Consumers have more information than ever to make decisions
about repairing their vehicle. That's one of the realities a
panel of industry experts will look at in a presentation
titled “Technology Enabling Transparency in the Aftermarket”
at the 2011 Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS),
May 18-19 at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare near Chicago.
"Consumer marketing within the auto repair industry saw little
change for the past 20 years, with Yellow Pages advertising
and reminder post cards dominating shop marketing budgets,"
explained panel moderator David Sturtz, CEO, RepairPal. "The
arrival of the Internet, more than a decade ago, had little
impact on the way shops won and retained customers. But that
changed within the past five years as an array of online
players became the source of consumer information and
influence."
Panelists for the presentation are Jim Dykstra, owner,
Dykstra's Auto Service with locations in Hudsonville, Byron
Center, and Kentwood, Mich., and Steve Smith, senior vice
president and CIO, TBC Corporation. Dykstra is a past member
of the Service Center Advisory Board for the Aftermarket Auto
Parts Alliance and is a current board member of AAIA’s Car
Care Professional Network and the AAIA Education Committee.
Smith oversees all aspects of technology for TBC including
application development, infrastructure services, information
security, e-commerce and business intelligence. TBC is a $2.8
billion retailer and wholesaler of tires and automotive
services.
“Changes in repair shop marketing are accelerating and shops
that have prospered in the old environment are being forced to
adapt just to stay in business,” said Sturtz, who founded
RepairPal in 2007 after seeing an opportunity to help himself,
his friends who asked him for advice about cars, and the
motoring public. Prior to founding RepairPal, Sturtz ran a
successful investment fund and worked as a technology research
analyst on Wall Street.
The panel will look at the information consumers now
have access to, how that changes their expectations for
service and how some consumer-facing technicians have made
progress in adapting to the new environment.
GAAS 2011 will focus on the theme “Aftermarket Fast Forward:
What You Need to Know to Stay Ahead.” The annual two-day
Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium brings together
industry leaders and experts to examine the issues and trends
affecting the worldwide automotive aftermarket and influencing
its future.
For more on GAAS 2011, visit www.GlobalSymposium.org.
