connecting dealers and owners

iPhone surging, but Android Strong

WASHINGTON — Google’s Android system has grabbed more than 50 percent of the US smartphone market, while Samsung cemented its leadership as the top device maker, a survey showed Tuesday.

Even though Apple’s hot iPhone is surging, it has not dented the lead of the Android system and the South Korean manufacturer, according to a quarterly survey from research firm comScore.

The Android system snagged 51 percent of the operating system market in the three months ending in March, up from 47.3 percent in the prior quarter, comScore said.

Apple’s operating system had 30.7 percent of the market, up from 29.6 percent.

The biggest loser was BlackBerry, which saw its platform share fall to 12.3 percent from 16 percent. Microsoft’s share also slipped to 3.9 percent from 4.7 percent and Symbian held steady at 1.4 percent.

In-App Analytics Now Available on Dealerbug Apps

We’ve now added state of the art analytics to measure and track how consumers are interacting with our apps in real time.  Time spent, page views, features used, new users, frequency of use….more tools to increase engagement with dealership consumers and keep them connected with your store.

Drivers are happier when they have their vehicles serviced at the dealership

  Drivers are happier when they have their vehicles serviced at the dealership than when they take them to non-dealer shop, according to a new survey.

Auto industry research company J.D. Power and Associates found in its 2012 Customer Service Index or CSI study that among customers using dealer service centers, average overall satisfaction rating is 787 points on a 1,000-point scale, compared with 749 points for non-dealer facilities.

Among luxury car makers, Lexus ranks highest in customer satisfaction for the fourth year in a row with an overall CSI score of 861. The other top-five brands are Cadillac (852 points); Jaguar (849); Acura (838); and Porsche (836).

Among mass market brands, BMW’s Mini unit fared best for the second year in a row with 809 points. Rounding out the top five are Buick (805); GMC (803); Chevrolet (801); and Hyundai (791).

J.D. Power said owners of one- to three-year-old vehicles take them to the dealer for service 79% of the time, up from 74% last year and 72% in 2010. Overall satisfaction with dealer service improved by 19 points in 2012, compared with 2011, and among the 33 brands ranked, 28 improved in service satisfaction from 2011 and eight nameplates improved by at least 20 points.

A big factor driving improvement in the way customers regard dealer service is a change in the proportion of maintenance and repair work that dealer mechanics perform. The Power survey indicated 72% percent of car owners said their latest dealer service visit was for maintenance, not repair. That marks an increase from 63% in 2011. Customer satisfaction with maintenance visits is typically higher than with repair visits, which tend to cost more in time and money.

“Steady improvements in vehicle quality, longer intervals between recommended service visits and a higher mix of maintenance service events have had a positive effect on overall dealer service satisfaction,” said Chris Sutton, senior director at J.D. Power and Associates. “Moreover, manufacturers and their dealers have instituted broad-based customer service improvement initiatives to increase satisfaction with both the purchase experience and after-sales service.”

The CSI rankings are based on dealer service performance during the first three years of new-vehicle ownership — a time frame that typically represents most of the vehicle warranty period. The survey looks at five measures in judging overall satisfaction: service quality; service initiation; service advisor; service facility; and vehicle pick-up.

Source WSJ March 16, 2012

Apple smartphone share climbs to 44.9% in US

(Reuters) – Booming demand for the latest iPhone model helped Apple beat all phones using Google’s Android platform in the U.S. smartphone market in the fourth quarter, data showed on Wednesday.

Research firm Kantar Worldpanel ComTech said Apple’s share of the U.S. market doubled from a year ago to 44.9 percent in the October to December period, just beating Google’s Android smartphones, which slipped to 44.8 percent from 50 percent. January 25, 2012

GPS Location Added to Roadside Assistance

One touch dialing to the Factory Roadside Assistance help line has now includes the use of a GPS location finder, allowing users to see their exact location on a map, while calling for help.

Galpin Motors Launches iPhone App

The world’s largest Ford dealer for 21 years running,  launched Galpin Motor’s Automotive App in Apple’s App Store this week.  Galpin is Southern California’s premier automobile destination, with eleven franchises serving the Los Angeles area is also the home of Galpin Automotive Sports, (G.A.S) and the world famous “Pimp My Ride” TV show.

This is a unique iPhone App for automotive enthusiasts, Galpin Motors customers and those in the market for buying or servicing a new or used vehicle.  This innovative app is fun and informative for everyone’s automotive needs.

The app is constantly updated with the latest and greatest of all things automotive. It’s the next best thing to being at Galpin. Galpin Motors is often referred to as the best automotive retail experience in the World by our customers and industry leaders.

Our intention with this iPhone app is to help our fans and customers make it easy to get information, do business with Galpin and enjoy their vehicle. Vehicle owners can conveniently manage and maintain their vehicle records as well as easily get more information about their current or future vehicles. Also featured in this app is the latest information on our customized vehicles from Galpin Auto Sports, home of the world famous “Pimp My Ride” television show.