Web Wise: Why Your 'Contact Us' Page Is So Important
from AutoInc. Magazine
Impeccable customer service is priceless to consumers, especially in the automotive repair business. That's why it's so important to provide visitors to your Web site with basic contact information for your business, and an easy-to-complete form that sends a message directly to your office. More

California Associations Differ on Labor Rate Survey

The California Autobody Association (CAA) said it strongly supports the Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) and its efforts to do an industry survey of their automotive repair dealers (ARD’s.) One of the additional questions that has been suggested deals with the ARD’s submitting their retail rates for collision and mechanical repair. More

Worries Grow as GM-Chrysler Talks Gain Momentum

In the doomsday scenario raising anxiety around the Motor City, General Motors Corp. makes a deal for Chrysler LLC, keeps Jeep and the minivans, and vaporizes the rest of the company. Tens of thousands of Chrysler's 66,409 employees lose their jobs as cash-desperate GM swiftly cuts redundant operations and sheds unprofitable models. More

Nissan to Cut Production as Auto Sales Decrease

Nissan Motor Co. is cutting back production in the U.S., Japan, U.K. and Spain as the global financial crisis and fears of recession damp world-wide auto sales. Nissan, which is 44 percent-owned by Renault SA, of France, announced this week plans to cut production in Japan by 65,000 vehicles from November to March and lay off 780 temporary workers at two plants in its home country, where it makes Infiniti luxury models and sport-utility vehicles for the U.S. market. More

Government Investigating Ford Tire Valves

The government is investigating more than 1 million Ford Motor Co. vehicles after receiving reports of tires leaking from faulty valve stems made by a Chinese company. Ford spokesman Wes Sherwood said the investigation involves vehicles with the tire valves, including 12 vehicles from the 2007 model year cited by the government. Ford has received some complaints but no reports of crashes or injuries. More

For Car Dealers, Tight Credit is Fueling a 'Catastrophe'

They may be folks you love to hate, but it's hard not to have sympathy for car dealers these days. These business owners are manning the bucket brigades in an auto industry meltdown. "Things are going disastrously," says Ray Ciccolo, owner and CEO of Village Automotive Group in suburban Boston. "Most car dealers were down over 30 percent last month, and that is a catastrophe." More

Mitchell to Release Hosted Shop Management Solution at NACE

Mitchell International, Inc. will showcase ABS(TM) Enterprise Express Edition at this year's NACE. ABS Enterprise Express Edition is a hosted shop management solution that meets the unique needs of single-location collision repair facilities that don’t require the comprehensive capabilities of ABS Enterprise, according to the company. More

Kerkorian Cuts Ford Stake, Says He Might Sell Rest of Shares

Billionaire investor Kirk Kerkorian lowered his stake in Ford Motor to 6.1 percent and said he could sell the remainder of his shares in the No. 2 U.S. automaker. Tracinda's investment in Ford had been seen as a vote of confidence in the No. 2 automaker and its turnaround strategy. Analysts noted that the market for auto sales in the United States and Europe had deteriorated sharply since April when Tracinda began to build a position in Ford. More