Autobytel’s Quality Advantage Program Launches: Only Program with ‘Incremental Sales Only’ Policy

ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Autobytel Inc. ABTL today announced that its new Quality Advantage Program, launched today at the 2010 NADA Convention and Expo, introduces an industry first: an “Incremental Sales Only” policy, designed specifically to eliminate the industry-wide problem of duplicate leads for dealerships and to ensure that each lead an Autobytel member dealer receives is incremental, even if it means returning an Autobytel lead in favor of a competitor’s lead.

“Quality Advantage raises the bar in our industry by offering a firm policy designed to ensure incremental sales and remove the headache and resource drain that duplicate leads can cause, regardless of the provider,” said Autobytel COO Mark Garms. “Nine out of ten dealers say that third-party leads are a critical part of their business generation -- but the same percentage rank better de-duplication of leads as an improvement they would like to see from their third-party providers. Autobytel has listened. And Quality Advantage delivers.”

According to Autobytel analysis, 11% of online leads sent to dealers are customers the dealer has already received in the previous 30 days. Quality Advantage is designed to drop that percentage to zero.

Available at no extra cost as part of the overall Autobytel new car program, Quality Advantage provides real-time lead duplicate identification (for all incoming leads – including the dealership’s own website) and stress-free lead return through an easy-to-use online tool. And, unlike other industry providers who provide only a seven-day window for lead return and credit, member dealers can return Autobytel leads anytime within the month and as far out as three days past the end of the month in which the lead was delivered. Autobytel leads can be returned for the following reasons: 1) the dealer is unable to contact the consumer, 2) an underage consumer, and 3) the consumer is not in-market.

Additionally, Autobytel takes the reconciliation work out of the dealer’s hands by notifying each source of duplicate leads so that they can be removed from the dealer’s bill without the dealer lifting a finger.

“The company’s commitment to making sure their leads are valid, qualified, and in-market before they reach my dealership is what has contributed to our higher ROI and improved closing ratios for the Internet department,” said Merlin Froyd, Internet Manager of Sunrise Ford in North Hollywood, CA. “Their lead return policy is head and shoulders above any other lead provider and gives us the flexibility to evaluate and return those leads within the month – stress free.”

How Quality Advantage Works

Quality Advantage’s online lead return and de-duplication technology not only enforces Autobytel’s “Incremental Sales Only” policy, but should significantly reduce the amount of time that a dealer or ISM spends reconciling billing, so that he/she can focus on selling cars.

• Autobytel’s Quality Advantage system is automatically alerted as soon as a lead reaches a dealership from any lead source.
• Quality Advantage assesses the lead and, if it is a duplicate, notifies the source with a request to remove the lead from the dealer’s bill.
• Autobytel notifies the dealership of the leads which are duplicates.
• The lead that “clocks in” first is considered the valid lead.

Quality Advantage - in combination with the company’s just announced iControl and Email Manger Deluxe programs - is part of Autobytel’s mission to create a new standard for third-party leads that 1. Provides dealers with greater control and 2. Enables the best of its value-added programs and lead treatments to apply to all online leads, at no extra cost, regardless of source.

About Autobytel

Autobytel Inc. ABTL, a leading automotive marketing services company, pioneered the automotive Internet when it launched Autobytel.com in 1995. Since then, the company has helped tens of millions of automotive consumers research vehicles; connected thousands of dealers nationwide with motivated car buyers, and helped every major automaker market its brand online. Today, through its flagship website Autobytel.com®, its network of automotive sites including Autoweb.com®, AutoSite.com®, Car.com^sm, CarSmart.com®, CarTV.com®, and MyRide.com,® and its respected online partners, Autobytel continues its dedication to innovating the industry’s highest quality Internet programs to provide consumers with a comprehensive and positive automotive research and purchasing experience, and auto dealers, dealer groups and auto manufacturers with one of the industry’s most productive and cost-effective customer referral and marketing programs.