Kenny Jakel, General Sales Manager of Lee Johnson Kia, Named Autobytel Dealer of the Month; Dealer o
Kenny Jakel, General Sales Manager of Lee Johnson Kia, Named Autobytel Dealer of the Month; Dealer of the Year Awards Slated for January 2014
Autobytel honors exceptional dealers from a competitive field of thousands of automotive retailers for outstanding Internet lead management and customer service standards.
IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Autobytel Inc. (Nasdaq: ABTL), the company dedicated to helping automotive consumers and dealers connect online, has named Kenny Jakel, General Sales Manager of Lee Johnson Kia in Kirkland, Washington, the Autobytel Dealer of the Month for July 2013.
The company's Dealer Awards Program honors exceptional Autobytel dealers who employ the highest standards in customer service and Internet automotive retail sales and lead management processes. The Autobytel Dealer of the Year Award is slated to be announced at the NADA Convention & Expo in New Orleans in January 2014, with the crowning dealer chosen from this year's pool of monthly winners.
Kenny joins Patti Scipione of M'Lady Nissan, Paul LeRose of Pauly Toyota, Tim Morgan of Radley Acura and Steve Roberts of Crown Motors Redding—who were named the Autobytel Dealers of the Month for March, April, May and June 2013—in that pool of winners.
"Kenny and his team represent an 80-year family-owned business rooted in the core principals of service, respect and providing value to their customers," said Jeffrey Coats, President and CEO of Autobytel Inc. "What's made Lee Johnson Kia so successful is that they've woven these core principals into their Internet lead management processes too. They understand how to build value in both the in-dealership and online sales experience and it shows—among consumers and across the industry."
Each month, Autobytel's sales and dealer operations teams evaluate prospective candidates from a competitive field of thousands of automotive retailers in the Autobytel network, with a monthly winner selected based on key online automotive best practices.
Criteria evaluated for the Autobytel Dealer Awards Program include conversion rates, lead management processes, customer service principles, customer and brand retention analytics and Internet department practices, among others.
"My general thoughts are that in the auto industry, like most businesses, the more things change, the more they stay the same," said Jakel. If you don't make an effort to treat your customers like gold and make the process transparent, it will come back around to bite you in one form or another. Old fashioned tactics like building value in the dealership, the sales experience, and the product will always pay off in the end. We're absolutely thrilled to receive this accolade, and I want to personally thank Autobytel for the recognition."
Lee Johnson Kia, part of the Lee Johnson Auto Family that also includes Mazda and Chevrolet, is located in Kirkland, Washington, northeast of Seattle, and services the Bellevue, Bothell, Kirkland, Medina and Redmond areas.
Named # 1 Dealers' Choice Awards in 2012 by Auto Dealer Monthly, and a finalist of the 2013 DrivingSales Most Valuable Insight Award this April, Autobytel consistently ranks as a top quality Internet lead provider, with the company's internally-generated leads converting at approximately three times the rate of the estimated industry average.
For more information about the Autobytel Dealer Awards Program, or to learn more about the winners as they're announced, visit the "Dealer Corner" at dealer.autobytel.com. Visit www.autobytel.com to learn about the company's leading automotive information, products and services; watch exclusive new car videos, test drives and car reviews at Autobytel's YouTube page; or join the conversation on the Autobytel Facebook Fan Page.
About Autobytel Inc.
Autobytel Inc., an online leader offering consumer purchase requests, or leads, and marketing resources to car dealers and manufacturers and providing consumers with the information they need to purchase new and used cars, pioneered the automotive Internet when it launched its flagship website, www.autobytel.com, in 1995. Autobytel continues to offer innovative products and services to help consumers buy, and auto dealers and manufacturers sell, more used and new cars. Autobytel 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. Through its flagship website, network of automotive sites and respected online affiliates, 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 some of the industry's most productive and cost-effective customer referral and marketing programs.
Investors and other interested parties can receive Autobytel news releases and invitations to special events by accessing the online registration form at investor.autobytel.com/alerts.cfm.
Autobytel Inc. Media Relations
Splash Media
Jennifer Lange
949-916-4820
jlange@getsplashmedia.com
or
Autobytel Inc. Investor Relations
Curtis DeWalt
Chief Financial Officer
949-437-4694
curtisd@autobytel.com
or
PondelWilkinson Inc.
Roger Pondel/Laurie Berman
310-279-5980
investor@pondel.com
KEYWORDS: United States North America California Washington
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