Accountability Matters

TOGETHER WITH

In a strange turn of events, we are PUMPED to get this week kicked off. Ok, maybe that isn't a turn of events. Monday is here and its almost like you can hear chanting on the way to work as this 'last week of the month' rolls in. 

Care for customers, take time with those you work with, and don't skip a single step on your way to success this week. The ASOTU Crew is over here rootin' for ya!

Keep Pushing Back-Paul, Kyle, & Chris

DEALERS

ATUC and Accountability

This week’s All Thing Used Cars expertly tackled the complicated topic of accountability. It’s a popular buzzword nowadays among companies, but what does it really mean? Here’s what we learned:

🤷‍♂️ Many stores lack a clear accountability process. And a lack of accountability results in poor dealership experiences for both employees and customers, which can lead to high turnover, impatient leaders, and costs dealers immensely in reputation and profit.

🔑 As a leader, you have to let people know where they are and create a clear path to where they want to go. Outline specific KPIs (key performance indicators) so that employees do not have to guess if they are doing a good job; they know.

🗣️ Regular communication. Frequent check-ins, check-ups, and one-on-one meetings will help staff understand how they are performing and stay on track.

🧑‍💻 Follow the data. It’s easy sometimes to focus on the positive, but the data doesn’t lie. Track progress in a way that is easy for you and staff to understand. 

💪 Focus on behaviors that are necessary to change the metrics. Create actionable solutions for your staff to help them improve.

Telling it like it is - Create a clear standard for yourself and others, provide actionable directives, and then provide continued guidance to your team within that framework. Don’t run from accountability, embrace it!

AUTOMOTIVE

Germany and EU Come to an Agreement on E-Fuel

Germany and the rest of the EU have officially agreed to an E-fuel exception to a proposed ban on new ICE vehicle sales beginning in 2035.

Essentially a refinement of language, the ban will still seek to move the European Union toward carbon neutrality, but not by the wholesale ban of combustion engine technology.

So, now that the EU can press onward to carbon neutrality by 2050, OEMs who have gone all in on electrification may decide to bring some ICE options back. Also, German cars will be able to burn fuel that sounds like a caffeinated beverage from the mid 90s.

In case you’re curious. E-fuel is created by breaking water into its hydrogen and oxygen components. CO2 is pulled from the air and combined with hydrogen to create a “liquid energy carrier.” So e-fuel is simply understood as liquified electricity. Lightning in a bottle, y’all.

Telling it like it is - EVs are around four times more energy efficient than e-fuels, which won’t do anything for people’s range anxiety but will do something for the sunglasses industry since we will need more refill stations.

TOGETHER WITH CALLREVU

Happy Customers = Loyal Customers 

Loyalty is valuable, but it doesn't have to be expensive.

CallRevu knows you can't beat the dependable, lifelong revenue and impactful advocacy a loyal customer offers, so they've partnered with us to explore the powerful connection between service and loyalty. 

Join ASOTU's Paul and Kyle for a webinar on March 29th from 2:00 - 3:00 pm EST to learn three ways better phone management can make your customers feel cared for. They will be joined by CallRevu's VP of Product Scott Bleasdell and Andrew Spitzer, the COO of Spritzer Auto Group.

AUTOMOTIVE

Ford's New Project, Getting Grounded, and Rivian’s Relocation Request

Ford says its new $5.6B west Tennessee plant will build 500K EVs annually once it reaches full production. 

But maybe don't hold your breath. The company's CEO recently reminded us all that while Ford's been building vehicles since its main competitors were horses, EVs need batteries. Batteries need nickel and lithium, and the supply chain that’s needed to top the EV dog pile is not yet secure, but they are working to secure the needed domestic supply and refining capacity.  

Top secret. However, once the brand has things in order and the new plant comes online in 2025, a mysterious new truck called "Project T3" will carry the brand's history and hope toward the revolutionized truck America deserves (we are still sour about the Europe-only Explorer).

Detroit-based electric RV startup Grounded has launched a fully customizable smart ERV based on the Ford E-Transit. 

The subscription-based affordable sustainability-focused recreation vehicle company was founded by a group of former Tesla and SpaceX engineers to help people enjoy the outdoors while not smogging up the place. 

The Grounded G1 comes with a queen-size bed, pull-out table, kitchen with fridge, sink, and stove, an outdoor shower, and several other things an eco-friendly globe trotter could need to relax or work on the road. One solar power-supplemented 108-mile full charge at a time. 

Rivian is relocating some manufacturing engineering staff members to Illinois to accelerate production. 

The plan follows the company's production forecast for 2023, landing below analysts' expectations. 

Supply chain issues, softening demand, interest rate hikes, recession fears, and financial losses on each vehicle built have the company looking for advantages, which placing the manufacturing and engineering teams closer together may provide. 

TL; DR - Ford has big plans and battery issues, RV folks take a solar-powered step away from "roughin' it," and Rivian is working to solve the problem of elbow room.

CULTURE

Social Synopsis: TikTok, Twitter, and Meta

The US Congress put TikTok in the hot seat last week as it grilled CEO Shou Zi Chew about the potential risks caused by the platform, such as unauthorized data-sharing and personal privacy. Chew sought to quell the growing national security concerns, but lawmakers didn’t seem convinced.

Snapchat and Facebook rejoice. TikTok’s competitors saw a significant jump in their shares after Chew’s testimony last week. We imagine Zuck is watching this unfold with a big bowl of popcorn and a wide, lifeless grin.

Elon Musk announced on Friday further details about which users would be allowed to keep their blue checkmarks once they begin restructuring the feature in April. Any Twitter accounts linked to a verified organization will be automatically verified, and those verified organizations can nominate any individuals or entities associated with them. However, each new user will cost an extra $50/month on top of the $1K/month Verified Organization subscription fee. Individuals not connected with a verified organization can keep their blue tick by purchasing their own subscription for $8/month.

April Fools? Musk is known for trolling, and the fact that he plans on rolling out these new features on April 1st has everyone wondering if this is just another one of Mr. Twitter’s pranks.

Meta's new Quest 2 VR headset will soon make it feel like you're actually touching and grabbing objects in the virtual world without a controller. As part of their new experimental feature “direct touch,” the headset will use its external-facing cameras to follow your hands, and they appear in your headset as hand-like shadows. From there you can make “contact” with things in the virtual world. While there are still some kinks to work out and accuracy to be improved, this just might be the next new wave in VR advancement.

Telling it like it is - Congress is putting pressure on TikTok, Musk is putting new limits on verification, and Meta is putting VR controllers aside.

Quick Hits

• Mississippi was hit hard by a powerful storm over the weekend that resulted in a tornado that was on the ground for nearly an hour.

• A Chinese startup invented a kissing machine so long-distance lovers can keep smooching.

• Disney World workers secure a 37% salary bump after eight months of negotiations. 

History

• 1884: First long-distance telephone call is made from Boston to NY.

• 1948: Billie Holiday performs to a sold-out crowd at Carnegie Hall just 11 days after being released from prison.

• 1980: Mount St Helens becomes active again after 123 years.

• 2005: ABC debuts the first season of “Grey’s Anatomy.”