Please save the date and make your plans to join us at our annual Maryland Automobile Dealers Association Foundation gala on Saturday, November 8, 2014.  This year's event will be held again at the Columbia Country Club in Chevy Chase, MD!

Starting October 1st, dealers may begin to apply for reimbursement for any warranty work performed on behalf of a manufacture. MADA encourages all dealers to consult with us or their accountants about the best way to petition for a greater percentage of warranty reimbursement. A second component to the legislation is the new option to "buy local." This new law permits dealers to shop and use local vendors for Manufacturer-required goods and/or services if the local vendor provides the same quality/specifications as the vendor chosen by the manufacturer. This affords Maryland dealers the opportunity to save money on the manufacturers mandate to implement a new program if the dealer can find a cost saving alternative. Please contact Travis Martz or Peter Kitzmiller, 800.526.7423, with any questions or for further information.

The Maryland Automobile Dealers Association, along with managers from the Motor Vehicle Administration, will present a seminar that offers the opportunity to learn new procedures and review old procedures. Due to the constant changes of regulations governing the sale of a vehicle, MADA strongly encourages individuals from the F&I, Sales, Business Management, and Title & Registration Departments to attend this seminar. We will also address any titling and registration changes as a result of the 2014 Legislative Session. This is a great opportunity to network with your ERT representatives as well as your MVA representatives.

 

   Two dates/locations to choose from:

 

Seminar #1

October 21, 2014

9:30-11:30 a.m.

 

Location:

Hilton Garden Inn-White Marsh

5015 Campbell Blvd.

Baltimore, MD 21236

 

Seminar #2

October 22, 2014

9:30-11:30 a.m.

 

Location:

Turf Valley Resort

2700 Turf Valley Road

Ellicott City, MD 21042

 

Cost:

$85.00 per person (Member)

$125.00 per person (Non-Member)

 

Space is limited!

 

To register, please download a registration form and return to MADA by fax, 410.269.1549, or mail with check payable to MADS at 7 State Circle, Suite 301, Annapolis, MD 21401.

OSHA released a new final rule on September 11, 2014 with two changes that have implications on all U.S. workplaces.  The new rule requires all dealers to maintain an OSHA 300 log and changes the reporting requirements for serious injuries at all workplaces.  

OSHA 300 Log: In the past, new and used car dealerships among other industries had been exempt from completing and posting the OSHA 300 log based on their Standard Industry Code (SIC) code.  However, under the new regulatory change dealerships have lost this exemption and must keep this accident and injury form up to date.  This regulation goes into effect on January 1, 2015 so your first required OSHA 300 log would be for accidents that occur in 2015.  

Injury Reporting:  Under the current regulation, employers are required to report work-related fatalities and in-patient hospitalizations of three or more employees within eight hours of the event.  Under the new rule employers must report work-related fatalities to OSHA within eight hours of the event and all work-related in-patient hospitalizations, as well as amputations and loss of an eye to OSHA within 24 hours of the event.  This is a good topic to review with your entire management team during your next safety committee meeting because the hardest part will be handling these accidents over the weekend.  If you are in-doubt whether to report, take precautions and report the incident.  To report you can call your local area office directly or the 24 hour OSHA reporting hotline at: 1-800-321-OSHA (1-800-321-6742).

To assist dealers in preparing for these changes, KPA will host a free webinar on October 2, 2014. You may also visit KPA's website for further information.

GSFS Group. Providing F&I products and services to dealer in Maryland.  1345 Enclave Parkway, Houston, TX 77077.  Stephanie Franklin, Marketing Coordinator, 281.580.3143 or email: msomarketing@gsfsgroup.com

New Webinars Announced from DealersEdge 

An alarming number of Internet prospects, up to 95% by some estimates, never make it into the showroom.  Converting online shoppers to showroom customers requires specially-designed processes and a well-developed skill set.  Mark Rodriguez, of Auto Client Care, Inc, has developed just such a game plan for auto retailers and he will share it with DealersEdge members during a special Webinar presentation.  This webinar will cover the following:

• The Steps for Setting a Showroom Appointment
• How to create and use professional scripts to support your game plan
• The Essential Elements for building your value story over the phone 
• Methods for staying in control of the call
• The deal breakers and how to deal with them
• Introductions that engage prospects and questions that lead them to your showroom