The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1927-07-06
SERVICE BACKS
AUTO SALES

DETROIT. July GA new era is
dawning in automotive merchandis-
ing. Service is being sold, rather
than just automobiles
While the old acage. There IS
nothing new under the sun also
applies to this situation, it is really
new to see the entire industry
stressing it's activities In this d.
! rection, says B. ii. Cram, president
of Grams AutomotIve Reports, in
dustry authority
Production, for many months has
been subordinated to sales, and as
result both have run along on q
more even keel than ever before.
Speed, lines, color, riding qualities,
appointments, all have featured the
manufacturers efforts to outsell one
another. And, results have and
will be obtained by such mer-
chandising methods.
Service Looms Up
However. as the industry comes
closer and closer to a point Of
standardization. service looms up
as the most important factor in de-
termining future progress and sue
cess. Thus. today. we find manu-
facturers building their mercha ndis-
ing programs around this feature.
: No chain is stronger than its
weakest link--aDd, no automobile
manufacturer product is stronger
than its service facilities. And so,
the present task is to build that
strength.
Service departments in many of
the factories are being enlarged,
both at the plants and in the field.
Campaigns are being planned to
educate the selling organizations in
the Importance of service and also
to further increase service connec-
tons. Also, much thought is be-
ing given to ways and means of
holding down parts costs, so that
genuine" parts win be handled in
place of those manufactured by
other companies.
Henry Ford realized the I'M
portance of this factor in his bust
ness many years ago, and, it was
largely because of the fact that
Ford parts and service were OBJ
tainable, at minimum costs, in
every part of the country that
Ford productions was able to
climb from 1875 automobiles in 1903
to 2,090,959 in 1923, his peak year.
And, 1t is on service that Henry
Ford is going to largely rely, fol-
lowing the introduction of his new
car. The company is building it's
merchandising plans around this
feature.
But, not alone is Ford going to
appeal to the automobile buying
public on the importance of ser
vice-the entire industry is going
to stress 1t.
Dealers Are Busy
The work is not being confined
to the manufacturers either. The
dealer organizations are carrying It
ON through their business. The old
dealer method of selling an auto
mobile and calling it a day" is
rapidly passing.
Today, the sale Of an automobile
is just the starting point for the
real progressive dealer. Servicing
the car Is the life of his future
success. He realizes that not only
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overhead, but that it rightfully be
longs in his shop in order that
he may keep a satisfied customer
and future purchaser. This in turn
Is the greatest good will builder
that any dealer can develop.
And so, survey shows that
dealers in many parts Of the coun-
try are no longer employing lust
automobile statesmen, but service
statesmen. They are dividing up
their territories and assigning
man to each division. It Is the
duty Of each salesman to not only
develop new car sales, but to keen
every owner of the make car he
is selling a satisfied customer
through service. He is paid a com.
mission for both classes of work.
In years gone by. service was re.
garded as an unfortunately neces.
essary adjunct to new car sales.
Today, the entire industry Is an.
parently realizing that service il
the biggest and best thing Il has
to sell,