Pub. 13 2014-2015 Issue 1

N E W J E R S E Y C O A L I T I O N O F A U T O M O T I V E R E T A I L E R S I S S U E N O . 2 , 2 0 1 4 18 new jersey auto retailer Try to recall your last experience with some faceless customer service representative that left you frus- trated. It could have been Internet troubles, errant charges on your cell phone bill, trying to get your cable TV to work, or simply a damaged shipment. Remember how powerless you felt? It was just you – voicing a complaint – against a large organization designed to make complaints go away. Now imagine that instead of a faceless voice on the phone, you could see someone in person to work out the issue. Still not happy, you could immediately visit their supervisor. Still getting nowhere, how about if you could even visit with the owner of the company to get the issue resolved? How critical would that ability be to protecting your rights as a consumer? One of the topics that is often lost in the consumer view of traditional automotive retailing is the tremendous benefit that is gained through having an independent service facility to assist the customer realize their rights under warranty, lemon and other consumer protection laws. The dealerships have the sole interest in satisfying the customer not only because it is the right thing to do for business but also because they are heavily judged and often times rewarded or penalized for such satisfaction. Dealerships have tremendous value as a mediator between the consumer and manufacturer, working to solve issues that are acceptable to both parties. And the reverse is true as well. Right now, if a consumer feels short-changed by a dealership, they can appeal to the manufacturer to step in. Or, they can attempt to get resolution from another like-franchised dealership. Why Independent Dealership Ownership is Key to Consumer Protection BY ROBERT W. CAMPBELL