Praise
"In his new book, Mark Ragsdale calls car dealers the 'Forgotten Man' in today's economy. As someone who has been working with car dealers for years, I second that sentiment. In his great new book,
Car Wreck, Mark sheds some light on why dealers must run their businesses the way they do. The reality is, dealers are often just as frustrated by automakers as consumers are. Mark, who knows the ropes as well as anyone, provides an honest look at what has befallen this industry, the role dealers have played, and what both dealers and consumers can do to reform it.
Car Wreck is a great look at a massive industry and all of the different entities—dealers, banks, car companies, consumers, etc.—who play a role in keeping it afloat."
~ Bill Flinkow
Former 20 Group Director, National Automobile Dealers Association
"In the course of my career, I've spent a great deal of time trying to find the most effective ways to get consumers to buy cars and continue to analyze the industry's efforts today. Mark Ragsdale's great book is the first I have read that has been written by somebody who has lived rather than observed the dealer business. He offers a clear and fresh perspective, which shows how the interdependency of the industry really impacts the consumer. The industry is at a crossroads and should not waste this opportunity to undertake significant, sustainable change. Mark's book should be read by anyone in the industry. More importantly, it is a 'must-read' for anyone about to enter a dealer showroom."
~ Ian Beavis
Executive Vice President, Nielsen IAG Automotive Group
"At the AICCCA, we equip organizations and agencies to help consumers manage their debt and to educate them about making sound financial decisions. It will likely come as no surprise that car financing contributes to substantial amounts of debt for many Americans. And while it is certainly a consumer's responsibility to make smart decisions where his finances are concerned,
Car Wreck makes it all too clear that the auto industry and dealership system are not set up to give their customers the best financial opportunities. Too often they are taken advantage of on trade-in values, convinced to accept high monthly payments, and tripped up by what Ragsdale calls 'car salesman-speak.' A consumer advocate in the making, Ragsdale's intriguing and educational new book exposes an industry that for too long has been taking advantage of those who support it with their hard-earned money."
~ David C. Jones
President, Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies
"At MS Auto Retail, we strive to provide solutions and technologies that will enhance the businesses of car dealers. And while our solutions are some of the most innovative out there, Mark Ragsdale proves with
Car Wreck that sometimes some good old-fashioned experience-based advice can also do the trick."
~ John Reed
Director, Automotive Retail Solutions, Microsoft Corp.
"Like most businesses, the automobile industry is perceived to be very complicated, but it is fundamentally a relationship issue. As Mark so clearly discusses, the relationship in every area, as in the automotive industry, is clearly broken. The relationship between the manufacturer, the dealer, the financial institution, and the consumer are all at risk. Now, we have added into a complex situation, the political influences of the federal government.
All automakers want to build a quality product, bring it to the market at a competitive price, and provide the highest levels of sales and service satisfaction to assure each customer returns to purchase another product. Virtually every executive in the industry strives to achieve these same goals. In reality, building the quality product is the easiest piece of this puzzle. The rest is totally dependent upon the relationships between all of the various entities. This is where Mark has so clearly detailed the challenges the industry faces in today's economic environment. Most will agree that the business side of the auto industry and the customer satisfaction side of the business are too often in conflict. Unfortunately, the financial side of the business can and does severely impact the satisfaction side of the business—be it manufacturer to dealer or dealer to customer. There are simply too many different agendas to easily achieve the final goal of selling more cars and satisfying more customers.
Mark's background, experience, and research are the foundation for many of the opinions in the book. While there are areas in which I do not agree with Mark's assessment, I do agree that the system is broken and needs to be repaired as quickly and as efficiently as possible. I believe that this book may provide the impetus to start multiple conversations that hopefully will lead to constructive dialogue that will ultimately repair the relationships, between all of the participants, that are so critical to the industry. It is an easy and very interesting read and could easily become a part of both the retail and wholesale training programs."
~ Don Pearce
Former Vice President of Service at Kia Motors America
Former Vice President of Parts and Service at American Isuzu Motors Inc.
Thirty-Year Automotive Operations Executive
"Mark Ragsdale possesses in-depth knowledge of the inner workings of the automobile business acquired during his many years as a dealer, trade association leader, and from direct dealings with top-level OEM executives. I had the pleasure of working directly with Mark as part of my Dealer Council responsibilities at Kia Motors America, and found him at all times to be someone of integrity, honesty, and a thoughtful critic of our industry. He is eminently qualified to comment on and advise people inside and outside our industry about how processes and policies may be improved. His book,
Car Wreck, identifies the systemic dysfunction in parts of our industry, and explores how things may be improved."
~ Alex Larkin
Manager of National Franchise Development at Mitsubishi Motors North America
Former Manager of National Dealer Development at Kia Motors America
Former National Dealer Development Manager at American Suzuki Motor Corporation
Former National Dealer Planning and Placement Manager at Hyundai Motor America
"Mark was kind enough to let me see an advance copy of his book. It's a fascinating read on how the financial wise guys in the auto industry, as in the real estate field, have all but destroyed our economy along with what used to be our leading industry. Very interesting and comprehensible analysis of how the economics of buying, leasing, and trade-ins actually work from the dealer's standpoint—vital info to car buyers."
~ Richard Goodkin, Esq.
