IAS News and Press
The Blue View
Apr 15, 2002
Chief Walter A. Kimble : Rockaway Township Police Department
Over the past few months, I've read with dismay several accounts of dealership sales representatives becoming crime victims while on a test drive.
A few simple precautions may help to provide an additional safety envelope for your salespeople.
- Ensure the prospective buyer has a valid driver's license and make a copy of it prior to the test drive.
- Have a specific route where test drives are taken. If a vehicle and occupants are overdue, police have a starting point to begin an investigation.
- It is a good idea for the sales associate to have a cell phone in their possession during the test ride.
- Ensure that sales persons know the location of a police station or other area they can drive to in an emergency.
- A sales associate should record which particular car is being taken out (such as make, model, color) as well as the tag number. This is especially important when large quantities of used vehicles are stocked.
- Sales persons should not carry large quantities of cash while on a test drive. There is no reason to present yourself as an attractive target.
- In accordance with company policy, it may be recommended for sales people to carry a chemical defense spray.
- Sales associates should keep track of each other using an informal "buddy" system.
About IAS
Innovative Aftermarket Systems (IAS) is the leading provider of F&I aftermarket programs to automotive dealerships. IAS offers a variety of products including, GAP, Invisible Phantom Footprints, Theft Avert, Super Polysteel, The Preferred Advantage, R.O.A.D. InTire, among others. Additionally, IAS' flagship software suite, SmartDealerProducts, provides revolutionary F&I software solutions for dealerships and their customers. IAS' training department, SmartDealerUniversity, provides ongoing training and feedback to ensure continued penetration, ethical presentations and increased profits for IAS dealership customers. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, IAS has hundreds of certified agents throughout the United States and provides technology solutions and aftermarket products for many of the top-100 dealer groups. For more information, please visit www.iasdirect.com.