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Hey everyone,
The FTC recently published its FAQs on pricing transparency, and to fill in the blanks on compliance, we had two industry experts join the Daily Dealer Live this week: Tom Kline, Lead Consultant and Founder at Better Vantage Point, and Adam Crowell, Chief Legal & Strategy Officer at KPA.
— CDG
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Welcome to The Weekly, a roundup of the top five auto industry headlines of the week.
GM on service tech shortage: ‘It’s not a recruiting war; it’s a retention war’
Jennifer Briggs, GM at Volkswagen of Marion in Illinois and former dean of the Auto Diesel Institute, said dealers chasing technicians from competitors are fighting over a shrinking pool when they should be growing it instead.
“It's not a recruiting war; it's a retention war,” Briggs told her audience at this year’s Digital Dealer Conference & Expo on Tuesday (Sept. 22).
Driving the news: The industry needs about 70,865 new technicians annually, and net new technicians nationally last year numbered just 8,755, according to presentation materials Briggs shared.
Rockin' robots ‘on a mission’ at Mercedes-Benz of Plano
Mercedes-Benz of Plano in Texas crashed out due to data overload.
It lasted about a month, Stephen Rand, fixed ops director for the dealership, told Daily Dealer Live host Sam D'Arc during a segment recorded Friday in Las Vegas.
The next two kinda “moved at a snail’s pace,” while crashing into shelves and such.
Now, three robots, the store’s third wave, zip through the department. Or, scoot along, rather, at 3.9 feet per second.
Rand's group partners with Richtech Robotics for the trio delivering parts to techs in the group’s 100 service bays.
After the first robot's data-overload hiccup, Rand said the techs wanted more.
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Sunset Auto CMO says weak ad results usually come down to execution, culture
Mike Conley's initials fit him perfectly, because the chief marketing officer for Sunset Auto Family in Washington certainly moved the crowd in one of the closing sessions at the 2026 Digital Dealer Conference & Expo.
Conley opened up "The Problem With Your Advertising Is That Your Advertising is NOT Your Problem!" by inviting everyone to scoot closer to the front, telling attendees that it would be an enthusiasm-based exchange before inviting each person to introduce themselves to someone nearby.
The CMO covered a lot in 45 minutes, including that a customer should find the exact environment an ad promised. When they don't, he said dealers often incorrectly blame the advertising itself.
Cyberattacks on dealerships spike 1,000% in March over 2024 levels
Just as dealers were preparing for a busy tax season of shoppers, a record number of cyberattacks on dealerships were attempted in March.
A study by Proton Dealership IT and Cybersecurity found nearly a 1,000% spike in March compared to activity before June 2024, along with an increase in attempted attacks on the auto industry.
What we know: Cybercriminals target auto dealers for consumer data and with scams designed to collect money.
With this in mind, the FTC updated its Safeguards Rule in 2021 and 2023, requiring (in part) that dealers implement and maintain security programs to keep customers’ information secure, or risk heavy fines for incidents.
Fast forward: Starting in March, Proton noticed an increase in attempted attacks via software that would allow third-party vendors access to troubleshoot software.
California moves to end higher auto rates for unmarried drivers
A California regulator has reversed the state’s position on a rule that allows insurers to charge unmarried drivers more for auto insurance, potentially providing some relief from rising vehicle ownership costs.
The details: Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara announced Wednesday that he is barring auto insurers from considering marital status when setting premiums, reversing a policy the California Department of Insurance had previously defended, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The regulatory change seeks to bar insurers from charging single, divorced, and widowed drivers more for auto insurance than married drivers in California.
