Q: Hi All,

Looking for a little help if poss. Just trained with Paintshield and ready to take it to the dealers but been knocked back by Audi, they claim it invalidates the paint warranty so they won't use it.

Any suggestions about this - have you come up against this before ???

Also what dealer is the best to approach to get off the mark in your experience.

Thanks

A: That is news to me. We service an Audi dealer and they love it. If the vehicle has been repainted they may be talking about the manufacturer of the paint.....

As far as the easiest dealers to target. I would go for BMW and Mercedes. They really support it and tend to be a bit more eager to do volume. It really depends on your area. I know some guys that rock in a Kia store.....

A: It sounds like you may be just dealing with a manager that's just feeding you a line. I know of other installers who are doing well with audi stores. We also do very well with the local Kia guys. It just depends on who is calling the shots. Move on to someone else and check back periodically. You may try calling on specialized Audi repair shops...not the dealer. I've found that people are loyal to these guys that run their own vehicle specific mechanic shops. If you can get these guys to promote you, their reference is gold.

A: The Audi Sales manager said that Audi UK would not allow it as it invalidates the paint warranty - I do not agree with him but what can I do ??

Ok thanks guys - really appreciate your help.

A: Ok, this is whatcha do. Go to the dealership lot, walk around one of the vehicles and you should be able to find an area (a small area usually around the wheel wells) where the film has been applied from the factory. Once you find that, go get the sales manager, bring him out and show him. Then tell him he better contact Audi immediately and tell them that they have a SERIOUS situation of paint failure that's about to occur on their hands...

A: As suggested in a conversation I had with speedfilm last week (thanks for the tip!), sometimes the dealership will not want to deal with you on a personal or business relationship. if this is the case, try to find the picture of the 'sales person of the month' on the wall. locate that individual and strike up a referral plan. For each referral, he gets $25 gift certificate to a local eatery. That's a free lunch for him and his buddy. Not bad for just a referral, and you make a bit more profit than going directly through the dealer. Of course, this doesn't provide you with a mass amount of volume, but it can slowly trickle your way. If you want, you can always go back later and say (not through referral) that you have done many cars that came from this dealership.

A: I was talking with a GSM at a Toyota dealership when he bluntly said the film will turn yellow and he wouldn't want the liability for his dealership. I smiled, at told him if he felt that way, he was already screwed (pointed at a new Camry)because his dealership has been selling cars with the film for several years.

A: There are numerous dealers who treat aftermarket and accessory sales like the plague. We have a sales person who works at such a store. He is not allowed to sell it with the deal, but facilitates the install after the papers are signed. The consumer pays us directly, and we pay the sales person a commission. It is funny really, our shop makes more $ on the retail sale and the sales person makes $ - and the sales mgr doesn't make a dime, because the shop leaves the sale on the table for us!

A: Are you sure the dealer understood what you were presenting? Sometimes the dealers think you are talking about a chemical to apply to the car. A sample piece with a brochure get's the message accross. All upper end cars are a good place to start. A number of oe manufacturers are applying ppf in vulnerable areas of the car at the factory. No problem with Audi dealer here.

A: Consider that the dealerships may not care a whole lot about what the product is ... they REALLY only care about the $$$$ they can make by saying yes to your ppf / hpf program. This is where the 3M Dealership Profitability Tool comes in real handy. It makes for a powerful presentation, if you can get an audience with the right person or people at the dealerships.