As a brand new Internet Coordinator, one of the most daunting elements of my job is knowing the cars and the “car lingo.” I’ve never been very interested in cars in general, even though my father was not only a fantastic mechanic, he trained mechanics all over the SE United States for American Oil Company. I do have a marketing background, and I love helping people, so those aspects of this position are a perfect fit, but I have to work extra hard to learn the facts about the cars our customers are interested in.
In order to help me gather that information and to have it at my fingertips, I am compiling a database of info about the cars we sell. It’s in Excel, and I have a separate page for each type of vehicle. That way when a customer wants to explore SUV options, (or Trucks, Vans, or Cars) I have all those choices in front of me. I have columns for the current MSRP, the MPG, the pros (and some of the options), the cons, and comparable vehicles.
I’m no expert, and I’m finding that, at times, I misunderstand the data and enter it incorrectly, so it’s by no means the end-all and be-all of databases. In fact, if someone else has a great database that’s similar to mine, I’d love to exchange info with you! I can use all the input I can get!
But I am finding that with this information in front of me, when I have a customer that is truly doing research, I can provide much better assistance. I’m also learning the data much more quickly as I enter it into the database. Just the concentration and input I get from going through the research and entry process is helping me become more knowledgeable! It’s all good, and I can’t wait to feel more confident in providing facts for my customers and helping them make good decisions about the vehicles they end up purchasing.
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