Posts Tagged ‘Fuel Management’

Transformers: Women And The Automotive Industry

Maddy Dychtwald, 05.18.10, 05:00 PM EDT

Women buy 52% of all new cars and influence more than 85% of car sales. So why aren’t the car dealerships paying attention?

You don’t have to look far to find women who have had a bad car buying experience.

“One of my colleagues was buying a car recently, and she became more and more irritated because the car salesman was talking only to her husband,” says Mary Lou Quinlan of Just Ask a Woman, a marketing consultancy targeting women. “So she said, ‘You know, I feel like you’re not paying any attention to what I say.’” The car salesman, surprised, insisted he was paying attention to her. “Oh yeah?” she replied. “What’s my name?” The dealer–who had made a point of using her husband’s name repeatedly–was speechless.

It’s true. Women buy 52% of all new cars sold in the U.S., influence more than 85% of all car purchases and are the fastest growing segment of buyers for new and used cars. All told, women have full or partial say over a staggering $80 billion worth of spending on cars.

But car dealerships do a terrible job communicating with women. Seventy-four percent of women say they feel misunderstood by car marketers.

“The auto industry today is in trouble, and automakers are struggling so hard,” says Jody DeVere, president and CEO of Ask Patty, a site staffed by women car experts who advise other women on car purchases and service. “Yet they’re only doing lip service to women in terms of marketing and selling. When what they need to do is change, and create an environment where women don’t equate buying a car or getting it serviced with going to the dentist.”

It’s an industry that’s owned and operated by men. Some 95% of the country’s 20,000 auto dealers belonging to the National Automobile Dealers Association are male. And it shows.

“It’s a very male culture. They’re family businesses, and they’ve been owned by men for a long time, so that’s part of the culture,” says DeVere. As part of her job she travels around the country, training car salesmen to build better relationships with women. She’s used to the boys’ club vibe–she worked in the male-dominated technology industry for years before moving to the automotive industry in 2000. She became president of the Women’s Automotive Association International, and later launched AskPatty.com.

Still, she wasn’t prepared for the locker-room antics of car salesmen. During one training presentation to a large group of salesmen recently, she explained the importance of careful listening with women customers. “Men and women communicate differently and can misunderstand cues and singles,” she said. “Men need to learn how to listen, and why. It makes women trust you and creates a relationship.” Meanwhile, a group of salesmen in the back was whispering, shuffling papers and giggling.

“When the Q&A time came, they asked me inappropriate questions, which I’m used to. I used humor to deal with it.” At the end, she cleaned up the literature and found the men, all in their 40s, had drawn crude cartoons of her with labels like “Manhater.com.”

She was angry at first but then thought, “at least the management is smart enough to know they have a problem and they need me.” Two weeks later she received a surprise gift–a $275 Mercedes-Benz branded handbag she’d mentioned during the speech. The note read, “Dear Patty: Just wanted you to know that some of us were really listening.”

Isn’t it nice to know that the day is coming when the guys in the front of the room–the ones who sent her the handbag, the ones who sincerely want to listen to women with respect–will get their reward?

Car dealers don’t have to offer cookies and manicures to improve the buying experience. The most important thing they can do is change the way they listen, DeVere says. “Women like to tell stories. We don’t talk in bullet points. When I come in to get my car serviced, I want to tell you the whole history. But men tend to interrupt and cut to the chase, and that makes me feel bad, like they’re not respecting me. Men need to learn how to listen,” she says. Not because it’s polite, but because real listening will sell more cars.

Can small changes, like better listening, really help? Marti Barletta thinks so. “When you’re starting from zero, doing even a little bit to appeal to women in general can make a huge impact. That first 20% of your effort will get you 80% of your value. Most companies are not even in the beginning of the curve.”

From the book: Influence: How Women’s Economic Power Will Transform Our World For The Better by Maddy Dychtwald with Christine Larson. © 2010 Maddy Dychtwald. Published by arrangement with VOICE, an imprint of Hyperion Books.

About Pynergy Petroleum Company

Pynergy Petroleum Company was founded in August 1999 when it acquired three Conoco Branded retail locations in the Denver, CO area.  Since then, Pynergy has been devoted to providing high quality fuels, lubricants, diesel exhaust fluid, equipment and service to the automotive, heavy duty and industrial markets.  Please visit us at www.pynergypetroleum.com

Susan McGinnis anchors this afternoon’s Clean Skies News Energy Report from Washington, DC.
On the program:- After months of delay, Sen.’s John Kerry and Joe Lieberman reveal their Senate climate bill. Clean Skies news talks with Sen. Kerry. Click here for the entire interview.- Congressman Henry Waxman says that his energy committee’s investigation into the Gulf oil spill reveals that a key safety device, the blowout preventer, had a leak in a crucial hydraulic system that probably made it inoperable.- EU climate commissioner Connie Hedegaard says she will present a document within weeks showing how Europe can move to a 30% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020.- Google buys a nearly $40 million stake in two North Dakota wind farms.

About Pynergy Petroleum Company

Pynergy Petroleum Company was founded in August 1999 when it acquired three Conoco Branded retail locations in the Denver, CO area.  Since then, Pynergy has been devoted to providing high quality fuels, lubricants, diesel exhaust fluid, equipment and service to the automotive, heavy duty and industrial markets.  Please visit us at www.pynergypetroleum.com

About Pynergy Petroleum Company

Pynergy Petroleum Company was founded in August 1999 when it acquired three Conoco Branded retail locations in the Denver, CO area.  Since then, Pynergy has been devoted to providing high quality fuels, lubricants, diesel exhaust fluid, equipment and service to the automotive, heavy duty and industrial markets.  Please visit us at www.pynergypetroleum.com

Rocco’s Automotive & Fast Lube is located at 4611 South Santa Fe Drive, Englewood, CO 80110

Rocco’s Automotive & Fast Lube Story…….

So you want to know where it all began?  It all started when I began working for Herb in 1999 at Colberg Bros. Custom Automotive.  It was awesome, we were busy, life was good andI was working under the hands of a genius.  I was still a little wet behind the ears, never wrenching as a profession prior to Herbie, but on the road to a world of knowledge.  Herb is known, to all who know me, as my dad.  We hit it off right from the start andran with it.  Not too long after, dad had his 6th heart attack and his health was declining.  Something wasn’t right, he was up and down, everyday was unpredictable.  Time goes by and Herb is diagnosed with renal disease andgoes on dialysis 3 days a week at 5 hours a pop.  That pretty much paralyzed him as a mechanic not being able to turn a wrench.  So he came to me with an option, either he loses the business and I lose my job, or I take it over.  By now I bet you guessed that I took it over.  So, from June 01, 2001 it became Rocco’s Automotive, INC.  and for 6 years it stayed that way.  Herb’s health was getting better and he started wrenching again, andthings were good.  But our business just never seemed to grow enough, come to findout by now it was just the location.  Tucked in the middle of a business park with no exposure to the public we were getting by solely on referrals and repeat customers.  When we saw the lube shop on Santa Fe up for lease, our wheels started turning, thinking what if?  As of April 26, 2006 we became Rocco’s Automotive & FAST LUBE.  Having the exposure of Santa Fe traffic and the general public walking in our door opened up all kinds of possibilities for us.  More and more people were finding out everyday how we operate and conduct our business, and in turn we grew.  3 employees to 7 in 1 year.  Thanks to a great staff who take pride in their work and loyal customers who take pride in their vehicles, our customer base has multiplied by 3 in the 1st year and 4 in the 2nd year.  Join us and help us grow again in our 3rd year.

Services they provide……

OUR OIL CHANGES GENERALLY TAKE BETWEEN 10 TO 15 MINUTES AND INCLUDE; oil, filter, check all under hood fluids (top off washer fluid), lube suspension and steering components (if applicable).

VISUALLY INSPECT AND ADVISE OF; Air filter, belts, hoses, tires, steering linkages, shocks, drive train, suspension, and any noticeable leaks.

DID YOU KNOW;  We have a huge selection of serpentine belts in stock, that if needed, we can replace them while you wait to get you back on the road, and in most cases in less time than just getting your oil changed else where.

*Complimentary windows and vac with every oil change (some exceptions may apply)!

Also On Us; $8.00 off your meal coupon at The Platte River Bar & Grill right down the street.

17 point service also available for added charge.

REPAIR SERVICES AVAILABLE:

SAME DAY SERVICE!  ADVANCED DIAGNOSTIC EQUIPMENT!  WIDE RANGE OF SERVICES!  ALL MAKES & MODELS!  EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE ! COURTESY SHUTTLE (available in most cases)!

Scheduled and Preventative Maintenance according to vehicle  manufacturer specifications using mostly original equipment or premium grade quality aftermarket parts

Minor Repairs;  Ranging from brakes, tune-ups, shocks and struts, alignments, etc.  Driveability diagnostics such as check engine lights.

Major Repairs:  Engines, transmissions, transfer cases, differential assemblies, suspension rebuilds, exhaust systems and so on.

Fleet Maintenance & Repairs:  Charge accounts, same day turn around, in most cases, priority service when in a bind. 

Stuff you wouldn’t expect;  windshields, window tinting, protective clear bras, pre-purchase inspections andreferrals to other businesses that we use for jobs we do not perform.  Our database entails many other fields.  So even if your looking for someone to work on a home remodel or landscaping, you can also call us to refer you to one whom we have dealt with as a business.  Our customers are our livelyhood and I would be more than happy to refer the right person for any job.

About Pynergy Petroleum Company

Pynergy Petroleum Company was founded in August 1999 when it acquired three Conoco Branded retail locations in the Denver, CO area.  Since then, Pynergy has been devoted to providing high quality fuels, lubricants, diesel exhaust fluid, equipment and service to the automotive, heavy duty and industrial markets.  Please visit us at www.pynergypetroleum.com

PORT HUENEME, Calif., April 9 /PRNewswire/ — The first ARIES biodiesel production system has been delivered to Naval Base Ventura County. ARIES is the result of a collaborative effort by the U.S. Navy, Biodiesel Industries and Aerojet to produce a sustainable and reliable renewable fuel, biodiesel, using local resources. Biodiesel is a non-toxic, biodegradable replacement for petroleum diesel and can be used in all diesel engines with little or no modification.

The new system, named ARIES (Automated Real-time, Remote, Integrated Energy System), is a highly automated, transportable biodiesel production unit that can be controlled from a remote location. These features ensure reliable process control and optimal production yields in a sustainable system that can be readily and widely deployed.  

Russell Teall, President and Founder of Biodiesel Industries explained, “Creating truly sustainable systems requires a thorough understanding of every aspect of biodiesel production, from feedstocks to finished products. The Integrated Energy System incorporated into ARIES will eventually allow us to generate our own heat and power, and to feed the surplus into a local micro-grid. These Energy Islands will support the local community with renewable and sustainable fuel, electricity and heat.”

A key issue with biofuel production has been the ability to access inexpensive feedstocks that do not compete with agricultural land use or the production of food.  The ability to use locally available non-food feedstocks for biodiesel requires a flexible production process, technical expertise and control not easily associated with small- scale facilities.  However, with ARIES, one data and process control center has the ability to remotely operate hundreds of scalable facilities integrated with next-generation feedstock cultivation, producing billions of gallons of biodiesel per year.  

“Biodiesel Industries’ years of advanced work with jatropha, algae and other sustainable feedstocks are critically important to the ARIES platform. Our proprietary methods of feedstock development make ARIES an ideal solution for creating a globally distributed network of biodiesel production facilities,” according to JJ Rothgery, Chairman of the Board of Biodiesel Industries.

ARIES incorporates Aerojet’s systems control technologies to provide real-time sensing and management of key chemistry and processing parameters. These technologies, coupled with Biodiesel Industries’ extensive production database, allow automation of the entire process, resulting in enhanced yields, reliable quality control and personnel safety assurance.  Remote sensing also enables monitoring and operation from a single data and process control center for biodiesel production facilities in numerous locations around the world.  The capacity of the Modular Production Unit (MPU) is 3-10 million gallons per year. The Company has also designed and built a ruggedized 100,000 Mini-MPU for military use.

“Aerojet’s decades of automated systems expertise brings multiple benefits to Biodiesel Industries’ advanced biofuel processes,” said Scott Seymour, president of Aerojet.  ”The delivery of this first biodiesel production unit to the U.S. Navy heralds the first in what we hope are a series of successful demonstrations of our ability to deliver efficient and sustainable energy production for military and civilian use.”

“ARIES is ready now to be deployed on a global basis.  The ARIES platform fundamentally transforms biodiesel production and makes this possible,” explained Michael Cassady, Biodiesel Industries’ EVP and Chief Operating Officer.

About Pynergy Petroleum Company

Pynergy Petroleum Company was founded in August 1999 when it acquired three Conoco Branded retail locations in the Denver, CO area.  Since then, Pynergy has been devoted to providing high quality fuels, lubricants, diesel exhaust fluid, equipment and service to the automotive, heavy duty and industrial markets.  Please visit us at www.pynergypetroleum.com