American Suzuki Selects Retention Performance Marketing as an Endorsed Vendor

IRVINE, Calif.--Retention Performance Marketing (RPM), a division of CallCommand and a leading provider of customer retention tools to the automotive industry, today announced that it has been selected by American Suzuki Motor Corporation as an endorsed Service and Parts marketing vendor. According to industry research statistics, only 14% of car buyers return to become repeat buyers. RPM will help American Suzuki automobile dealers drive customers back into their dealerships for regular service maintenance, and create repeat buyers.

RPM’s Customer Relationship Management system integrates advanced customer segmentation with personalized direct marketing campaigns that enable automotive dealers to build customer loyalty and increase revenue. In this way Suzuki Automotive dealers can deploy highly-targeted service reminders and other marketing communications across multiple channels including e-mail, telephone, personalized web sites and print media.

“RPM helps dealers retain customers through the lifecycle to the point of repurchase. If Suzuki dealers turn their buyers into service customers, just by regularly communicating with the customer and letting them know the service department is there, NADA statistics show that 76 percent of these customers are likely to repurchase from the dealership,” commented Marvin Grimm, Executive Vice President and General Manager for RPM.

Based on information extracted from the dealership’s database, including the customer’s name, address, phone number, e-mail address, frequency of purchases from the dealership and service history, RPM assists service departments to deliver a custom-tailored service reminder and retention message to customers in accordance with the vehicle’s maintenance book.

The unique advantage is that contact is made via phone, e-mail and/or direct mail; staying true to each customer’s communication preference.

RPM also offers a personal Web page for customers. This Web page is automatically created for the consumer and requires no work other than entering in their unique username and password. A user name and password is automatically generated for them and they can access their personal Web page from any computer. On their customized Web page, customers can view their vehicle’s service history, the next recommended maintenance service, check for valuable discounts or promotions, and even request a service appointment, all online.

Sloane Automotive Group, which has seven dealerships selling more than 12,000 vehicles a year, has experienced a high average return on investment, where for every $1 they spend on a service reminder, they are earning $32 in return.

“It is a testimony to how well our technology works in the market place that American Suzuki has chosen to trust us with their dealers and join the eight other OEMs that currently utilize our services to deliver the right message to their customers at the right time and through the right channel,” commented Grimm, “We look forward to improving Suzuki dealers’ customer retention and fixed ops revenue as well as helping them sell more vehicles,” Grimm added.

For more information call 1.800.974.4469 or email mgrimm@CallCommand.com.

About CallCommand:

CallCommand is a leading provider of integrated and automated, personalized communications designed to stream line work-flow, reduce marketing expense and generate superior customer response. Focusing on the delivery of the right message, at the right time, and through the right channel, CallCommand has rapidly expanded its market penetration by helping its clients to realize significant improvements in loyalty and retention, frequency of visit and overall profitability.

In 2007 the Company will deliver over 70 million personalized communications on behalf of over 4,000 clients throughout North America.

CallCommand’s proven, web-based LifeCycle Management Solutions enable customers to leverage the power of their voice through a multitude of channels, including voice messaging, mobile messaging, e-mail marketing, live call center services, direct mail and a variety of two-way communication streams. By providing a seamless solution for communication from shop to buy to service and repurchase, CallCommand offers the opportunity to coordinate a unified message to customers. This approach paired with custom automation of timely, relevant and consistent communications has led to significant reductions in marketing expense and even greater improvements in the customer experience.

About RPM:

RPM, powered by CallCommand, is a customer relationship management system that integrates advanced customer segmentation with personalized direct marketing campaigns that enable automotive dealers to build customer loyalty and increase revenue. Customers can deploy highly-targeted service reminders and other marketing communications across multiple channels including e-mail, telephone, personalized web sites and print media. RPM makes it easy to target the right customers with the right message, at the right time, using the most effective media. RPM currently services dealers from most major manufacturers and is recognized as either an approved vendor or a co-op approved partner with nine OEMs. For more information call 1.800.974.4469 or email mgrimm@CallCommand.com.

About Suzuki:

The Brea, Calif.-based Automotive Operations of American Suzuki Motor Corporation was founded in 1985 by parent company Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC) and currently markets its vehicles in the United States through a network of more than 500 automotive dealerships in 49 states. Based in Hamamatsu, Japan, SMC is a diversified worldwide automobile, motorcycle and outboard motor manufacturer with sales of more than two million new automobiles annually. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, SMC has operations in 187 countries. For more information, visit www.media.suzukiauto.com.