Archive for March, 2010
The Chariot
Tuesday, March 30th, 2010
The queen would need a new chariot. The fire in the stables completely destroyed her previous one and she would need a new one immediately. And so a decree went out to all the land: find the queen the very best chariot.
And so the kingdom’s three chariot makers began working tirelessly to sculpt the very finest ride that they could make. They toiled day and night and night and day to create perfection for their dear queen. When the day came for the queen to select her new chariot, the manufactures arrived at the castle. One by one they went around and described why their chariot was the very best.
After listening to all of the manufacturers give their speeches, the queen carefully inspected each chariot. When she had her fill she walked back to her thrown and sat down with a large thump. After an eternal silence, she spoke to the manufactures: “I have asked you all to create for me the very best chariot that you could and you have all done that. But after hearing you speak and inspecting your creations, I see little difference between the chariots. So, please tell me good sirs, why is it that I should use the kingdom’s money to purchase your chariot over the others?”
Gardon, a large man that had been working with his hands his entire life, was the first to stand and speak. “My queen, because of all the wonderful things that you have done for this kingdom, I will gladly donate my chariot for you to ride. This way, all the land will know that the queen rides in one of my chariots and will want me to make their chariots as well. I would be honored and humbled if you would except my gift.” The queen nodded blankly and Gardon once again kneeled.
William, a round man with bright red cheeks, was quick to stand after Gardon kneeled. “Your highness, I too would ask for not a penny from the kingdom. You have done far too much for your people and I would be honored just to know that you had selected my chariot. I have made many chariots for many people and have made plenty of money doing so. So, unlike Gardon, I do not hope to bring myself more business, I simply wish to honor my queen.” Again the queen nodded and William proudly returned to his kneeling position.
The third manufacturer was slow to stand. When finally arose he spoke in a quite voice that was barely audible. “Your highness, my name is Nebi and I am afraid you will have to except one of the other gentlemen’s gift. You see, I am a poor man and cannot afford to give away my chariot. However, if you did decide to buy mine, I can promise you that I will be here everyday to make sure that it continues to ride just as nice as it does today and if there is ever a problem you can count on me to be there for you.” And just as slowly as he stood, Nebi returned to a knee as Gardon and William smiled in confidence.
The queen carefully scanned over the men. “Gentlemen, I want to thank you all for coming here today. Gardon and William, you are extremely kind to offer me your chariots for absolutely nothing, however, I fear that they are worth exactly that: nothing. As queen, I demand the very best value for my chariot and you Nebi, have shown me that. When all others talked about how cheap their offering was, you stood by your price and explained why it was worth more. Instead of succumbing to the temptation to enter the price war, you showed me your value. You spoke of the superior service and dedication that I can expect when all other things are equal. This I respect and this is why I will choose your chariot.”
Tags: automotive, Automotive Advantage, benefits, car buying, Ewald
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Is the new healthcare bill really fair?
Wednesday, March 24th, 2010
I am a tax paying citizen just like the rest of us. As I was watching TV on Sunday night, my regular scheduled programming was interrupted by Diane Sawyer to spread the word about the greatest thing since Civil Rights – Health Care Reform had passed. I instantly grew angry. My husband looked at me and said, “What are you so angry about?” This question provoked me to explain why I was so angry and as I have discussed the topic of health care reform with my colleagues, friends and co-workers, I am happy to know I am not alone in how I feel.
I saw a post on Facebook within one of my friend’s status updates that read the following; maybe some of you have seen it:
“He passed a health care plan written by a committee whose chairman says he doesn’t understand it/passed by a Congress that exempts themselves from it/to be signed by a president who smokes/with funding administered by a treasury chief who didn’t pay his taxes/all to be overseen by a surgeon general who is obese/and financed by a country that’s broke. What could possibly go wrong?”
These thoughts further provoke me to be angry because I feel as though I have been cheated in having an opinion. How does a bill pass through our government when half the country is not in favor? How is that justice for ALL Americans? Is that really reform? Why is everyone entitled to healthcare? Why is health care in peril? Most likely because our government is already too involved in something that they shouldn’t be.
Why is it that when something for all people is passed, only a portion of the US population ends up paying for it, like the people who have worked hard their entire lives to obtain a high standard of living and get paid more than those who will be benefitting from it? Why is it ok to segment a portion of the population and say that because you make this much money, we are going to tax you to pay for those who aren’t working or collecting welfare?
Now, I am not claiming to be an expert but there are certain things that don’t make sense to me. I realize that some people feel like this legislation is the greatest thing since sliced bread and that some people think it is ludicrous. I guess that is the benefit of being an American – the freedom of speech and opinion. At least we can all talk about this topic and not be taxed for it. And we can all choose to vote in the upcoming elections to get those we don’t favor who are currently representing us out of office. I guess time will tell how this affects us all. I’m still angry though…
Please feel free to add your two cents. It would be wonderful to hear your opinions and viewpoints on this subject.
Tags: government, healthcare, politics
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Working Your Monthly Budget – How Do You Reduce Expense?
Tuesday, March 16th, 2010
Recently my youngest child started attending daycare. For anyone that has their kids in daycare, they know how expensive this can be! The additional cost really put us in a tight financial spot, so my husband and I decided to completely re-evaluate our monthly budget.
We started by reviewing every bill and expense that we pay each month. Being in the auto industry, I immediately looked at my car payment. Since my lease was coming up, I decided to look at the programs available from the manufacturers we represent and find a vehicle with a lower lease payment. I decided to purchase prepaid maintenance as well so that I would never have that expense budgeted every month instead of the random visit to the service department. The new vehicle also lowered my insurance premium but I shopped insurance to make sure I was receiving the best deal. Luckily I was but by the time it was all said and done, I was saving over $75 a month.
There wasn’t too much else that I could change on my fixed expenses, but I re-evaluated my other costs. As in most families, our grocery bill is pretty significant. I decided to try some discount grocers and was very pleased with what I found. I was able to get the same quality groceries and save my family about $40 a week on groceries. That is up to $160 a month in savings in that one simple move!
Now that I am on a roll, I am continuing to look at other options. I am also looking into web-based budgeting systems such as mint.com. I have heard great things about the site and enrolled in it this weekend to find that it is super useful to helping everything financial related to stay organized.
What have been some of your best money saving techniques? If there is something that really works for you, that I am not thinking of, I would love to hear it! Otherwise, I hope I sparked some ideas for you to begin your savings journey. Good luck!
Tags: automotive, Automotive Advantage, car buying, car dealership, Lease, new cars, service
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What is your policy on perks and discounts?
Monday, March 8th, 2010
Having had the opportunity to talk with a lot of companies, I have seen just about every perks and discount program around. I have seen everything from companies bending over backwards to get their employees the best possible perks and benefits and constantly reminding them of what is available to all-out refusal to offer any perks or discounts no matter how much they can benefit their associates. Having seen this array of offerings, I always wonder how a company decides what to offer their employees.
I have heard from companies that offer just about everything that it is important for them to make their employees feel like the company is going to bat for them. They want to find the best possible programs for their employees to show their appreciation for all the hard work. I have also heard from companies that offer nothing that if they offered one sort of program they would have to offer them all and that they do not want to make it look like they are endorsing one company over another. I guess there is a fear that if an employee has a bad experience it is because the company sent them there.
What does your company offer its employees? Is it on one side of the spectrum or somewhere in between? Also, for your human resource individuals and executives, how did you arrive at that decision? Was there an issue that needed to be changed or was it a strategic move? I am especially interested to learn how companies arrived at their decision!
Finally, for the employees out there, what perks and discounts would you like to see your company offer? Does your company ever ask you that question?
I look forward to everyone’s responses! Please feel free to respond privately at: cihde@ewaldauto.com
Thanks!
Tags: Automotive Advantage, benefits, Employee benefits, employee moral, employees, employer, Human Resources, perks
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How do you get customer feedback?
Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010
After being out sick last week Monday I arrived to my office Tuesday elated to have a voicemail from a customer that took advantage (pun intended!) of the Automotive Advantage program. The customer explained how elated he was with the entire shopping process and how he would be sure to recommend the program to his colleagues. Although I am used to positive feedback, it is not too often that people go out of their way to tell us they enjoyed their shopping experience.
This positive reinforcement made me think about how we get our customer feedback. Currently we are following up a purchase through the Automotive Advantage program with a survey of what the customer did or did not like. We generally receive decent feedback but a lot of people are too busy or simply forget to return the survey. I wonder if there is possibly a better way to get post-purchase feedback from our customers.
I have considered phone calls but most people know the chances of actually reaching someone are rare, especially during the work day. If we do something like a call after the customer purchase, I would want it to be personal and not simply some call center person that has no real interest in the customer, or our program, leaving a message on voicemail. I want to ensure we receive actual customer feedback, not someone simply filling out a form.
So, I once again turn to my social network for advice. I would love to hear about your best customer feedback practices. Of course, if something positively did not work, that would be great to know as well. Either way, your feedback will allow me to not only measure my own performance with our program, but also allow my company as a whole to better service our customers every time. Please feel free to send me your responses privately to: cihde@ewaldauto.com
Tags: automotive, Automotive Advantage, benefits, car buying, customer feedback, customer service
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