Lexus Pursuit of Innovation winning ideas
04-16-08, 03:14 PM
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Lexus Pursuit of Innovation winning ideas
Lexus pays dealers for innovations
by Mark Rechtin - Automotive News
NEW YORK — Lexus Division has awarded cash prizes to dealers who came up with ideas for improving customer satisfaction.
The Pursuit of Innovation competition gave three regional winners $50,000 apiece for their ideas. Five runners-up won $25,000 apiece. Ten honorable mentions received $10,000. The money goes to the dealer, who decides how to divvy the cash.
The contest generated 178 ideas from Lexus' 223 dealers. The idea had to be put into practice. The judges took into account how well it worked.
Lexus will send dealers a booklet that summarizes all contest entries. The winning ideas might not work at all stores, but an idea that didn't win an award could make sense at many dealerships.
Several dealers suggested ideas for teaching customers to use complicated Lexus products.
"All this technology — the navigation system, Bluetooth, HomeLink — it's too much to learn in the delivery area," said Mark Templin, Lexus Division general manager. "Some dealers have the equivalent of the Apple store's Genius Bar, while others have specialists that go to the customer's house and program everything."
Some dealers won awards by taking an industry standard to the next level. Most luxury automakers offer roadside assistance and loaner cars. But usually the customer needs to ride in the tow truck to the dealership to get the loaner car. One dealership has worked out the logistics so that the towing company also brings the loaner to the breakdown location.
Said Templin: "It's not that complicated, but why didn't anyone think of that before?"
Winning ideas
Lexus awarded $50,000 to 3 dealers for their Pursuit of Innovation ideas.
• McGrath Lexus, Chicago: Radio-frequency-ID technology displays customized owner greeting, plus sports and stock market information, on monitors in service bays.
• Lexus of South Atlanta, Union City, Ga.: Monitors in waiting area display the status of car's service work.
• Thompson Lexus, Doylestown, Pa.: Towing company delivers a loaner vehicle to the location of a customer's breakdown.
http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dl...NA06/803310323
by Mark Rechtin - Automotive News
NEW YORK — Lexus Division has awarded cash prizes to dealers who came up with ideas for improving customer satisfaction.
The Pursuit of Innovation competition gave three regional winners $50,000 apiece for their ideas. Five runners-up won $25,000 apiece. Ten honorable mentions received $10,000. The money goes to the dealer, who decides how to divvy the cash.
The contest generated 178 ideas from Lexus' 223 dealers. The idea had to be put into practice. The judges took into account how well it worked.
Lexus will send dealers a booklet that summarizes all contest entries. The winning ideas might not work at all stores, but an idea that didn't win an award could make sense at many dealerships.
Several dealers suggested ideas for teaching customers to use complicated Lexus products.
"All this technology — the navigation system, Bluetooth, HomeLink — it's too much to learn in the delivery area," said Mark Templin, Lexus Division general manager. "Some dealers have the equivalent of the Apple store's Genius Bar, while others have specialists that go to the customer's house and program everything."
Some dealers won awards by taking an industry standard to the next level. Most luxury automakers offer roadside assistance and loaner cars. But usually the customer needs to ride in the tow truck to the dealership to get the loaner car. One dealership has worked out the logistics so that the towing company also brings the loaner to the breakdown location.
Said Templin: "It's not that complicated, but why didn't anyone think of that before?"
Winning ideas
Lexus awarded $50,000 to 3 dealers for their Pursuit of Innovation ideas.
• McGrath Lexus, Chicago: Radio-frequency-ID technology displays customized owner greeting, plus sports and stock market information, on monitors in service bays.
• Lexus of South Atlanta, Union City, Ga.: Monitors in waiting area display the status of car's service work.
• Thompson Lexus, Doylestown, Pa.: Towing company delivers a loaner vehicle to the location of a customer's breakdown.
http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dl...NA06/803310323
04-16-08, 03:22 PM
#2
Good ideas!!! I like the idea of doing a similar version of Apple's Genius Bar to teach the basics of these ever-technologically enhanced vehicles. Some Lexus dealerships have already taken to YouTube to post video tutorials of Bluetooth pairing, etc.
And there have been threads on here about the tow truck/loaner business. Good idea to coordinate them! It's also great to have some kind of service progress monitors to keep customers up to date, if they can work well.
Another thing, some Lexus dealerships in 1989 began with the idea of 'preparing parts' before a customer's visit, to speed up and lower wait times.
And there have been threads on here about the tow truck/loaner business. Good idea to coordinate them! It's also great to have some kind of service progress monitors to keep customers up to date, if they can work well.
Another thing, some Lexus dealerships in 1989 began with the idea of 'preparing parts' before a customer's visit, to speed up and lower wait times.
04-16-08, 03:55 PM
#4
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Lexus of South Atlanta is BY FAR the worst Lexus dealership and one of the worst dealerships I have done business with. THey only profit b/c there is no dealer on the southside of Atlanta, all are on the Northside. Shady business practices, rookie techs, unknowledgable people, I am sure they probably stole those Monitors they installed.
04-16-08, 05:58 PM
#5
Lexus Fanatic
Innovation?
The average Lexus dealership (and some other luxury-car dealerships, too, not just Lexus) could start by not having receptionists so heavily made up with mascara, hair spray, and eye shade that they look like Bimbos. While I, of course, appreciate looking at an attractive woman, few things are more insulting to one's intelligence than an organization trying to market automobiles with imitation glamour girls. That's not, IMO, the way to market and sell cars.
The average Lexus dealership (and some other luxury-car dealerships, too, not just Lexus) could start by not having receptionists so heavily made up with mascara, hair spray, and eye shade that they look like Bimbos. While I, of course, appreciate looking at an attractive woman, few things are more insulting to one's intelligence than an organization trying to market automobiles with imitation glamour girls. That's not, IMO, the way to market and sell cars.
Last edited by mmarshall; 04-16-08 at 06:18 PM.
04-17-08, 01:16 PM
#6
Lexus Fanatic
Several dealers suggested ideas for teaching customers to use complicated Lexus products.
"All this technology — the navigation system, Bluetooth, HomeLink — it's too much to learn in the delivery area," said Mark Templin, Lexus Division general manager. "Some dealers have the equivalent of the Apple store's Genius Bar, while others have specialists that go to the customer's house and program everything."
"All this technology — the navigation system, Bluetooth, HomeLink — it's too much to learn in the delivery area," said Mark Templin, Lexus Division general manager. "Some dealers have the equivalent of the Apple store's Genius Bar, while others have specialists that go to the customer's house and program everything."
04-17-08, 02:22 PM
#7
Innovation?
The average Lexus dealership (and some other luxury-car dealerships, too, not just Lexus) could start by not having receptionists so heavily made up with mascara, hair spray, and eye shade that they look like Bimbos. While I, of course, appreciate looking at an attractive woman, few things are more insulting to one's intelligence than an organization trying to market automobiles with imitation glamour girls. That's not, IMO, the way to market and sell cars.
The average Lexus dealership (and some other luxury-car dealerships, too, not just Lexus) could start by not having receptionists so heavily made up with mascara, hair spray, and eye shade that they look like Bimbos. While I, of course, appreciate looking at an attractive woman, few things are more insulting to one's intelligence than an organization trying to market automobiles with imitation glamour girls. That's not, IMO, the way to market and sell cars.
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