and what it means for dealership personnel. (of course, the debacle was not over at the time of taping)

Mike recommends a Hulu documentary.

Kathi recommends a Netflix documentary series.

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Let’s talk about the recent changes Google is making to search. It’s a wild ride and it’s not at all over yet. 

Music segment:

Siouxsie Sioux B-day

Beach Boys documentary (thumbs down)

100 ft Wave documentary

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Got a question? Email either of us!

Kathi: kathi@krusecontrolinc.com

Mike: mikethecarguy@ou...

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Why women dislike service departments = Failure to meet their needs

The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence states that women represent between 65% and 80% of automotive service customers. This means the female customer experience is directly related to service department revenue.

Kathi and Mike  the subscribe to the philosophy of a...

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Beyond the obvious homage to Bon Jovi in this episode's title - in honor of the new Bon Jovi documentary - Kathi and Mike discuss the fallout/repercussions of the last 3-4 years of dealer markups. Of course the market often required markups due to supply chain issues and low inventory, but what comes next is that customers who want to get into a new car are finding themselves buried ...

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Kindness is the oil that takes the friction out of life. It can also be the difference between you and the competition. 

Kathi and Mike share some real time stories about employees that have gone the extra mile, and in the process made themselves memorable. We also share some examples of what happens when poor management, lack of training and a culture that doesn’t put the customer fi...

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Spring is always a good time to review and reflect on what’s working for you, what’s not, and what needs more attention. Kathi and Mike share a few “Spring Cleaning” stories and best practices at the dealership. 

Music segment: 

Alanis Morrisette on David Letterman: You Oughta Know

Milli Vanilli documentary The bizarre untold truth behind the greatest con in music history

👉Sig...

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This week, Kathi and Mike share insights on Rand Fishkin’s SparkToro’s website traffic sources study. Some surprises, great data.

Then we talk about the valuable company assets known as social media business pages. It’s no longer simple or easy to retrieve them if you don’t have login credentials so we share our best practices for how to never find yourself in that position.

Weeke...

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As we witness every social media channel changing and shifting, so goes the user experience and behavior on each one. 

Kathi and Mike try to make sense of the current state of social platforms, how to navigate the changes and what we can expect for the foreseeable future. 

One thing that doesn’t change? The need for outstanding, relatable, educational content.

Music:

The Midnig...

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Mike gives us a breakdown of the goings-on at the National Automobile Dealers Association convention from his view as an exhibitor.  

As introverts, we both share certain traits (that are completely normal BTW) that make large groupings of people (like conferences, conventions) sometimes hard to navigate and are often draining.

In our music segment:

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame n...

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Kathi and Mike are back with an episode to catch you up on what’s hip and what’s not in the world of using AI. We both come from dealerships so our perspective is different from that of a vendor’s. There’s a lot to learn and say about this exciting new tool but for now, here’s what we’re seeing as a practical way of incorporating AI to enhance operations without feeling overwhelmed by it ...

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The 2023 Cox Automotive Service Study reveals a significant shift in consumer preferences regarding vehicle service providers and customer experience. While dealerships historically led as the preferred choice, they are now facing increasing competition from general repair shops. This change is driven by a decline in consumer trust towards dealerships.

Music: 

Mikes favorite Xmas ...

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We’re back after a short hiatus. Thanks for listening!

In this episode, Kathi and Mike reminisce about their journey through automotive social media and online reputation management. 

Music: 

RIP Shane MacGowan/The Pogues

FairyTale of New York (1988)

The Dubliners and The Pogues (1987) 

The Irish Rover

Here’s one with Joe Strummer (The Clash) (1987)

I Fought the Law

Documentary: Crock of...

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Mike just got back from the Digital Dealer Conference in Las Vegas. We have thoughts.

Twitter, the platform we’ve loved for 14+ years, is officially dead. While both of us are still there, we are down to about 5% of the amount we used to be. Many sane users have been looking for a place to go. We’ve tried most of the new platforms and we think one has the best potential.

We a...

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For some reason, Kathi and Mike have both been witnessing a lot of disturbing customer treatment lately. This week, we share a few stories and then discuss how that’s a losing proposition in today’s retail environment.

Then, we discuss why it’s important to have a written social media policy and some training to mitigate online crisis management.

And finally, Google Business Profiles a...

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One of the most important parts of social media strategy is to monitor comments. It can be as simple as taking a few minutes out of your day to review comments and respond where appropriate, or advanced as using online marketing and data analytics tools. All of it will provide valuable insights into customer sentiment, customer experience and perception of your brand.

In our music seg...