tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27943849324812028922017-08-13T02:59:17.154-07:00Thoughts of a Young(ish) Car Guy - Brett MorganMorgan Auto Group is 12 brands in 7 markets across 14 dealerships.
I blog about Tech, Popular Culture, Cars and Efficiency in the Automotive Work Place.
BMW of Sarasota | Lamborghini of Sarasota | Brandon Honda | Ford of Port Richey | Mitsubishi of Port Richey | Honda of Gainesville | Honda of Ocala | Toyota of Tampa Bay | Sun Toyota | Gainesville Buick GMC | Gainesville Mitsubishi | MINI Cooper of Wesley Chapel | Kia of Columbia | VW of Gainesville Brett Morgan - Morgan Auto Grouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10713101579854463680noreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2794384932481202892.post-77787820634319214992016-10-07T08:55:00.001-07:002016-10-07T08:57:10.438-07:00The fire department doesn't stop at putting out the fire! Why do you? <div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">When your local fire department arrives to put out a fire you would be correct in saying their priority is to put the fire out. In that moment wondering how the fire began is irrelevant. There could be lives still in danger or increasing damage that can be avoided. But once the fire is out where does the focus turn? Into clues of what started the fire of course. And then that concern or liability in turn becomes a part of public service announcements, community communication and training.&nbsp;</div><div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">In dealership operations I feel that many of us are great at putting out fires. We know how to put deals back together, appease concerned customers and get anxious employees to get back on the team bus.&nbsp; </div><div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">Where we need to improve is in finding out how the fire started and how to create an environment that thrives on not letting it happen again. How many times do I hear people say, "gotta love the car business" as a way to justify with dealing with the same old problems month in and month out.&nbsp; </div><div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">Commit yourself today to not just stop at dousing the flames next time. Commit to discovering how the fire started and how you can eliminate it from happening again. Maybe it's additional situational training, maybe it's better communication.&nbsp; </div><div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><!--?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?--> <br /><div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14px;">Then think about the great things that you could be doing if you weren't running to the next fire. &nbsp;</div>Brett Morganhttps://plus.google.com/101774534471717741769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2794384932481202892.post-6773793400765688492016-07-27T07:30:00.000-07:002016-07-27T07:43:49.443-07:00Through the Eyes of a Service Customer...People forget that although I am an automotive professional of 13 years, I've bought cars from other dealerships and I've serviced with other service centers. I've worked specifically for 5 brands across 3 dealerships, been a Lube Tech and Sales Manager for an independent repair facility but I've been a customer too.<br /><br />In my own life I don't put on the eyes of a customer often enough but today I had to out of necessity.<br /><b><br /></b>My VW Toureg Diesel demo was giving me messages about an exhaust additive called adblue. If I didn’t add it soon, my car told me it would not start after driving 100 miles.<br /><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">So without the time to drive to our VW of Gainesville store I found myself at a competitors shop near my house at 7:45 (15 minutes after open) to find my remedy.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>Thoughts:&nbsp;</b></span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">The Service Drive was empty and I was promptly greeted by a “trainee," a former sales guy named Chris. Chris was fairly attentive and asked fairly standard questions related to my needs.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">“Do you have an appointment?” he asked. Sitting in my customer shoes I was a bit taken back. For some reason what I really was thinking he was telling me was because I wasn’t an appointment I would not be a priority even though their service drive was empty…but we kept moving forward. He mentioned because their “system was down” he wasn’t quite sure if I could even be “written up” at that time. Again was this negative information necessary for me the customer?</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Chris then took me into to meet an ASM where we repeated the exact same process we had outside. Literally we reviewed every question I was already asked. What shocked me here was:</span></div><ol class="ol1"><li class="li1"><span class="s1">A lot of what Chris had understood from our conversation was incorrect. This caused me again to have to repeat myself which was irritating.&nbsp;</span></li><li class="li1"><span class="s1">When I arrived at the ASM desk he did not welcome me or look up or introduce himself. Once he did engage though he seemed to want to help. He never gave me his name.</span></li><li class="li1"><span class="s1">"Go to parts and ask for 2 bottles of adblue and I will add it for you” he said.&nbsp;</span></li></ol><div class="p1"><span class="s1">I was not walked to parts by Chris or the ASM. When I finally found the retail parts counter no one was there. There was a bell that said “ring for service.”&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">I rang the bill and sat for about 2 minutes which felt like 15. I stared past the desk into a glass sliding window where I imagine either warranty or accounting staff stared back to me. I engaged with the lady in the window with a "Good Morning" and she too voiced her frustration at the “system being down" and shook her head.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Finally someone came to the parts counter. I told him what I needed and he asked me who I was dealing with in Service. I couldn’t say of course because the ASM never gave me a name. He said, “Our system is down so I am not even sure I can sell you what you need right now.” Things were off to bad a start. This happens in our own stores (I'm sure) but I was shocked at the negative emotion and lack of “can do” attitude that had stricken the entire service staff. There was hardly a customer in their lounge; had they never discussed how life would look in the case of their DMS having issues?&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">He finally returned with the two jugs of “adblue” and said “I guess I can hand write a ticket to get you moving.”&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Things start to get better. I paid cash and left promptly and returned to my car. William the ASM (I'd finally asked for his name) was already at my car with the spare removed and various nothings from my trunk removed all prepared to add the adblue (which is added under neath the spare tire). Excellent this guy is going to get me moving. He added the adblue and we made small talk. My experience was ending nicely. William hustled to get the spare back into place and showed me how I could do this myself if I ever needed to moving forward. He explained to me the benefit and he helped me load my things back into the car.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>What started as a 2 star experience ended a 4. But think of all the little tweaks that would of had me glowing about this place…</b></span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">-If a customer has an appointment shouldn’t you know that before they have to tell you?&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br /></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">-Are there points in your "needs analysis" where a customer is having to be unnecessarily repetitive?</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br /></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">-Always introduce yourself and give instant eye contact and attention to your customer</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br /></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">-Don’t appear to be disengaged or lost in a screen (computer, tablet or phone) when they arrive. If you have to tell them you’ll be right with them at least have introduced yourself and made eye contact. It’s reassuring.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br /></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">-Always walk a new customer to where they are going. Even better yet wait with them until someone answers the button ring or they are handed off to the proper department.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br /></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">-Things happen in business. Systems go down. Don’t place additional burden on your customer when there is an issue. They don’t need to see you sweat until they do! Be prepared (or mad at yourself that you are not prepared) in these instances. Know where you are going with the ball when it’s thrown to you so to speak.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">I tried to tip William 20 dollars and he wouldn’t accept. I appreciated his hustle and instant attention, though it got off to a slow start. I’d go back there and see him if I needed help.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><br /><div class="p1"><span class="s1">I was in and out in less than 30 minutes.&nbsp;</span><br /><span class="s1"><br /></span><span class="s1"><b><i>(Full disclosure - at every point of communication at the dealership I explained to them that I was in the industry. My demo is an untitled vehicle and I had a dealer tag on the car --- sooner than later they would have found this out on their own)</i></b></span></div>Brett Morganhttps://plus.google.com/101774534471717741769noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2794384932481202892.post-67832379832374991562016-02-16T15:26:00.002-08:002016-02-16T15:26:19.414-08:00Morgan Auto Group acquires Sun Toyota <div class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>Morgan Auto Group acquires Sun Toyota &amp; Scion</b></span></div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"><b>NEW PORT RICHEY, FL</b> (February 16, 2016) – Morgan Auto Group acquired Sun Toyota &amp; Scion earlier this afternoon from Jeff Cadwell and Dwane Johansen. The dealership is located at 3001 US Highway 19 in Holiday, Florida. The dealership name will remain the same to capitalize on the strong Sun brand reputation that owners Cadwell and Johansen have built in the Tampa Bay area.</span></div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1">John Marazzi has been named managing partner of Sun Toyota &amp; Scion to oversee operations, adding to his role as managing partner at Brandon Honda. Marazzi has been a successful leader in Florida automobile dealerships for 27 years—first at Ft. Myers Toyota, Audi, Jaguar, Land Rover Fort Myers, and John Marazzi Nissan in Naples, Florida before coming to Brandon Honda.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1">"I’ve known Jeff Cadwell for years, initially from our joint efforts in our community hospital system,” said Larry Morgan, CEO of Morgan Auto Group. “Jeff is a first-class gentleman who values his customers and employees alike, just as we do. He’s built a top-quality local dealership that is one of the best in the Tampa Bay area. We are looking forward to following in his footsteps and continuing to build the Sun brand of the future.” &nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1">The hallmark of Morgan Auto Group dealerships is its keen focus on impeccable customer service and direct customer engagement in all departments. Sun customers will enjoy enhanced benefits and loyalty programs not found at other area dealerships. Service department efficiency and affordability will help guests easily blend auto maintenance into busy schedules. Plans include expanding the in-house café operation for added customer comfort and convenience.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1">Today’s acquisition brings Morgan Auto Group’s auto dealership holdings to 14 over the last 10 years. In addition to Sun Toyota &amp; Scion, the Morgan Auto Group of dealerships includes BMW of Sarasota, Brandon Honda, Ford of Port Richey, Gainesville Buick GMC, Gainesville Mitsubishi, Honda of Ocala, Honda of Gainesville, Lamborghini Sarasota, MINI of Wesley Chapel, Port Richey Mitsubishi, Toyota of Tampa Bay ǀ Scion of Tampa Bay, and Volkswagen of Gainesville, in addition to Kia of Columbia in Missouri.</span></div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p3"><span class="s1"></span><br /></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1">Morgan Auto Group is owned by Larry Morgan and his son, Brett Morgan. Both are highly respected business and community leaders in the Tampa Bay area. Larry Morgan is past Chairman of the Florida Automobile Dealers Association, past Chairman of Bay Care Health Systems, Inc., and founder of Tires Plus. His philanthropy and community involvement include past Chairman of the Valspar PGA Championship that raises millions of dollars annually for local charities and a $5 million family gift to establish the Morgan Heart Hospital at Morton Plant Hospital. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.morganautogroup.com/"><span class="s2">http://www.morganautogroup.com/</span></a>.</span></div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1">Sun Toyota &amp; Scion is located at 3001 US Highway 19 between Moog Road and Sunray Drive in Holiday, FL 34691, on the border of New Port Richey. For more information, call 727.478.0070 or visit <a href="http://www.suntoyota.com/"><span class="s2">http://www.suntoyota.com/</span></a>.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></div><br /><div class="p2"><span class="s1">-30-&nbsp;</span></div>Brett Morganhttps://plus.google.com/101774534471717741769noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2794384932481202892.post-15522119313980845262016-02-11T06:47:00.003-08:002016-02-12T13:06:31.036-08:00The Last Days of Scion: A Dealers Perspective <div>In January of 2016 our Toyota of Tampa Bay store sold 22 Scions (about 8% of our New Car Volume). While that doesn't sound like a lot, we have new car franchised dealerships that play in the same relative ballpark of volume here in Florida (MINI, Buick, GMC, Mitsubishi). So was it a surprise that the Scion nameplate is going away? In many ways yes, but to a great degree it's just the right thing to do. I've seen the media misrepresent this event in their typical fashion ("Millennials are less interested in owning cars, Toyota says" Las Vegas Review Journal) and I felt that my thoughts would paint a picture closer to reality for all concerned. From a dealers perspective and a Scion owner's it's not all positive news but there is a silver lining here.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div><b>First Impressions</b><br />Sitting in the showroom of our first Morgan Auto dealership I remember my first impressions of the Scion brand in 2004: Funky, simple to configure, no haggle (pure price) and hell bent on offering a quicker more streamlined process of car buying to the consumer (something dealerships still struggle with 11 years later). The target was younger buyers and I thought Toyota's approach was positive and proactive. Not every Scion model appealed to the target Generation X/Y consumer (xB for example) but overall the Scion brand did its job of bringing first time customers into the Toyota umbrella (70% of Scion buyers were Toyota first timers). Over the next five years I watched as Honda customers got older and Toyota's younger. Scion was a part of solving a challenge that some of Toyota's competition struggled with.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What Scion did for Toyota</b><br />No one wants to know their average buyer's age is growing each year. Acquiring a consumer and creating brand loyalty inside of the 25-34 demo is a huge achievement in retail especially when you have more mature models to bring them into later in life (Camry, Prius, Highlander, Sienna). Plus who wants the stigma of being the most driven car on the Senior PGA Tour (think Buick, Lincoln)? We used to have Scion meetups at the dealership. Scion gave us the right to enjoy the car rally element that only exotic buyers and classic car owners enjoyed. It was always a positive talking point. Their concept models were outlandish and progressive. Then it all just seemed to go away.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l_JlX-Zk_kk/VryUwm6wZ_I/AAAAAAABXNU/m67IoI0yt0E/s1600/whips.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l_JlX-Zk_kk/VryUwm6wZ_I/AAAAAAABXNU/m67IoI0yt0E/s400/whips.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Flyer from a 2008 Scion Event at Toyota of Tampa Bay "Wicked Whips 2.0"</b></td></tr></tbody></table><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>The Beginning of the End</b><br />Around 2009 sales began to decrease and the excitement for the brand dropped to a whisper. New Scion models didn't ignite the passion they first had and Toyota annual meetings were spent with mentions of rebooting and revitalizing the brand. Scion tC (Scion's volume model) sales fell in half. The crossover SUV segment was growing and Scion didn't have a dog in that fight. Even the fabled Toyota 86, which became the rear wheel drive Scion FR-S (great car/right price) couldn't bring back the brand. Scion had fallen into a niche and lost all aspirations of regaining growth and of becoming a "2nd dealership" for Toyota dealers.&nbsp;</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>What is Actually Happening / Which Scion models are staying with the Toyota brand?</b><br />All<b>&nbsp;</b>Scion models will fold into the Toyota brand in 2017 save for the Scion tC which had previously been slated to be discontinued in 2016. So the Scion iA, iM and the FR-S will soon have Toyota badging. Even the Scion CH-R crossover concept will honor it's reported release but as a Toyota model instead. A Scion owners service relationship with their Toyota dealership should remain virtually unchanged. This is good news ultimately for everyone. While I do believe Scion helped bring younger buyers to Toyota over time Toyota was began to do this on their own. It's a challenge to manage two separate brand philosophies under one roof and many elements of the Scion experience are coming to Toyota anyway.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Is the death of Scion a referendum on "Pure Price?"&nbsp;</b></div><div>I think to a degree the death of Scion does tell us something about "Pure Price." While the consumer experience is crying out for a new way to engage, interact and ultimately buy from dealers, the appeal of Pure Price within this is overstated. In the past months Toyota has placed a renewed focus on reducing the time it takes to buy a car while encouraging dealers to take advantage of resources that allow customers to do complete a great deal of the purchase from their couch. This is a positive area of investment for dealers. Dealers are re-aligning themselves for this new reality. While there may be generational differences amongst our guests in their level of comfort with negotiation, it is my personal believe that we should trust our customers to be well researched and discerning which can lead to an efficient two way conversation about price.<br /><br /><b>Scion dealerships need to share in the blame too&nbsp;</b><br />The Scion model of "Pure Price" and delivery within an hour was seldom adhered to by dealers. Competing dealers would use trade allowances, waived dealer fees and free accessories to compromise the element of "Pure Price" and buy consumer favor. Scion as a brand never got a fair look as to the success of this model simply because DEALERSHIPS failed to discipline themselves to it.<br /><br /><b>Scion: Victim of Its Own Success?&nbsp;</b></div><div>Ironically Toyota of North America CEO Jim Lentz (and former head of Scion) foretold of this event. "Do you risk alienating the boomer buyer to get to Gen Y?" Lentz told Automotive News in 2002. Scion after all allowed Toyota to market in unconventional ways, breaking ground in event, promotional and social media marketing. "No, it's safer to create Scion and keep the boomer buyer."<br /><br />He then added, "But in the future, we will have to integrate Toyota and Scion."&nbsp;</div>Brett Morganhttps://plus.google.com/101774534471717741769noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2794384932481202892.post-17275896610914894292015-09-14T09:40:00.002-07:002015-09-14T09:46:20.049-07:004 Takeaways from the 2015 Annual Toyota Dealer Meeting in Las Vegas <div class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>Here are my big four takeaways from the Annual Toyota Dealer Meeting (2015):&nbsp;</b></span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s2"><b></b></span><br /></div><div class="p1"><span class="s2">These are outside of the the usual product intro’s which would have been highlighted by the new Rav4 Hybrid, the new Tacoma (hot), a&nbsp;commitment to building more truck, Prius re-design (nice) and we saw the Scion CH-R concept which could make some noise if ever produced.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s2"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vN6FakhgVxU/Vfb4UlBDdvI/AAAAAAABTOc/umtds1rr1ZM/s1600/20150910_160325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vN6FakhgVxU/Vfb4UlBDdvI/AAAAAAABTOc/umtds1rr1ZM/s400/20150910_160325.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Annual Toyota Dealer Meeting was held in Las Vegas this past September</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="p3"><span class="s3">Pictures:&nbsp;<a href="https://business.facebook.com/ToyotaOfTampaBay/posts/10156148970695637"><span class="s4">https://business.facebook.com/ToyotaOfTampaBay/posts/10156148970695637</span></a></span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s2"><b></b></span><br /></div><div class="p1"><span class="s2"><b>#1) With hydrogen vehicles launching this year (only in areas with available&nbsp;hydrogen&nbsp;infrastructure) Toyota feels they have covered the gamut between Hydrogen, Electric, Hybrid and Gas products. Also an all new Prius and Prius electric is coming our way.&nbsp;</b></span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s2"><b></b></span><br /></div><div class="p3"><span class="s3">Learn More about Toyota Mirai &amp; Hydrogen:&nbsp;<a href="https://ssl.toyota.com/mirai/?"><span class="s4">https://ssl.toyota.com/mirai/?</span></a></span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s2"><b></b></span><br /></div><div class="p1"><span class="s2"><b>#2) Toyota Express Purchase: </b>We received a live demo of Toyota’s new buying process. Imagine an internet department inside of an internet department and a customer who arrives at the dealership only to&nbsp;“continue” their transaction. The process is seamless and includes F&amp;I products sold by the same sales member who confirms the previously negotiated purchase or lease. While the technology was good and seamless we’d require the same level of integration from World Omni that TFS was supplying not to mention other obstacles that could break the process (someone who wants to negotiate, a vehicle trade-in, someone with changing credit, changes their mind last minute on vehicle). Promising but not even ready for Beta testing. All in all this is going to be a win for consumers and can be adopted in part at some level of our dealership(s) today.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s2"></span><br /></div><div class="p1"><span class="s2"><b>#3) We are our own worst enemies:</b> We are giving our data to 3rd Party Providers so that they can profit from us…whether it’s TrueCar or Carvana essentially by participating we are allowing other folks the credit for delivering the customer a unique experience (not to mention with potential for a disconnect between consumer and manufacturer). Still buying 3rd party leads? Than you are part of the problem says Toyota.</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s2"></span><br /></div><div class="p1"><span class="s2">Biggest Problem: What’s already on their way in the way of data aggregators getting into the pre-owned market. Would you buy a used jacket online?&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s2"></span><br /></div><div class="p1"><span class="s2"><b>#4) Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) </b>is coming to all Toyota models soon (for many models by 2017) and includes the highest tech related to safety. Huge win for consumers and the Toyota brand.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s2"></span><br /></div><div class="p4"><span class="s2"><b>WHAT IS TOYOTA SAFETY SENSE?</b></span></div><div class="p5"><span class="s2"></span><br /></div><div class="p4"><span class="s2">The&nbsp;</span><span class="s1">Toyota Safety Sense C</span><span class="s2">&nbsp;package features three proprietary active safety technologies, and combines a camera and laser radar for enhanced performance and reliability. The package can help prevent or mitigate collisions in a wide range of vehicle speeds.</span></div><div class="p5"><span class="s2"></span><br /></div><div class="p4"><span class="s2"><b>Pre-collision System (PCS)</b></span></div><div class="p5"><span class="s2"></span><br /></div><div class="p4"><span class="s2">PCS uses a camera and laser radar to detect objects ahead of the vehicle.&nbsp; When the system determines there is a possibility of collision it prompts the driver to brake with an audio and visual alert. If the driver notices the hazard and brakes, the system provides additional braking force. If the driver fails to brake in a set time, the system automatically applies the brakes, reducing speed by approximately 19 mph&nbsp;*1&nbsp;in order to prevent or mitigate the collision. The operational range of PCS covers speeds at which at least 80 percent of rear-end collisions occur (i.e. relative speeds of between approximately 7 – 50 mph<i>).&nbsp;&nbsp;</i></span></div><div class="p5"><span class="s2"></span><br /></div><div class="p4"><span class="s2"><b>Lane Departure Alert (LDA)</b></span></div><div class="p5"><span class="s2"></span><br /></div><div class="p4"><span class="s2">LDA uses a camera to detect visible white and yellow lane markings. If the system determines that the vehicle is starting to deviate from the lane, LDA alerts the driver with an audio and visual alert.</span></div><div class="p5"><span class="s2"></span><br /></div><div class="p4"><span class="s2"><b>Automatic High Beam (AHB)</b></span></div><div class="p5"><span class="s2"></span><br /></div><div class="p4"><span class="s2">AHB helps enhance forward visibility during nighttime driving. It uses a camera to detect the headlights of oncoming vehicles and the tail lights of vehicles ahead, and then automatically switches between high beams and low beams so as not to dazzle other drivers.</span></div><div class="p5"><span class="s2"></span><br /></div><div class="p4"><span class="s1">Toyota Safety Sense P</span><span class="s2">&nbsp;combines a camera and millimeter-wave radar for enhanced performance and reliability. In addition to the three active safety technologies included in the Toyota Safety Sense C package, the Pre-collision System offered with this package also includes a pedestrian detection function. In addition, Toyota Safety Sense P offers Radar Cruise Control functionality.&nbsp; (see below)</span></div><div class="p5"><span class="s2"><b></b></span><br /></div><div class="p4"><span class="s2"><b>Pedestrian Pre-collision System</b></span></div><div class="p5"><span class="s2"></span><br /></div><div class="p4"><span class="s2">This system uses millimeter-wave radar and a camera to help detect pedestrians in certain conditions in addition to vehicles. To help prevent or mitigate collisions, the system activates an audio and visual alert in addition to brake assist, followed by automated braking if the driver does not brake in a set time. Automated braking operates at relative speeds of between 7- 50 mph for potential collisions with pedestrians, and can reduce speed by approximately 19 mph*1. For potential collisions with vehicles, the enhanced PCS system included with the Toyota Safety Sense P package operates at relative speeds of between 7 mph and the vehicle's top speed, reducing speed by approximately 25 mph*2.</span></div><div class="p5"><span class="s2"></span><br /></div><div class="p4"><span class="s2"><b>Dynamic Radar Cruise Control</b></span></div><div class="p5">carcarvana<span class="s2"></span></div><div class="p4"><span class="s2">On highways, Radar Cruise Control uses millimeter-wave radar to detect preceding vehicles and determine their speed. It then is designed to adjust vehicle speed (within a set range) to help maintain a pre-set distance between vehicles. By using a forward-facing camera and millimeter-wave radar to monitor vehicles merging into or out of the lane, Radar Cruise Control helps maintain smooth acceleration and deceleration while driving.</span></div>Brett Morganhttps://plus.google.com/101774534471717741769noreply@blogger.com1Las Vegas, NV, USA36.1699412 -115.1398295999999835.7602007 -115.78527659999999 36.579681699999995 -114.49438259999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2794384932481202892.post-21699878337600746172014-10-22T13:24:00.001-07:002014-10-22T13:31:50.461-07:00Searching for a Part Time Reputation Management / Social Media Manager in the Tampa Bay Area <div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Part Time Social Media &amp; Reputation Management Manager<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">whitehat three60°&nbsp;</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tampa Bay Area</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Florida&nbsp;</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Job Description:</b> <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Manage various reputation management accounts and social media accounts for a major independent franchised automotive dealership group based out of Tampa, FL. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Pay: $12 Dollars an Hour / 29 Hours Weekly / Office Hours Negotiable (Flexible Schedule)<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Responsibilities: <o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Respond to dealership reviews on platforms such as yelp!, dealer rater and Google + Business. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Distribute (E-mail) Positive &amp; Negative Reviews to relevant department heads. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Use whitehat’s reputation surge process to drive additional reviews and customer feedback. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Social Media content creation management for Google + Business and Instagram. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Specifically: To grow followers on both platforms, garner engagement, create relationships with brand aficionados and local influencers. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Become a company advocate in these specific social spaces and engage in dialogues and answer questions when appropriate. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Qualifications and Experience: <o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Possesses excellent written communication skills and the ability to communicate in a personable, not robotic-tone. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Possesses knowledge and experience in the tenets of traditional marketing (Marketing degree or specific study not a necessity).<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Demonstrate creativity and documented immersion in Social Media (Include Screen Shots or Links to Specific Examples). <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Experienced in sourcing and managing content development in web publishing. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Can transition from the creative side to the analytical side. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Displays in depth knowledge of a broad spectrum of Social Media applications and their associated back end tools. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Is a team player with confidence and the ability to hold oneself accountable to job description. Knows appropriate times to communicate challenges and issues when an escalating situation may arise. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Demonstrates overall winning Social Customer Service skills. But be empathetic overall to customer while holding an upbeat stance that looks at the big picture. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i>Please contact Brett M&nbsp;@ <a href="mailto:brett@whitehatthree60.com">brett@whitehatthree60.com</a> or 813.340.0544&nbsp;</i></b><br /><b><i>Please attach resume &amp; applicable examples of Social Greatness or Written Communication!&nbsp;</i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:DocumentProperties> <o:Revision>0</o:Revision> <o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:Pages>1</o:Pages> <o:Words>296</o:Words> <o:Characters>1688</o:Characters> <o:Company>Morgan Auto Group</o:Company> <o:Lines>14</o:Lines> <o:Paragraphs>3</o:Paragraphs> <o:CharactersWithSpaces>1981</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:Version>14.0</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> 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mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style><![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> <!--EndFragment--><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>Brett Morganhttps://plus.google.com/101774534471717741769noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2794384932481202892.post-40784747806416498962014-08-08T15:05:00.001-07:002014-08-08T15:11:48.868-07:00John Marazzi taught me something today...<p dir="ltr">About two years ago we began tracking front end PVR throughout our auto group. OK not revolutionary but I'm not talking salesperson PVR I'm talking from the desk. But for each action there is an equal and opposite reaction. The negative was that now desk managers would run from low margin deals, internet grosses or deals on age pre-owned inventory. What we wanted was a culture of accountability...what we got was desk managers becoming good at playing matador. </p><p dir="ltr">John Marazzi had a solution. Instead of letting his one desk manager who would take any action (be it a detriment to his per copy) become the department laughing stock he created a top ten gross report. The report would pit each desk managers top ten grosses against the rest of the team. What we found was that the playing field was leveled and that when gross was there the so called low PVR performer was hanging with the big boys. </p><p dir="ltr">BUT today my mind was further blown. In the ever changing marketplace of pre-owned vehicles prices don't just change daily they change hourly. Now how could you compare a manager selling a 70 day old unit with 400 dollars of profit to another selling a fresh unit with 1800 dollars of wiggle room to retail? The answer is you can't. John Marazzi has changed all that. In transactional selling John has realized success is relative to the opportunity you are given and what you do with it. His price to sale gap report takes all that into account and gives managers a true relative measurement of their dealing success. Simple but effective thinking. Well done John and Brandon Honda! <br></p>Brett Morganhttps://plus.google.com/101774534471717741769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2794384932481202892.post-58564999463615352052014-08-01T09:53:00.001-07:002014-08-01T09:55:03.393-07:00Morgan Auto Group Acquires Volkswagen of Gainesville <div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px 0px 10px;"><strong>For Immediate Release<br />July 31, 2014<br />Gainesville, FL</strong></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px 0px 10px;">The Morgan Auto Group (based in Tampa, FL) has brought their lineup of unique brands represented to 11 with the acquisition of Gettel Automotive’s “Volkswagen of Gainesville.” Morgan Auto now has 12 dealerships on the Gulf Coast and in Central Florida where they currently have&nbsp;<a href="http://www.morganautogroup.com/wade-raulerson-honda/" style="color: #2255aa;" title="Honda of Gainesville">Honda of Gainesville</a>,<a href="http://www.gainesvillebuickandgmc.com/VehicleSearchResults?pageName=PreOwnedVehicleSearch&amp;search=certified&amp;search=used" style="color: #2255aa;" title="Gainesville Buick GMC">Gainesville Buick GMC</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.gainesvillemitsubishi.com/dealership/directions.htm" style="color: #2255aa;" title="Gainesville Mitsubishi">Gainesville Mitsubishi</a>&nbsp;and Honda of Ocala in the region.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px 0px 10px;">“We think that there is a ton of upside to the VW brand,” said MAG CEO Larry Morgan. “Volkswagen has a diverse lineup and a loyal following and we are looking forward to growing that business.” The Morgans are no strangers to VW, their first entry into the car business back in 2004 was with then partner Jason Kuhn and his Kuhn Honda Volkswagen store on Kennedy in Tampa. “The first vehicle I ever sold was a new Volkswagen Golf,” remarked Larry’s son and Morgan Auto President Brett Morgan. “It’s a neat brand that appeals to young, educated consumers and we are thrilled to be operating in a University town such as Gainesville, FL.”</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px 0px 10px;">Larry and Brett stated that they will continue to operate the store from the current location while a new facility is constructed. “Operations and the Customer Experience will remain consistent and we shouldn’t miss a beat in transition,” said Larry. “We look forward to bringing some of our own priorities to the store but that will be over time. For now, our focus will be in creating and maintaining a great customer experience in Gainesville.”</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px 0px 10px;">The Morgans have named Veteran Dealership Manager Tony Turner the new General Manager of Volkswagen of Gainesville.</div>Brett Morganhttps://plus.google.com/101774534471717741769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2794384932481202892.post-11443266740482681882014-07-18T21:12:00.001-07:002014-08-01T09:55:28.537-07:00The first time I met John Marazzi The first time I met John Marazzi had to be in late 2005 or most likely 2006. I was a "young car guy" LOL (not as young now as when I started this blog, har-har) and a vender friend had offered to take one of my favorite car guys Ross Bauer (our then GM at Toyota of Tampa Bay) and myself to Fort Myers Toyota to meet what we already knew was one heck of an operation.<br /><br />I was low on sleep in my then role as a Floor Manager at Toyota of Tampa Bay but lucky for me Ross drove all the way down. Operationally John had some things going on I'd never seen before. The bottom line was that each step he found a way to maximize efficiency and get his most capable people in front of the customer every time. He was finding ways (and still is) of getting to what he felt consumers wanted and at the same time breaking sales volume records left and right (with happy customers too).<br /><br />While my colleague ventured around the store I found myself alone with John in his office. He opened a long file drawer in his desk and asked me to come around to look. "Do you see that Brett," he said with a small trace of his New Jersey roots, "these are all the people who would love to come to work for me here in Fort Myers." As I looked down I saw, neatly organized, near a thousand filed job applications locked away below his desk. I believed John. Anyone with the drive, charisma, excitement and competitive spirit of a John Marazzi doesn't have to tell tales. He's going to just show you sooner than later.<br /><br />Fast forward to 2014 and John has been partners with my father and I for nearly 2 + years. Everyday I learn from John Marazzi and I still see the very same instincts and energy I found in John some 8 years ago. Is he confident? Sure. Does he run in a million different directions each day? Sure, many successful business leaders do (He's a tough man to keep up with sure). He tries things others in his industry are unwilling to try. Is he perfect? Heck no, John can be fickle and change directions so quickly if he thinks something isn't working, sometimes maybe too quickly but hey, he's impatient. AGAIN --- many great people are. So when you meet John, do me one favor, just don't ever tell him NOT to do something. He'll just work all the harder to prove you wrong.<br /><br />Brandon Honda is a place today unlike it has ever been. I'm proud to call John my partner and I am proud of what we are able to do as a team. John Marazzi's team is one I'd send my application to any day of the week.<br /><br />-BrettBrett Morganhttps://plus.google.com/101774534471717741769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2794384932481202892.post-27202075120539554702014-07-16T16:14:00.005-07:002014-07-16T16:18:44.037-07:00John Marazzi continues a trend of success with Morgan Auto Group at Brandon Honda <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i_Ud-T1BypQ/U8cHp84Yn2I/AAAAAAABHnc/q1YuKNuUrKU/s1600/10531478_730168963709230_8207889323831689789_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i_Ud-T1BypQ/U8cHp84Yn2I/AAAAAAABHnc/q1YuKNuUrKU/s1600/10531478_730168963709230_8207889323831689789_o.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a>While it seems like yesterday in 2011 that John Marazzi joined Morgan Auto Group, in a short amount of time the successful General Manager (and now our partner) has done quite a bit. He's shattered store records in regards to Service, New Car Sales and Pre-Owned Sales all the while focusing on his online reputation and customer satisfaction.<br /><br />Just in 2014 alone Brandon Honda has been acknowledged and recognized by three separate awards. The best news? One is the prestigious American Honda "President's Award" and the other two are based on online consumer ratings.<br /><br />Brandon Honda is now the winner of the American Honda President's Award, was the 2013 Dealer of the Year for DealerRater.com and also an Edmunds.com "5 Star Dealer."<br /><br /><div style="line-height: 20px; padding: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">We look forward to following John’s success here in Tampa after an award winning career in Naples and Fort Myers (Ft. Myers, FL). Keep it going John! I remember the day I met him at while he was at the helm of Ft. Myers Toyota and still recall that first impression of a deeply motivated, very personal and hands on leader!&nbsp;</span></div><div style="line-height: 20px; padding: 0px 0px 10px;"><strong><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Tags: John Marazzi, Tampa, Tampa Honda, Honda Dealerships, Brandon Honda, Sam Raabe, Reviews, Awards, Honda Awards, Customer Service, Brett Morgan, Morgan Auto Group</span></strong></div>Brett Morganhttps://plus.google.com/101774534471717741769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2794384932481202892.post-55028496107972233682014-07-15T22:24:00.002-07:002014-07-15T22:25:25.339-07:00Congratulations to our Brandon Honda General Sales Manager Sam Raabe! I just wanted to take a minute and pass a deserved nod and a wink (hats off) to our GSM extraordinaire at our Brandon Honda store, Sam Raabe, for receiving 40 Under 40 designation. As a past recipient I understand the scope and impact you have to make professionally to receive this kind of recognition from Automotive News. Sam's impact on the day to day business of Brandon Honda has been nothing short of Herculean. We are surely proud of you Sam!<br /><br />If you would like take two minutes and read the article below (<a href="http://www.autonews.com/article/20140714/UNDER40/307149967/sam-raabe">or click here to read the original</a>).<br /><br /><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; padding: 0px 0px 10px;"><strong><em>Taken from the July 14, 2014 issue of Automotive News:&nbsp;</em></strong></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;"><div style="padding: 0px 0px 10px;">Sam Raabe was sick of working nights as a bartender, with no direction to his career. So he started selling cars at Kendall Kia in Miami. It was a way for a guy without a college degree to get a good-paying job and advance quickly.</div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;"><div style="padding: 0px 0px 10px;">Within a few years, Raabe (pronounced “Robbie”) had risen to finance manager at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.hondaofocala.com/used-inventory/" style="color: #2255aa;" title="Honda of Ocala">Honda of Ocala</a>. Now, he’s general sales manager at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.brandonhonda.com/used/" style="color: #2255aa;" title="Brandon Honda">Brandon Honda</a>, a President’s Award-winning Tampa dealership.</div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;"><div style="padding: 0px 0px 10px;">Raabe’s sales tactics require managers to get involved early, “roaming the floor, not sitting at their desks,” greeting customers early in the process. After a test drive, that same manager will handle any price negotiations after the first exchange of numbers. That speeds the deal process greatly, Raabe said.</div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;"><div style="padding: 0px 0px 10px;">“When the boss comes out, you know you are near the end of the deal, plus it gives credibility to the deal,” Raabe said. “It’s always the same guy as before the test drive, not some scary new guy.”</div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;"><div style="padding: 0px 0px 10px;">Raabe also likes hiring sales staff who have never sold cars before. At his store, 70 percent of the staff is new to car retailing.</div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;"><div style="padding: 0px 0px 10px;">“They don’t have bad habits. They only know our process and don’t take shortcuts,” Raabe said. That process includes daily inspections of recent trade-ins and inventory older than 60 days, as well as a daily one-hour training session by a manager to teach employees all facets of the business.</div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;"><div style="padding: 0px 0px 10px;">The tactics are working. In the six months of 2012 before Raabe took the general sales manager job,<a href="http://www.brandonhonda.com/cpo-used-specials.cfm" style="color: #2255aa;" title="Brandon Honda">Brandon Honda</a>&nbsp;sold an average of 174 new and 110 used cars a month. In 2013, that soared to 242 new and 151 used sales a month. Profits rose 42 percent.</div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;"><div style="padding: 0px 0px 10px;">Brandon Honda also is the top-rated Honda dealer in Florida on DealerRater, scoring a 4.9 out of 5 from more than 1,200 customer reviews, in a cut-throat metro market. There are nine Honda dealers within a 45 minute drive of Brandon Honda and four within 30 minutes.</div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;"><div style="padding: 0px 0px 10px;">Raabe is not satisfied. His target is 350 new and 250 used sales a month in 2015, with profits up 25 percent this year and 15 percent next year.</div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;"><div style="padding: 0px 0px 10px;">Raabe thanks Brandon managing partner John Marazzi for his mentoring and “never give up” attitude. Marazzi’s best lesson, says Raabe: “No matter how tough it’s going, you can never be afraid of taking risks. You need to take as many risks as possible.”</div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;"><div style="padding: 0px 0px 10px;"><em>– Mark Rechtin (taken from Automotive News)&nbsp;</em></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;"><div style="padding: 0px 0px 10px;"><strong><em>TAGS: Morgan Auto Group, Sam Raabe, Brandon Honda, Honda in Tampa, FL, John Marazzi, Honda of Brandon, Tampa Honda, 40 Under 40, Automotive News, Dealership, Honda Dealerships, Florida&nbsp;</em></strong></div></div>Brett Morganhttps://plus.google.com/101774534471717741769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2794384932481202892.post-13299536765005842962014-06-11T16:18:00.003-07:002014-06-11T16:18:59.285-07:00Travel Time: Going to get a lot of use out of my Chrome Book I think So tomorrow I am doing some traveling the kind of traveling that I don't do very often. I think that I am going to find my Google Samsung Chrome Book very useful. It's got a media card slot so I can send and post pictures straight from my nice Sony DSLR Camera and I am going to use another Micro SD card to load a bunch of MP4 movie files. I think it's working out nicely and let's face it. If it's stolen you can't login and it's ridiculously cheap to replace. A much better solution than bringing say my Apple Mac Book Air. So that's that. Maybe I'll even post some things happening on my trip here!Brett Morganhttps://plus.google.com/101774534471717741769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2794384932481202892.post-1768009384502759952014-03-18T14:25:00.003-07:002014-03-18T14:28:53.992-07:0014 Lists About Improving Your Life That Were Written By People Who Have No Idea What They Are Talking AboutReally? You actually need proof?<br /><br />I've just noticed "lists" are getting more and more popular in blogging. Actually they are all I see...<br /><br />Lists as to 7 reasons mobile devices are bad for children, 10 miracle foods that can change your life, 4 positive thoughts that will make your day better...well you get the picture. So did you click on my post?<br /><br />-Brett M<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CxMmutwxXDA/Uyi6Pu8aJ5I/AAAAAAAA00w/eZCYH85WiPo/s1600/stock-footage-portrait-of-a-young-beautiful-woman-in-a-rape-field-looking-sideways-then-smiling-to-camera-full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CxMmutwxXDA/Uyi6Pu8aJ5I/AAAAAAAA00w/eZCYH85WiPo/s1600/stock-footage-portrait-of-a-young-beautiful-woman-in-a-rape-field-looking-sideways-then-smiling-to-camera-full.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></div><br />Brett Morganhttps://plus.google.com/101774534471717741769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2794384932481202892.post-2032091714687022372014-01-09T19:36:00.000-08:002014-01-09T19:36:50.498-08:00Rick Scott visits the Morgan Auto Group's Brandon Honda store on January 8, 2014 <b><span style="font-size: large;">4 quick takeaways from my brief visit with Florida Governor Rick Scott</span></b><br /><b><br /></b>Florida Governor Rick Scott stopped by our Brandon Honda store near Tampa this past Wednesday to reinforce a major proposal that could amount to $400 million in tax savings for Florida drivers. The tax break would reverse some of the legislation we saw in 2009 that sent tag renewals to record highs. As a dealership employee we often electronically administer this work for customers so naturally we heard the negative response in a major way. In my opinion this move is also a symbolic break from much tougher days...both for our state and car dealers.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iqD_Xy9z-LI/Us9cFD7Cw0I/AAAAAAAAAVY/4Vk2rLdEpW0/s1600/1503911_10151901113791728_1334652335_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iqD_Xy9z-LI/Us9cFD7Cw0I/AAAAAAAAAVY/4Vk2rLdEpW0/s1600/1503911_10151901113791728_1334652335_n.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Brett Morgan, Larry Morgan, Florida Governor Rick Scott &amp; John Marazzi</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">#1)</span></b> <b><span style="font-size: large;">He's more personal than people give him credit for.</span></b><br /><br />Like my father, Governor Scott is a mid-western boy by birth and college education. Also like my father he came from humble beginnings in life. He had done his research on my father and while that's what a good politician should do - it was a neat conversation to watch. Say what you will say about them both - but a self made man is exactly that in many respects. Success was neither given nor destined for either. In fact I would also throw our partner John Marazzi into that same breath. These are men who have succeeded in life through hard work, determination in spite of what others were able to provide them in life. Their lives have been more about what they have been able to provide to others in the way of opportunity, growth and success. Don't feel that way about the Governor? That's fine but I'd<a href="http://www.tampabay.com/features/humaninterest/young-rick-scott-recalled-as-driven-frugal-studious-focused/1129801"> read this human interest piece</a> and take a break from the politics for a minute.<br /><br />The Governor also made light of his friendly competition with Texas Governor Perry and a small bet he had with the Alabama Governor over the recent BCS National Championship between Auburn and FSU.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">#2) He looks like Peter Garrett, the lead singer from Midnight Oil.&nbsp;</span></b><br /><b><br /></b>Ironic maybe that Garrett, is now an Australian politician. Wait? As I was creating this graphic below I googled both names hoping someone already did my work for me. They hadn't, but I did realize Jon Stewart from Comedy Central had already made this joke. So not cool. Jon went to my rival college (College of William and Mary) as I am a Richmond Spider. I no longer like my own joke. At least if you know of Midnight Oil we know you have good taste in music. Moving on...I digress...<br /><b><br /></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-olPAdwASsmk/Us9fC0qY79I/AAAAAAAAAVk/Y4XyAHlibG0/s1600/COMBO.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-olPAdwASsmk/Us9fC0qY79I/AAAAAAAAAVk/Y4XyAHlibG0/s1600/COMBO.png" height="246" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">#3) The local Media is HARD on Rick Scott...</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"They should be!" Stop muttering under your breath...I can hear you. Seriously, yesterday's announcement was a very positive thing. But since he had alluded to it previously at a Tampa press conference some 30 days ago this was most certainly overkill! I didn't feel that at all. This time he decided to return to an appropriate venue (locally owned car dealership), on a slow news day, and talk about the savings and this time with more specificity. I figured he'd gotten it right. Every piece of media written though basically waxed the same...&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"<span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20.796875px;">Clearly interested in publicity in the politically crucial Tampa area about a tax cut, Gov. Rick Scott made a second appearance in Tampa in less than a month Wednesday to talk about his proposed cut in vehicle registration fees."</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20.796875px;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Wow even the Tampa Tribune is worn out by two local visits in a 30 day period! Like you've never written virtually the same article before? Ha!&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">#4) People don't see the big picture anymore in politics. They remember only issues (and moments) the media magnifies. And they speak with a venom that makes me sad for my generation.&nbsp;</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">People don't look at the big picture, the small victories or potential future gains in politics. My guess is that between the "he's not personable" perception of Rick Scott and issues like the proposed drug testing of welfare recipients that he's gained some enemies. My opinion is that these things sort of become "Red Herring" issues in the sense that they aren't within the top 10&nbsp;opportunities&nbsp;and challenges facing our state, but all the same they become defining. I would argue the same on the other side of the isle for what happened to former Governor Crist.&nbsp;His brief embrace with Barack Obama lead to his eventual political cross-over. The sad part is as state residents (specifically younger people) we hang our hats on these moments. We close our ears to Scott's vision of a state with a greater draw of large employers. We stop listening when he uses the example of cities like Austin, Texas as a creative and growing city he'd like to see replicated in Florida. We stop peeling the onion and driving towards the core of what could make a better Florida. We roll our eyes and say, "there goes the idiot who wants welfare recipients to be drug free to receive our benefits." When Governor Scott talked about us taking a greater, deeper pride in our state...I was moved. Those are the kinds of beliefs that can bring people from all walks of life together. We grasp at the negatives far too easily...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Don't believe me? Within moments of posting on our Facebook page about the Governor's visit we received the following comments:&nbsp;</i></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Great you got to meet the Governor. Just sorry it was THAT one."&nbsp;</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span data-ft="{&quot;tn&quot;:&quot;K&quot;}" data-reactid=".r[5y].[1][3][1]{comment637769072949220_73489009}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3]" style="line-height: 15.555556297302246px;"><span data-reactid=".r[5y].[1][3][1]{comment637769072949220_73489009}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[5y].[1][3][1]{comment637769072949220_73489009}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].{end}[0]{0}[0]" style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Ask him how much money he plans to make drug testing all of florida? He voted for drug testing for welfare and state employees because he owns the largest drug testing provider in Florida. Hes an asshat"&nbsp;</span></b></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span data-ft="{&quot;tn&quot;:&quot;K&quot;}" data-reactid=".r[5y].[1][3][1]{comment637769072949220_73489009}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3]" style="line-height: 15.555556297302246px;"><span data-reactid=".r[5y].[1][3][1]{comment637769072949220_73489009}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[5y].[1][3][1]{comment637769072949220_73489009}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].{end}[0]{0}[0]" style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span data-ft="{&quot;tn&quot;:&quot;K&quot;}" data-reactid=".r[5y].[1][3][1]{comment637769072949220_73489009}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3]" style="line-height: 15.555556297302246px;"><span data-reactid=".r[5y].[1][3][1]{comment637769072949220_73489009}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[5y].[1][3][1]{comment637769072949220_73489009}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].{end}[0]{0}[0]" style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I couldn't agree with you more. Hes one of the worst thing thats happened to florida."</span></b></span></span></span></div><b><br /></b>Truth is we probably always spoke this way, save maybe the "asshat" remark. It's Social Media that has now given every one a voice into a stranger's living room and that's both exciting and terrifying to me. Freedom of Speech is important but I'm probably not wrong if I am assuming that these are opinions being formed on a few basic factoids. I'm trying to be more balanced in my approach in life. <b><i>Am I saying that the Governor deserves your respect just because he is the Governor? No. What I am saying is that if a large majority don't we probably aren't moving anywhere as progressing people.</i></b> In walking the room that evening and speaking with many of my business associates we all agreed we wouldn't have the stomach for politics. CAR DEALERS not being able to stomach something? Yes. That's what I said.<br /><b><br /></b>When Governor Scott first got out of the car yesterday he first asked about the healthy of our business. It's funny, growing up with an entrepreneurial father you notice some things. One of my greatest takeaways is watching the personal growth opportunities a business leader can provide to so many. The Governor was pleased to hear our business was growing in the post-recession and eluded to a Florida's fiscal health and the success of "smaller government" and a solid foundation moving forward. This philosophy right here is at the core of what drives entrepreneurial America. I am a huge believer in the impact we've made in our communities as entrepreneurs. Bigger more inefficient governments can drain of our own tax revenues while stunting the growth of many whose success paves the road of opportunity for others. That's a BIG PICTURE issue that is effecting our state here and now.<br /><br /><b>I just hope the next time the Governor (or another&nbsp;politician&nbsp;you consider an asshat) sincerely speaks up, you listen&nbsp;- and don't get lost in the sound-bytes and "red herrings." You might just learn something.&nbsp;</b>Brett Morgan - Morgan Auto Grouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10713101579854463680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2794384932481202892.post-75529006832797785692014-01-07T15:10:00.000-08:002014-01-09T18:11:34.990-08:00Top Ten Things I can do with my Blackberry 10 That You Didn't Think I Could: <b>1) Sync my iTunes library to my Blackberry 10 device.&nbsp;</b><br /><br />Oh yes you can! And through the native Blackberry link application! It's easy!<br /><br /><b>2) Enjoy a "Siri" type experience.&nbsp;</b><br /><br />Try the new "Built for Blackberry" application "Say It" which now runs "headless," meaning the window does not need to remain open.<br /><br /><b>3) Bluetooth stream music to my car --- which does not allow for bluetooth streaming.&nbsp;</b><br /><br />I have a 2011 GMC Terrain SLT. In that production year bluetooth streaming of internet radio or really any media is not supported. How did I fix this?<br /><br />I purchased a Blackberry bluetooth gateway and attached it in an attractive fashion (using velcro) under my arm rest. The gateway has a power source and feeds nicely into the auxillary port thinks to some good thinking by GMC. So now when I step near my car it's ready to rock tunes right off my phone.<br /><b><br /></b><b>4) I hear Blackberry doesn't have supported applications for E*Trade, Yahoo Fantasy Football, ADT, American Express, Nike&nbsp;+, SunTrust Bank and Klout? Also what about Google Drive?</b><br /><br />Yep, that's true. But thanks to the beauty of HTML 5 and the best Blackberry browser ever I have simply created Home Screen links to these accounts. Don't like that? Well you can always try sideloading Android apps (I have done this and to mixed success). Google Drive? No problem, I'm utilizing the "Cloud Explorer for Google" application and I am all set.<br /><br /><b>5) Sonos?&nbsp;</b><br /><br />Yes Blackberry 10 has some great applications that work very well with your Sonos wireless sound system.<br /><br /><b>6) Instagram?&nbsp;</b><br /><br />Ok honestly, I'd be doing a lot more on Instagram if it weren't for the fact that they won't develop an application for Blackberry. Blackberry hasn't developed one either. The best experience I have found is with "Blackgram," a newer application available on Blackberry 10. Functions are to a degree limited but if you can't get to another mobile device at least I still can participate.<br /><b><br /></b><b>7) Blackberry Travel&nbsp;</b><br /><br />I've tried to utilize other travel applications to organize my busy business/leisure travel life. Blackberry Travel is a native application that works well by pulling reservations and travel plans out of my e-mail. Want to search for local restaurants and get the weather to where you are going? It's simple. Also any flight changes or status updates come right into your Blackberry 10's notifications. It's fantastic.<br /><br /><b>8) Blackberry Messenger (BBM)&nbsp;</b><br /><br />It needs some work but look for Blackberry to make a real investment here in 2014. Could it one day be a leader among the likes of Viber, WhatsApp, KIK Messenger and Snapchat? I repeat...needs some work! BUT everyday I do utilize BBM and wish more in the US did as well. The best upside is that unlike Apple's iMessage it's available on Android, Apple and BB devices. Can't say that for KIK and Snapchat.<br /><br /><b>9) Native integration with Evernote and Dropbox show why Blackberry still wants to build the best phone for business on the planet.&nbsp;</b><br /><b><br /></b>What did Melanie Griffith say in that Harrison Ford classic "Working Girl" in the 80's? A mind for business but a body for sin? Yeah that works here too. Maybe.<br /><br />No idea what I'm talking about?<br /><br /><a href="http://www.metacafe.com/watch/mv-onga/working_girl_a_head_for_business_and_a_bod_for_sin/">http://www.metacafe.com/watch/mv-onga/working_girl_a_head_for_business_and_a_bod_for_sin/</a><br /><b><br /></b><b>10) Video chat? Well until my friends come around to BBM Skype is where it's at...but it too does perfectly well on the BlackBerry 10.&nbsp;</b>Brett Morganhttps://plus.google.com/101774534471717741769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2794384932481202892.post-83042116667672372652013-12-05T09:56:00.003-08:002013-12-05T09:56:58.072-08:00Facebook Retargeting? Thought of the Day...Thought of the Day...<div><br /></div><div>Wouldn't there be some supreme value to being able to use Facebook as a retargeting tool for your business?&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>I think Facebook's appeal for businesses is essentially that it's not home to traditional marketing messages. Relationships with consumers can be fostered on Facebook (through your business page) in a non-threatening / non-hostile environment.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>So what if we could identify consumers on Facebook that had been on our website within the last say 60 days and retarget them? I just happen to think Social Retargeting (when possible) would be a hell of a lot more welcome and efficient than say a lot of general retargeting on the web.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>Does the technology exist to make this happen? I imagine Facebook (for some good reason) would make this very difficult to execute.&nbsp;</div>Brett Morganhttps://plus.google.com/101774534471717741769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2794384932481202892.post-34754240340323170902013-11-25T20:15:00.002-08:002013-11-25T20:15:14.262-08:00Nicki Minaj's Aventador is from Lamborghini Sarasota? <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zyj5vycFeqE/UpQdMta_YUI/AAAAAAAAATQ/KgKQ7NUYSvw/s1600/minaj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="275" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zyj5vycFeqE/UpQdMta_YUI/AAAAAAAAATQ/KgKQ7NUYSvw/s400/minaj.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Minaj's Lambo; Should we tweet her and let her know her car's origins?<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>So here is how the story goes. Nicki Minaj is driving a Lamborghini Aventador from Lamborghini Sarasota, one of our Morgan Auto Group dealerships just south of Tampa.<br /><br />BUT she has no idea that she is...<br /><br />That's right. Now how could that happen?<br /><br />Well first of all I am sure she had a handler pick up the car for her --- but that's not the reason she doesn't know it's from us.<br /><br />The reason is that we have every reason to believe that our Blue Roadster (which is now "Pink" thanks to Nicki's custom job) came from our dealership is this:<br /><br /><a href="http://autofluence.com/people/celebrity-cars/exotic-euro-cars-sells-aventador-nicki-minaj/">http://autofluence.com/people/celebrity-cars/exotic-euro-cars-sells-aventador-nicki-minaj/</a><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hhlzK70cxrs/UpQfSmQqXtI/AAAAAAAAATc/Bk8Alj_YpVI/s1600/Nicki_FB.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="215" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hhlzK70cxrs/UpQfSmQqXtI/AAAAAAAAATc/Bk8Alj_YpVI/s400/Nicki_FB.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Post from one of our Associates...</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br />We recently sold a Blue Roadster to a regional Florida "agency" representing an area "Sports Star." We found out sometime later the car was on the showroom of a well known California re-seller of used exotics. Lamborghini is pretty particular about who they let sell new Lambo's after all so upon hearing this news they were less than thrilled.<br /><br />As a dealer I can't say I'm all that excited that essentially we were lied to by a domestic agent but I guess stuff happens. I also have to say there is a small chance that "Exotic Euro Cars" just did the custom work and didn't really sell her the car --- but they are saying they did...and frankly it would fit their business model to do so. So who made the play here? Not sure if we ever know though I may have some homework to do tomorrow.<br /><br />Either way I'm hitting up Nicki on Twitter. I think she'd appreciates knowing the origins of her Aventador. :)<br /><br />BAM<br /><br />To check out more about <b>Lamborghini Sarasota</b> go to:<br /><a href="http://www.lamborghinisarasota.com/">http://www.lamborghinisarasota.com&nbsp;</a><br /><b><br /></b><b>Morgan Auto Group&nbsp;</b><br /><a href="http://www.morganautogroup.com%20/">http://www.morganautogroup.com&nbsp;</a><br /><br />Brett Morgan - Morgan Auto Grouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10713101579854463680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2794384932481202892.post-79694061171801056232013-11-23T07:59:00.001-08:002013-11-23T08:12:45.840-08:00Tampa Auto Show - Tampa Bay International Car Show is going on now at the Tampa Convention Center (November 22-24) <b>1) Show's Must See Display: Lamborghini&nbsp;</b><br /><b><br /></b>It's the 50th Anniversary of Lamborghini and in case you missed the recent incredible 60 Minutes special about it, it's time for you to see what all the fuss is about.<br /><br />The display is kind of buried in the back of the convention space's first floor but it is well worth peaking around to find. The Lamborghini display actually has one of the thirty 50th-Anniversary Lamborghini Aventadors that are making their way to the United States. They also share an entire room across from the Aventador display with several other Lamborghini's to look at. Last year because of allocation issues Lamborghini wasn't even able to display a single Aventador.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KTr6g0Z0X7E/UpDP2toHAOI/AAAAAAAAvNA/tO_u4yGjtCc/s1600/50th_Lambo_Aventador.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KTr6g0Z0X7E/UpDP2toHAOI/AAAAAAAAvNA/tO_u4yGjtCc/s400/50th_Lambo_Aventador.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">50th Anniversary Lamborghini Aventador (Only 100 Produced)</td></tr></tbody></table>The Lamborghini display is manned and features inventory from <a href="http://www.lamborghinisarasota.com/">Lamborghini Sarasota</a> which is Tampa Bay's Premier Lamborghini store. You can <a href="http://www.facebook.com/LamborghiniSarasota/">find out more about Lamborghini Sarasota here</a>:<br /><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BzkZmQ1Brmk/UpDPxvJCQII/AAAAAAAAvM4/u4I3-8VIlnY/s1600/aventadors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="165" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BzkZmQ1Brmk/UpDPxvJCQII/AAAAAAAAvM4/u4I3-8VIlnY/s400/aventadors.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>2) Most Interactive Display: Toyota&nbsp;</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Toyota was giving away prizes, busy with amplified walk arounds (who knew the new Corolla was this exciting?) and had nearly every single vehicle in their line up represented. Several concierge desks also were available for consumers with specific product related questions. Well done Toyota you had a very well staffed booth.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Notable: Chevrolet's Corvette Media Display was pretty great.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>3) Fun for the Kids</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Try Ford's racing simulator.</b> It is after-all the 50th Anniversary of the Ford Mustang.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rQM1yGAMXaA/UpDS-w7c00I/AAAAAAAAvNM/V0T0yPQ0aV4/s1600/ford_simulator.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rQM1yGAMXaA/UpDS-w7c00I/AAAAAAAAvNM/V0T0yPQ0aV4/s400/ford_simulator.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><b><i>The Tampa Auto Show is brought to you by Motor Trend and the <a href="http://www.tbanada.com/">Tampa Bay Area New Auto Dealers Association.&nbsp;</a></i></b></div>Brett Morganhttps://plus.google.com/101774534471717741769noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2794384932481202892.post-20718389485626966692013-11-22T22:28:00.001-08:002013-11-23T07:47:22.465-08:00The New Tech Battleground: Messenger Apps The way we communicate really isn't changing much these days. Text really is just text, after all right? Than why has the latest tech battleground returned to such familiar territory?<br /><br />Right now the competitive landscape has never been greater with messaging services such as Kik, WhatsApp, iMessage, Facebook messenger and the resurgent BlackBerry Messenger all jockying for position. So is SMS such a poor platform that it needs to be replaced or enhanced? Are our data plans that poor where looking for WiFi based alternatives is a must? I guess so! And if there is a true advantage to using a third party application for messaging surely the greatest success will be software that plays well on all platforms, right?<br /><br /><b>Here is my quick read on who is coming up, going down and sticking around.</b><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZzMtUsQGe8Q/UpDMSAiI-AI/AAAAAAAAvMs/RKh3FzHPwL0/s1600/Messaging-Apps-SMS.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZzMtUsQGe8Q/UpDMSAiI-AI/AAAAAAAAvMs/RKh3FzHPwL0/s1600/Messaging-Apps-SMS.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Choices...Too Many Choices...</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><b>iMessage (Apple):</b> Fantastic service which offers integration across all Apple hardware iPod, iPhone, iPad and Apple laptop and desktop configurations. The supreme benefit is being able to carry a text conversation from a mobile device to a seated desktop environment. In my life when committed to Apple products I found that this helped me rely less upon e-mail for work related conversations (as long as those I was communicating with were iMessage users as well). Also iMessage unlike SMS carries across WiFi which means I found myself utilizing the service on planes with in-flight data. Negatives? Does not carry outside of the Apple platform. While iMessage is going nowhere I would also say unless a bridge is created for products outside of Apple iOS that it will never be a full on solution.<br /><br /><b>BBM Messenger:</b> BlackBerry is making headlines for the vast amount of downloads their app is receiving since becoming available for both Apple and Android. The success however still has BBM outside of the top 100 downloaded apps in the US which means a great deal of BBM's success is internation. My biggest beef with BBM is simple. Since your account is based on a unique PIN and not tied to your cell number it is difficult to find other "friends" to chat with on the service. Also their is no way to "geo-search" for say new friends to speak with which will also stunt its growth. I will watch BBM updates moving forward; if they can say ... fix either of these issues they will see traction for sure.<br /><br /><b>Kik Messenger: </b>Kik is stable and available across Apple and Android devices. It's not available for BlackBerry and while Kik does attempt to tie to a cell number to bring your "friends" before you I have also found that a good number of randoms are offered as people I already know...which is disconcerting to say the least. It's a good interface but I think this is the one competitor that BBM could really place in their crosshares...only time will tell.<br /><br /><b>Facebook Messenger:</b> While FB Messenger also is a quickly evolving I think most people see Messenger as strictly a text application. It's multimedia functions for file and pic sharing are limited to a degree in what others can offer. Also when it comes to privacy Facebook (for good/bad reason) has always been under the gun. Facebook is pushing like other apps to tie accounts into an index searchable by Cell phones...I think many may be reluctant to do so.<br /><br /><b>WhatsApp:</b> While my personal experience with WhatsApp is limited it is an attractive interface that integrates with cellular numbers. It's also available over the three main platforms in my life: BlackBerry, Android and Apple. Right now I see WhatsApp continuing to improve and conquer in the Messaging landscape.<br /><br />Surely there are others to talk about as well that do similar things to the aforementioned applications: Skype, Snapchat, Yahoo Messenger (RIP?), GroupMe and our geo-friendly meeting apps like Whoshere, Blendr (Badoo) and Skout all could arguably be used to communicate and share information with friends. I have left them out for I don't see them relevant as a full service media / text solution. Possibly I could be wrong with Skype, who knows. Truth is I think the greatest success will come from a platform that can offer text, data share, video chat, geo-search and contact search integration. To me that would be an all-in-one solution that we could all get behind all the while still enjoying the freedom to sit on several sides of the hardware fence (Andorid / Apple / BlackBerry / Windows).<br /><br /><br />Brett Morganhttps://plus.google.com/101774534471717741769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2794384932481202892.post-80370165431146234212013-11-21T12:17:00.004-08:002013-11-21T13:23:43.185-08:00Why I hate Dealership Apps and why our customers don't use them! I had a dealership smartphone app in 2009. I was running (at the time) our lone domestic store in Gainesville, FL and I thought I was ahead of the crowd. I was ahead of my peers; therefore someone please hand me a gold star...right? Clearly having an application before your competition is a competitive advantage right? WRONG.<br /><br />No matter what in store process I would install the application garnered ... well ... about 0% utilization. Why not? You could make a service appointment, contact a tow truck after an accident or browse our inventory all from this single app - it had some value. So why didn't it work?<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4TxxBV-nink/Uo5saOYssVI/AAAAAAAAvLI/KAmSw0CMFgk/s1600/mobilebottom.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4TxxBV-nink/Uo5saOYssVI/AAAAAAAAvLI/KAmSw0CMFgk/s400/mobilebottom.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br />For an application to work frequency is everything. If a smartphone user isn't using it everyday or weekly it simply gathers dust on the metaphorical "shelf" like an off target Christmas gift. Service intervals in our business are increasing not growing smaller and I feel this directly correlates with the ability of say a dealership service application to become successful. Because service is the most frequent activity someone has in relation to a dealership most dealership applications have been targeted as a service retention and revenue driver. BUT the frequency of visits or rather the INFREQUENCY of visits is still just too few over too long a time period for an app to garner any real value in my opinion.<br /><br />A vender that builds dealership applications will tell you it's a great funnel or channel for long term communications with customers and in theory it's true. What do you do however when the customer abandons that funnel so soon after download? In short if people don't "use it" they "lose it," or rather the perception of any value that it would bring to their daily life. Sooo....while apps are hip and cool and a nice one may turn the head of the crew at your upcoming 20 group meeting...listen to Brett. Invest in a capable mobile platform and put your effort and energy there. You'll be glad you did. The web browser on a customer's smartphone is still one of the best "apps" there is.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Brett Morganhttps://plus.google.com/101774534471717741769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2794384932481202892.post-46104603203088092562013-11-16T22:47:00.002-08:002014-01-07T14:53:03.717-08:00Why I still rock a Blackberry 10 instead of a iPhone 5 or Galaxy S4My smartphone signature gets me a ton of grief.<br /><div><br /></div><div>"Sent from my BlackBerry Q10 Smartphone."&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>You'd think people have become numb to Smartphone e-mail signatures by now. Well not mine. They notice. My co-workers (and some of them unmercifully) constantly take jabs at me. "Well I know you still enjoy your BlackBerry but that just wouldn't work for me," is a very common take that I hear.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>Truth is that there is a DAMN good reason that I still rock a BlackBerry. Like many former BlackBerry users I waited ever so patiently for the arrival of the Blackberry 10 platform. It took, some would say, the patience of job as launch after launch was yet again delayed. Blackberry missed their window. &nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>Like most I had moved on. First I picked up an iPhone 4s and then I tried a Galaxy S3. I really enjoyed the S3 but the text lag began to kill me. My next move was to an iPhone 5. I was changing phones like my fiance buys dresses and shoes but truth was I was more of a lady in waiting than anything. I would watch Blackberry 10 "teaser" videos and read reviews of product prototypes. My BlackBerry Torch hadn't measured up to BlackBerry's of days gone by and my tablet use as a compliment to my mobile experience was non-existent; was going back to Blackberry even a realistic option at this point? &nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>I still wanted my BlackBerry back. I was even willing to compromise to a degree after learning that BlackBerry 10 would bring a slew of new apps to the BlackBerry platform but leave many popular apps on the table with no scheduled development for the Blackberry 10 Operating System. &nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>So why at first chance did I come running back to BlackBerry? Easy. It's still the best damn messaging smartphone on the planet. Our company is still far too e-mail based...Miss an e-mail and you are out of the loop big time. Inner-group reporting and communication is nearly 100% through e-mail. Communication with our factory reps is the same. Also my personal foray into Social Media consulting was growing and the different kinds of messages I receive on a daily basis were carrying nearly equal weight. On some days a Tweet, a LinkedIn message, voice call or FB message might be as important as the last e-mail. On most devices that means opening up each native application to receive that message. I literally can't stand that. It's inefficient and managing my personal communication from app to app through individual notifications was only going to give me obsessive compulsive disorder down the road. I hate that to live my life it meant having 11 applications open on my personal device full time.</div><div><br /></div><div>BlackBerry has always put a premium on giving you all of your mobile communication in one easy to find message "bank." Now called the "BlackBerry Hub" under the new BB 10 OS it is still the same concept BlackBerry users have grown to love. Tweets, FB notifications, Linked-In invitations and messages, SMS texts and e-mails from multiples accounts are in the same real time "bank" as the records of voice calls and voicemails. Frankly when I am rocking my BlackBerry and I am truly dialed in ... I miss less and accomplish more. It's more about the truest functions of a phone.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>Whether it's employee communication or connecting with customers I have learned one thing during the "communication revolution." That is that people have different preferences for how they will communicate with you. I remember a year ago I had an old friend who had complained to his mom that I had not returned his messages. Of course this remark made it back to me through my mom and it frustrated me. Yeah I receive over 250 messages a day but had I really not received his message? Well I had but it was a LinkedIn message. At the time my LinkedIn app was getting about as much play as my old Nirvana LPs so the message had flown under my radar.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8k5J1CbHeMQ/UohnCInJ4xI/AAAAAAAAvFw/Gqh5c0Pt4zM/s1600/iphone5vsq10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8k5J1CbHeMQ/UohnCInJ4xI/AAAAAAAAvFw/Gqh5c0Pt4zM/s400/iphone5vsq10.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BlackBerry is the underdog, understood. But it's still my best bet at productivity.&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div>With my BlackBerry this simply doesn't happen to me anymore. In the now the message that is being carried to your device is still important but now there are 17 different funnels and ways for people to reach out and find you. If you are going to play in the new Era you simply can't afford to have preferences. Simply stated if someone can find your account on an application that might just be where they try to reach out to you.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>And what about all the compromises I have made by going to BlackBerry? All of the apps that I am missing out on? I have been able to overcome most of this by enjoying BlackBerry's incredible browsing experience but also by supplementing my digital life with a kick ass Nexus 7 Google tablet.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>In the past I would argue that where my Smartphone had become a beacon of distraction...a siren constantly singing me to shipwreck (can you say Word With Friends?)...that by switching back to BlackBerry I know am more capable of performing the very tasks that a "Smartphone" should be in theory able to perform.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>Ok I am done ranting and I know you are still most likely not convinced. But hopefully this gives you some insight into how people should or truly do consume a device ... not simply a spec vs spec review of Blackberry versus the latest and greatest mobile tech. <br /><br />Shoot there is a chance that BlackBerry as we know it doesn't even survive the fiscal year. Well that's ok. I am dialed in again waiting to hear from you and that is all that matters. Oh and there are many ways to get in touch.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>"Sent from my BlackBerry Q10 Smartphone." LOL<br /><br />Brett Morgan</div>Brett Morganhttps://plus.google.com/101774534471717741769noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2794384932481202892.post-28517137331514219962013-07-22T09:20:00.002-07:002013-07-22T09:22:11.378-07:00Brett Morgan makes 2013 Automotive News 40 Under 40 <b>Brett&nbsp;</b><span style="font-family: arial, 'sans serif'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;"><b>Morgan</b> owes his career in auto sales to the fact that his father was restless in retirement.</span><br /><div style="font-family: arial, 'sans serif'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; padding-bottom: 10px;">In 2004, Morgan had a radio-programming job in Virginia when his father offered him a different path.</div><div style="font-family: arial, 'sans serif'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; padding-bottom: 10px;">Larry Morgan had sold his Tires Plus chain of 600 stores a few years earlier but decided he wanted back in the auto industry.</div><div style="font-family: arial, 'sans serif'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; padding-bottom: 10px;">"He just called me up one day and said, 'Have you ever thought about selling cars?'" Brett Morgan says.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oIYHtvF0TWs/Ue1br8jw-4I/AAAAAAAAARo/I-vMqVOVXsE/s1600/brett3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="287" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oIYHtvF0TWs/Ue1br8jw-4I/AAAAAAAAARo/I-vMqVOVXsE/s400/brett3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Brett Morgan at his home office in Tampa: Toyota of Tampa Bay</b></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="font-family: arial, 'sans serif'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; padding-bottom: 10px;">Since then, the father-son pair has expanded what began as a minority interest in a Honda and Volkswagen dealership into Morgan Auto Group, which has 11 stores and is ranked 78th on<em>Automotive News'</em>&nbsp;list of the Top 125 Dealership Groups.</div><div style="font-family: arial, 'sans serif'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; padding-bottom: 10px;">Larry Morgan is CEO of the Tampa-based group, and his son has had a variety of management jobs at its dealerships, including taking over an unprofitable Buick-GMC store in 2009 at age 30. At the time, General Motors had just shut down Pontiac and the store had lost $800,000 the previous year as the recession dried up sales.</div><div style="font-family: arial, 'sans serif'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; padding-bottom: 10px;">Under Brett Morgan's leadership, Gainesville Buick-GMC swung to a $500,000 profit the following year. He attributes the quick turnaround to "thoughtful expense control" and persuading his father to let him hire people into key positions at a time when most dealerships were cutting staff.</div><div style="font-family: arial, 'sans serif'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; padding-bottom: 10px;">Now, as variable operations director for the dealership group, Morgan says he applies sales and marketing strategies that succeed at individual stores throughout the group without taking a "cookie-cutter" approach. He also works to increase customer engagement and retention through social media.</div><div style="font-family: arial, 'sans serif'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; padding-bottom: 10px;">Morgan also is involved with administering the group's Helping Hand Fund, which provides gifts and loans to employees in need.</div><div style="font-family: arial, 'sans serif'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; padding-bottom: 10px;">Morgan says of his unusual business start with his father: "We've learned at the same time. We have an unusually great dynamic. I'm lucky that he was bored and failed at retirement."</div><div style="font-family: arial, 'sans serif'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; padding-bottom: 10px;"><i>-Nick Bunkley (Automotive News)&nbsp;</i></div><div style="font-family: arial, 'sans serif'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; padding-bottom: 10px;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1nOpXKbLZZA/Ue1bN8ekzdI/AAAAAAAAARk/HaNGL9c-Sb4/s1600/40Under40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1nOpXKbLZZA/Ue1bN8ekzdI/AAAAAAAAARk/HaNGL9c-Sb4/s640/40Under40.jpg" width="584" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">For more on Automotive News "40 Under 40" follow this <a href="http://www.autonews.com/section/under40">link:&nbsp;http://www.autonews.com/section/under40</a></div><div style="font-family: arial, 'sans serif'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; padding-bottom: 10px;"><i><br /></i></div>Brett Morgan - Morgan Auto Grouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10713101579854463680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2794384932481202892.post-44437205494531546682013-04-24T21:39:00.001-07:002013-04-25T14:31:57.512-07:00Best Place to Buy a Toyota in Tampa Bay <span style="font-size: large;">There are many ways to determine the best place to buy a given product in a specific market.<b> Google + Local reviews</b> are often one way that consumers are able to decipher exactly who will give them the best and highest level of customer service during their purchase.</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xx6XyqCzA8c/UXmeJ4IbijI/AAAAAAAAAQM/qKZ8j8Xsqyk/s1600/google-reviews-logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xx6XyqCzA8c/UXmeJ4IbijI/AAAAAAAAAQM/qKZ8j8Xsqyk/s1600/google-reviews-logo.png" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Toyota of Tampa Bay</b> currently holds the #1 position in Tampa Bay as of April 2013 with Google +.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Top 5 Places in the Tampa Bay Area to Buy a Toyota </b>(According to Google Reviews) for Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties:</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>#1 - Toyota of Tampa Bay's 23 rating</b> is substantially higher than their local Tampa Bay competition:</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o4RT2Cq4oPc/UXmgM9twzPI/AAAAAAAAAQc/Fuy5qe03IYo/s1600/reputation_management.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o4RT2Cq4oPc/UXmgM9twzPI/AAAAAAAAAQc/Fuy5qe03IYo/s320/reputation_management.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>2) Courtesy Toyota (Brandon) - 21<br /><br />3) Stadium Toyota (Tampa) - 10<br /><br />4) Clearwater Toyota - 15<br /><br />5) Autoway Toyota (St. Petersburg) - 15<br /><br /><a href="http://www.toyotaoftampabay.com/"><span style="font-size: large;">Click Here for Toyota of Tampa Bay on Fletcher&nbsp;</span></a><br /><span style="font-size: large;">"Fast, Friendly, Fair &amp; Fun!"</span><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">1101 East Fletcher Avenue&nbsp;</span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Tampa, FL 33612&nbsp;</span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">(813) 933-6402</span></b><br /><br />Brett Morgan - Morgan Auto Grouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10713101579854463680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2794384932481202892.post-81328752354837313692013-04-23T07:35:00.000-07:002013-04-23T07:39:05.255-07:00What Best Buy Can Learn From Chick-Fil-A<br /><div class="p1">When I am on the road a bit there is one business that seems to have a tractor beam on me. I can't get away no matter how hard I try. And that place is Chick-fil-A. In fact if you've seen me lately I am beginning to show signs of my affection for their original chicken sandwiches (around my waist).&nbsp;</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p1">Their restaurants are always clean and employees polite. No matter how long the line is it always seems to move more efficiently than any other fast-food place I've ever been to.&nbsp;I love how when I say thank you they say "My pleasure," as if it was a computer program that had no other ability then to give you a polite smile and a Ritz Carlton reply rather than the typical nod or "your welcome." Watch their eyes while they work. Their employees are always paying attention. And not just to the customer from their line --- but to ALL GUESTS.&nbsp;</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uM8QjgubnRQ/UXab2rQyrPI/AAAAAAAAAP4/LYjCV7suZ4E/s1600/chicfilavsbestbuy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uM8QjgubnRQ/UXab2rQyrPI/AAAAAAAAAP4/LYjCV7suZ4E/s400/chicfilavsbestbuy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p1"><b><i>Steve Hoggle (Honda of Ocala) and I recently attended the Automotive Leadership Roundtable in Miami, FL where a guest speaker (a real DEALER!) relayed his recent retail experience at Best Buy:</i></b></div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p1">And I paraphrase: "It was time to buy my teenage daughter a laptop for school. We had some time before an evening commitment so we all agreed to head to Best Buy to purchase the laptop and then head somewhere for a fun sit-down dinner. At Best Buy it took forever to get anyone's attention. When we were finally waited upon I found the associate knew little about his product let alone the competitors products. Our decision became instantly less clear but finally after about an hour we purchased the laptop that we had actually initially come into purchase. Since our Best Buy experience ($1400 dollars for a new laptop) had dragged on we no longer had time for our sit-down dinner. We headed to Chick-fil-A for food to meet our time crunch."&nbsp;</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p1">"The line was super long and I figured a frustrating evening was about to get more so. There was a young blonde women approaching our car so before I could get out of line I rolled down my window:"</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p1">Associate: "Sir we apologize for the wait this evening but we would like for you to enjoy a free sample while you wait to place your order"&nbsp;</div><div class="p1">Me: "Thank You – Sure"</div><div class="p1">Associate: "My pleasure"&nbsp;</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p1">"The line moved quickly and we checked our bags when we arrived at the delivery window. Everything that we had ordered was accounted for and in our bag."</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p1">Me: "Can I speak to your manager"&nbsp;</div><div class="p1">Associate: "Sure is their something Wrong?"</div><div class="p1">Me: "No I'd just like to pay them a compliment"&nbsp;</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p1">A minute later up walks the same young blonde girl from before (the one with the free samples, the one who was walking outside of the store in the drive thru).&nbsp;</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p1">Me: "I get it. I get it. I get it. I just spent $1400 dollars on a laptop at Best Buy and $16.89 with your restaurant and I received a better experience HERE. Thank You"&nbsp;</div><div class="p1">Manager: "My Pleasure."&nbsp;</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p1"><b>Lesson Learned: Culture is built through process but also by example. Never ask your associate to do something that you yourself wouldn't do. Lead by example.&nbsp;</b></div>Brett Morgan - Morgan Auto Grouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10713101579854463680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2794384932481202892.post-71170016977429543522013-03-28T11:51:00.000-07:002013-03-28T11:51:10.496-07:00Larry Morgan Sits Down with Automotive News <b><i>Larry Morgan recently spoke to Automotive News. This article has been re-printed without their permission.&nbsp;</i></b><br /><br /><br /><div class="kicker1" style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">THE DEALER SPEAKS: LARRY MORGAN, CEO, MORGAN AUTO GROUP</div><h1 style="color: #333366; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 28px; line-height: 33px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Larry Morgan built Tires Plus, now builds a dealership empire</h1><span class="byline" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="mailto:dkurylko@crain.com" style="color: #333366; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Diana T. Kurylko</a></b></span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Automotive News</b>&nbsp;--&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"></span><span class="date" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">June 18, 2012 - 12:01 am ET</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Read more:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120618/OEM02/306189993/1179#ixzz2OrVAtg2C" style="color: #003399; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120618/OEM02/306189993/1179#ixzz2OrVAtg2C</a>&nbsp;</span><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">Follow us:</span><span style="font-size: 13px;">&nbsp;</span><a href="http://ec.tynt.com/b/rw?id=drw6bCyder3RfXab7jrHcU&amp;u=Automotive_News" style="color: #333366; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">@Automotive_News on Twitter</a><span style="font-size: 13px;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 13px;">|</span><span style="font-size: 13px;">&nbsp;</span><a href="http://ec.tynt.com/b/rf?id=drw6bCyder3RfXab7jrHcU&amp;u=AutoNews" style="color: #333366; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">AutoNews on Facebook</a></div><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;">Larry Morgan, CEO of Morgan Auto Group in Tampa, Fla., became a car dealer seven years ago after selling his 600-store tire and auto-service business.</div><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;">He is building an automotive empire in Florida and grooming his 32-year-old son, Brett, to take over the business.</div><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;">Morgan's operation ranks No. 102 on the&nbsp;<em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Automotive News</em>&nbsp;list of the top 125 U.S. dealership groups, with retail sales at 10 stores in 2011 of 6,749 new vehicles and 5,160 used. After adding an 11th store, he targets sales of 12,000 new and 10,000 used vehicles in 2012. He wants to buy more dealerships but they have to be within driving distance of his current stores.</div><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;">Morgan, 68, was interviewed by Staff Reporter Diana T. Kurylko.</div><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;"></div><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Q. You got into the automotive business after running a successful tire business, right?</strong></div><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;">A. I built a company called Tires Plus from 35 tire centers to 600 all around the United States. We did $1 billion in sales annually, had 8,500 employees. I was Bridgestone's largest customer in North America, and they bought my business in 2000. I got bored being retired so I got into the car business with my son.</div><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;"></div><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Why did you decide to become a car dealer?</strong></div><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;">I had planned to be a silent partner in a Honda-Volkswagen store in Tampa. One morning I decided to drop in on a sales meeting, and I was not very impressed with what I saw and heard. I thought maybe this was just a bad day for the management team. I went back a couple weeks later and saw the same thing. Not having direct hands-on knowledge about the sales process and vehicles and things of that nature, I realized that I might not be able to deal with all the nitty-gritty things, but I certainly had enough common sense and general knowledge of business to know that there was a better way. That is how I got smitten into the car business.</div><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;"></div><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">When was this? Did you buy the Honda-VW store?</strong></div><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;">This was in 2004. To make a long story short, my son worked for a big national company out of college for a couple of years. He and I had always planned to be in business together. The plan was he would join the tire and auto center business, but we sold it. He came and started selling cars, and consequently we went out on our own. I sold my 50 percent interest in the Honda and Volkswagen store. We bought a Toyota store and have been building our network ever since.</div><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;"></div><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Where was your first Toyota store, and how is it doing?</strong></div><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;">In 2005 we bought Precision Toyota in Tampa and changed the name immediately to Toyota Tampa Bay. Business was rocking for several years -- we were selling 450 to 550 new Toyotas a month and 250 used cars. When the recession hit, we took a hit -- as well as in 2009, 2010 and 2011. The store has always done very well, and it has a good market.</div><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;"></div><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">What is your formula for success?</strong></div><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;">In the tire business going from 30 stores to 600, I certainly had experience in growing a business, and I found a lot of similarities between the tire and the car business. I am not a hands-on car guy that has a lot of practical day-to-day knowledge about selling cars. I have always been involved in the people side and getting people around me that know what they are doing and have good business practices. We have a very strong organization with very little turnover. We have more people standing in line to work for our company than we have places.</div><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;"></div><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">How is your son, Brett, involved?</strong></div><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;">He went through every chair that you can in a dealership. He has worked in the fixed side. He sold cars. He was an F&amp;I manager. We were very disciplined and agreed that he had to stay in those positions long enough to truly know what he was doing and be good at it, not just a short-term tenure.</div><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;"></div><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">How old is your son? Are you grooming him to take over the business?</strong></div><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;">He is 32 and absolutely. He is very mature for his age, so we have that part behind us. He has a reputation in our company that he just didn't inherit the position; he earned it. He works well with all of the people in our company. I still do the acquisitions and the new-store development and oversee most of the financial aspects. But he is participating and growing and is part of every decision we make. He brings a lot to the table that we don't have elsewhere in the company.</div><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;"></div><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">For instance?</strong></div><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;">A big thing is the Internet and social media and all of those new ways of marketing and doing business. He is light-years ahead of all the rest of us. He brings that ingredient to our company along with all the more traditional abilities that go with running a car store. He loves the business, and he understands how important people are -- our customers and employees. He is obsessed with building a business for the long term and doing things the right way. He works very hard. He is a 24/7 guy and takes great pride in our organization. I am very proud of him.</div><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;"></div><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Is there a long-term plan for turning over the business?</strong></div><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;">Yes, there is. I have several nonautomotive businesses. I am not the retiring type. I love to get up in the morning and go to work. I look forward to the day where I can spend less time working and more time relaxing. We do not have a definite date. We are constantly moving things from my plate to his.</div><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;"></div><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">How did you decide what stores you were going to buy? You have Toyota, BMW and Mini -- some very profitable brands.</strong></div><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;">It was a plan of attack. It didn't accidentally happen. Not being an automotive or a car guy, I spent a lot of time analyzing brands that I thought were not only good brands but had a good life to them. I paid a very fair price for a number of those stores.</div><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;"></div><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">What are your weakest franchises?</strong></div><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;">Buick, GMC and Mitsubishi in Gainesville. My Buick-GMC store is in a fairly small market, and Buick and GMC have somewhat limited market share. I do not want to give the impression that it is a bad store. The other stores are very high-performing. We sell a lot of cars, and we do a lot of fixed business, and we make a lot of money.</div><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;"></div><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">How many Buick and GMC vehicles do you sell annually?</strong></div><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;">About 450 between the two brands.</div><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;"></div><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Are you shopping for new stores?</strong></div><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;">I get that question a lot, and my answer is always the same. I have done the airplane thing. I had stores from California to North Dakota to New Jersey and Florida. For many years I was a road warrior visiting my stores and at this stage in my life, I am not prepared to do that. My philosophy is: If I can drive to it, I am interested. My son and I have kept to that philosophy.</div><div style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 19px; padding: 0px;"></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); float: center; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 1px 5px 10px; width: 2054.84375px;"><div class="box-article" style="color: #040404; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><div class="title4" style="color: #67655e; font-size: 17px; font-weight: bold; margin: 4px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px;">Larry Morgan</div><div style="font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Age:</b>&nbsp;68<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Company:</b>&nbsp;Morgan Auto Group<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Dealer since:</b>&nbsp;2005<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Dealerships:</b>&nbsp;11 (Buick-GMC, BMW, Ford, Honda, Lamborghini, Mini, Mitsubishi, Toyota) in Florida<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Annual total sales:</b>&nbsp;6,749 new and 5,160 used in 2011<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Quote:</b>&nbsp;"I spent a lifetime trying to figure out how to draw customers from car service departments to my Tires Plus stores. Now I'm trying to figure out how to get service customers out of those independent repair facilities back to my car stores."</div></div></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Read more:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120618/OEM02/306189993/1179#ixzz2OrUvxuyD" style="color: #003399; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120618/OEM02/306189993/1179#ixzz2OrUvxuyD</a>&nbsp;<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Follow us:&nbsp;<a href="http://ec.tynt.com/b/rw?id=drw6bCyder3RfXab7jrHcU&amp;u=Automotive_News" style="color: #333366; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">@Automotive_News on Twitter</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://ec.tynt.com/b/rf?id=drw6bCyder3RfXab7jrHcU&amp;u=AutoNews" style="color: #333366; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">AutoNews on Facebook</a></span>Brett Morgan - Morgan Auto Grouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10713101579854463680noreply@blogger.com0