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This holiday season the top gift in the United States was a fancy I-pad or a Kindle Fire. Just a short time ago, wasn’t it Blackberry? Technology has changed everything and has transcended industries. Even in our industry we have had to go through some major “upgrades”.

I had a customer in the other day that had gone to a body shop and got an estimate done. A lot of body shops rely on a program that helps calculate all the costs that go into and as a result, a lot of places end up costing around the same price. You get three estimates done and there’s not a huge difference between any of them. People come into my shop and they’re shocked because we can take care of those nasty cosmetic collision repairs at a fraction of the price of a traditional body shop.

Did you know that 95% of automobiles have some kind of cosmetic damage? Next time you go to the store as you walk to the entrance, look around at the bumpers you pass. You’ll see little dings and scratches that people don’t bother getting fixed because they’re convinced it will cost an arm and leg. And my guess is, at a traditional body shop it would. The thing is, they’re good at the big jobs: that’s their specialty. If you’re anything like me, those tiny cosmetic damages make you cringe. You spend a good portion of your time in your car, you paid for it, you want it to look nice. So that’s where Ultragloss comes in, we’re affordable because we’ve mastered the art of cosmetic repair. We recycle our paint; this is a savings we pass on to our customers. We also perform paint blends on approximately 125 vehicles per day, so we’re efficient; another savings we pass on to our customers.

We also have other divisions that specialize in other areas of cosmetic repairs. Our Dentz division offers affordable paintless dent removal (PDR). Our Interiorz division handles seat repair and other interior vehicle repairs as well as deodorizing and decontamination services. The Glazz division handles all of our windshield repairs. Tintz offers a variety of tint film as well as clear protection film for your vehicle. In other words, all in one place you can get every cosmetic repair or improvement you would like.

Check our new shop: 585 Tallmadge Ave, Akron, Ohio 4430. Call: 330-252-9011 and schedule an appointment today. Remember, everyone $100 you spend at Ultragloss, you earn $10 towards your next service. Check out our SPECIALS page for more information.

*If you’re not in the State of Ohio, look for a cosmetic repair shop in your neighborhood. If you don’t see one… Check out our Franchise Opportunity.

Sincerely,
Steve Marble

Ultragloss is celebrating its 20-Year Anniversary this February and I thought I could put together some tips based on my experience in the automotive industry. I have been in the automotive industry for most of my life. I’ve worked for dealerships and with dealerships for about 25 years.

1.) Designate one of your lot people to go around all units and remove all unwanted wax around cracks, etc.
2.) Have a lot person with black spray paint check the lot for all trailer hitches and blacken them in.
3.) If black plastic moldings do not look appealing and have wax in them, simply prep them with a rubbing alcohol and apply a thin coat of dressing and polish in.
4.) If you have a body shop, make sure your service drive customers are getting free estimates, on any damage.
5.) In snowy weather, use a high power leaf blower to remove the snow from your inventory.
6.) The better your inventory looks, the more attraction it gets. Customers may be attracted to cars they didn’t even come in for.
7.) Advertise your inventory in your waiting room. Install a flat screen TV and stream pictures of your cars along with descriptions and pricing.
8.) When your service department is performing a safety check on a vehicle, have them black in rusty brake rotors, frames, etc. while the vehicle is on a lift with the wheels off.
9.) Implement a quality control system for when a vehicle is brought back from a detail. It’s important to fine-tune a week after if the vehicle hasn’t been sold, this way you can insure all wax and debris was removed properly and the vehicle is in its best condition.
10.) Keeping point 9 in mind, it’s important to send a vehicle that remains on your lot for more than 30 days back in for a premium wash/wax (paying close attention to the rims) and to wipe down the interior.
11.) Make sure you’re moving your inventory around. Put the freshly detailed cars in the front and move inventory around frequently.
12.) After a heavy rain (depending on the size of the lot and how dirty the inventory is) have your lot people chamois and dry the vehicles.
13.) On late nights try to have all of your vehicles wiped down and be sure the tires are dressed.
14.) Every once and while on a late night, it may be wise to attract some attention to your inventory—such as, turning the flashers on certain vehicles and as people inquire, tell them about the deal.
15.) Never underestimate the power of tire dressing. On trucks and SUVs it’s important that the undercarriages look good—don’t be afraid to use tire dressing in these areas.
16.) Use Ultragloss (and our divisions) to upsell your customer when they’re in your service department. We can help you with glass chips, paint repairs, door dings, cigarette burns, odor removal and decontamination. Our divisions (throughout Northeast Ohio) are able to help the dealerships they work with offer more services without the added overhead. We offer free demos, call (330)252-9011 for more information.
17.) If a perspective buyer has an appointment to test drive a vehicle, I recommend doing the following:
        1)Wipe down unit, polish windows, dress tires, and remove all break dust from the rims.
        2)Check the gas tank to ensure the customer has enough gas to drive around on.
        3)Check the weather: If it’s cold outside, start the car a few minutes early so it’s nice and warm for the customer. If it’s warm, it’s a good  idea to get the air going so it’s nice and cool for the customer.
18.) Make sure all auction writing and/or other dealership emblems are removed from the vehicle.
19.) Educate your sales department about the variety of services your service department offers. Pull in customers for the long haul by showing them the many ways you can service them and their vehicle.
20.) Put a referral rewards program in place so when people refer friends or family members to your dealership that purchase vehicles, you can send them a gift card towards a service (or offer them a free service).

Sincerely,
Steve Marble

Well we got back from Florida's Annual Mobile Tech Expo: The Largest Mobile Tech Expo in the nation.  I have gone the past two years and again, I come back impressed.  I'm so excited the mobile industry is promoting cleaner environmental practices.  One of the coolest things I saw at the expo was an EPA approved tent.  This would give mobile techs the freedom to work on more lots and worry less about emissions.  

We have implemented several innovative products, but one of my favorites is what we use as part of our decontamination service.  The product is 100% EPA certified organic and it rids your vehicle of germs and bacteria.  For more information, stop by our new location: 585 Tallmadge Ave, Akron, OH 44310.  You can also call Tom (330)252-9011 with any questions about this service - or any of our other services.  

It's that time of year where fender benders just seem to be inevitable.  We are typically a fraction of the cost of a body shop.  Drive carefully!!

Sincerely,

Steve Marble

P.S. ...Just to rub it in:

 This is Florida in January

This is Ohio in January

Have a great week everybody!

If you're cleaning your wheels with a rim cleaner, I recommend you you clean them when it's cool and neutralize the cleaner with water.  Do not use wheel acid on non-clear-coated aluminum or it will create a milky film over the wheel.  

Do you have chrome rims?  If you wish to keep them on for the winter, it's a good practice to coat your chrome with WD-40 to protect them from harsh winter elements.  

-Steve Marble, Founder 


Click the image for Do It Yourself Tech Tip: Rust Prevention

If you're cleaning your wheels with a rim cleaner, I recommend you you clean them when it's cool and neutralize the cleaner with water.  Do not use wheel acid on non-clear-coated aluminum or it will create a milky film over the wheel.  

Do you have chrome rims?  If you wish to keep them on for the winter, it's a good practice to coat your chrome with WD-40 to protect them from harsh winter elements.  

-Steve Marble, Founder 


Click the image for Do It Yourself Tech Tip: Rust Prevention

As you well know we are running a winter special to help protect your vehicle from the winter elements.  I also wanted to let you all know there are steps you can take to help prevent rust, UG processes aside.  Take some wheel bearing grease and apply a small amount with a rubber glove to the bottom of your doors, under the edge of your hood, bottom of tailgates, and all pinch welds.  You will want to wipe away any excess grease with a paper towel.  This will help keep the rust away from your vehicle, saving you money down the road and help keep your vehicle looking new year after year.

-Steve Marble, Founder

Click the image below for information about our Winter Protection Package:

COLUMBUS, OH:  
The GOODGUYS CAR SHOW was better than we ever anticipated.  If you've never been to a car show of this capacity, we highly recommend it.  The craftsmanship on the custom vehicles was (and still is) truly amazing.  It also felt great to be surrounded by so much blue: Ultragloss Blue!!  
We met people from across the country.  We shared stories, rides, drinks, and laughs.  Between our booths, our vehicle count, and all the people interested in Ultragloss it was loads of fun; but exhausting at the same time.  We're happy to be home!

Click the image for more pictures from GOODGUYS

AKRON, OH:
We have two new franchisees on board and since Tuesday July 12th, TRAINING has been in SESSION.  Greg Todd and Anthony Lopane have completed their Learning Management coursework and have moved on to our 12 day hands-on BOOT CAMP.  If you think you have what it takes to be an Ultragloss franchisee, click here.  If you'd like you could also watch our informative franchise video or if you prefer to read about our opportunity click here.  

WE HOPE YOU'RE ENJOYING YOUR SUMMERS!!

Sincerely,
The ULTRAGLOSS Family

Our Affordable Franchise video is now available!

We are pleased to announce our new business opportunity, an affordable franchise!  Our well-established system has been independently tested and proven to be an affordable solution for automotive dealerships.  To learn more about our franchise opportunity click the franchise button on our navigation menu. 

In addition to our new franchise opportunity we also have some upcoming events.  If you would like to come see what we are all about click here and check out our events schedule.

 

June 4, 2011: Align the NineMetal Festival 2011

                Ultragloss is a proud sponsor of the local music scene! This is an amazing bill, featuring some of our all time favorite local acts such as NDE, Hate Theory, and Ethyl’s Bong!  For more information onthis event click here.

 

June 11-12, 2011: Super Summit2011

                We will be hanging out and checking out the deals, cars, and more. It’s a great family event and for more information click here.

 

July 8-10, 2011: 14^THGoodguys National

                Taking place in Columbus, Ohio we will have an indoor booth.  For more information on this event click here. 

 

We hope to see you guys soon!