Maryland Automobile Dealers Association's Annual Membership Meeting and Legislative Reception will be held on Tuesday, January 17, 2012 at the Loews Annapolis Hotel.    

This year's guest speaker will be Blair Lee, Political Columnist for the Maryland Gazette Newspaper and Political Commentator for WBAL Radio. Mr. Lee has joined us at previous functions and always has great insight on our local and federal legislative environment.

Members of both the executive and legislative branches of Maryland government have been invited. We anticipate our industry to come under fire as a source or revenue for the ailing Transportation Trust Fund. We must inform the legislative body of the importance of protecting the livelihood and future of Maryland's new car and truck dealers . In light of the legislative landscape it is critical that each dealership send a representative.

You may reserve your spot today by downloading a registration form and returning it by fax, 410.269.1549, or by mail to:

MADA

7 State Circle, Suite 301

Annapolis, MD 21401

All dealership and Associate members of MADA should have received their 2012 Membership Dues Renewal notice in the past two weeks. MADA plays a vital role, ensuring that your business interests are protected and that your voice is heard on State Circle.

We have all experienced some very difficult years recently and considering the slow economic recovery, it is highly important that all dealerships maintain their membership with MADA. A large membership body ensures that MADA will continue speaking with "one voice" in both Annapolis and in Washington, D.C. Your dues represent a sizable portion of MADA's operating budget, thus we ask that all members remit their payments as soon as possible.

If you need a second copy of your dues notice, please contact Charlotte Rutkowski at 800.526.7423.

MADA announces the next live webinar coming to you from DealersEdge... 

#1: Business Math for Parts Manager-Managing By the Numbers!

Date/Time: Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 1:00 pm

Cost: $149.00 per person

Presenters: Rob Campbell & Andrew Appow, CPA - both from The Mironov Group

The car business is absolutely awash in numbers.  Guides, Benchmarks, whatever you might call them; you are always being measured against some sort of financial or performance standard.  Nowhere more so than in the Parts Department. This is much more than just how to calculate "gross profit!"  Our two experts will discuss a laundry list of "numbers," guides and benchmarks... and how you can use them to  more efficiently manage the Parts Department.

In this webinar, we will discuss:

• Gross Profit Margin Percentage & the details on the mix of sale types
• Gross Profit Robbers in Parts and how to attack
• How to calculate your staffing needs
• Expense Controls & ways to improve your "net retention"

#2: How to Build and Restore Trust with Your Service Customers

Date/Time: Thursday, December 8, 2011 at 1:00 pm

Cost: $149.00 per person

Presenter: Ken Hite of Clear Mechanic

Are you losing service business because the customer simply does not trust you? The honest answer for most is -yes! More often than not, we have earned a good bit of that mistrust. How do the best dealerships and independent service providers build trust with their customers? Join Ken Hite of Clear Mechanic for a special "how to" session on building trust in the service drive.

You will learn:

• The 4 "pain points" in the dealership service experience and how to ease them
• Better ways to explain and validate repair recommendations
• The role of transparency in developing a service customer's trust
• Foolproof ways to make the service experience more transparent
• How to use mobile apps and Smart Phone technology to keep customers in the loop
• The role social media can play in building your service reputation

 CLICK HERE TO REGISTER TODAY! 

The U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency have just released the 2012 Fuel Economy Guide. The Guide provides detailed fuel economy numbers for MY 2012 light-duty vehicles, along with estimated annual fuel costs and other information for prospective purchasers. By law, dealers must display a copy of the Guide and provide copies to customers upon request.  

There are a number of options available for dealers to comply:

• This month, EPA/DOE is electronically distributing the Guide to dealers for printing as needed.
• Dealers can download the Guide, save it and print it as necessary.
• Dealers can also order hard copies of the Guide by clicking here, by calling DOE's Information Center at (877) 337-3463 between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. EDT or by using a form to order copies by mail. Hard copies will be mailed, free of charge, in December 2011.  

For further information about the Guide, please read the following EPA/DOE letter to dealers detailing how to make the Guide available to customers.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced its final rule banning handheld cell phones for commercial drivers.  A draft of the rule is attached. The new rule restricts interstate CMV drivers from:

• holding a mobile telephone to conduct a voice communication,
• dialing a mobile telephone by pressing more than a single button, or
• reaching for a mobile phone in an unacceptable and unsafe manner.

Thus a driver of a CMV who desires to use a mobile phone must use a hands-free device, located in close proximity, which requires the pressing of no more than a single button to initiate or terminate a phone call to be in compliance with this rule.  Drivers who violate the restriction will face federal civil penalties of up to $2,750 for each offense and disqualification from operating a commercial motor vehicle for multiple offenses (two or more violations in a three year period).  Commercial truck and bus companies that allow their drivers to use handheld cell phones while driving will face a maximum penalty of $11,000.

This regulation applies only to interstate drivers, as FMCSA does not have authority over intrastate drivers.  As you may recall, Maryland has had a handheld cell phone ban in place since October 2010. Regrettably the agency's ban does not allow "push-to-talk", effectively nullifying Maryland's law except for intrastate drivers.