Important CarCareONE phone numbers:

Transcription

1 Important CarCareONE phone numbers: Help with questions and Dealer Center of Excellance terminal processing (terminal hook-ups, POS materials,etc.) Customer billing questions Customer Inquiry Center Credit application, application Credit Processing reconsideration, or credit line increase questions Visit our website at GE Money Bank. All rights reserved. Printed in USA. CarCareONE is a service mark of GE Money Bank. Cust-B Rev. 4/05

2 (For Dealer Use Only) CarCareONE SM Your Roadmap to Success Training Guide Visit our website at GE Consumer Finance Retail Sales Finance

3 Before You Get Started Look at the enclosed video! Before reading this booklet, take a few minutes to watch the CarCareONE SM videotape inside your CarCareONE SM dealer implementation kit or call for the most recent copy. Thanks! Who will benefit from this program: The CarCareONE video and this self study booklet are designed for Automotive Aftermarket professionals, such as: Business owners General managers Service managers Service writers Cashiers Auto body shop managers Ancillary products managers Parts managers Technicians Anyone that has customer contact Get started with the CarCareONE program... and map out your own route to success!

4 Table of Contents At the starting line The value of offering credit to ALL your customers km/h Get revved up! CarCareONE: Fully loaded with features for YOU! 3 Fine-tune your performance and profits! 4 ways CarCareONE helps you and your automotive business! 4 Get it in gear You don't have to be a salesperson to sell CarCareONE! 6 Take a closer look The features and benefits of the CarCareONE card 7 GREAT START Get off to a great start Opportunities for you to introduce CarCareONE 10 Steering clear of obstacles How to overcome customer objections 13 Winning tips! How to get MORE approved applications 15 Road-tested approaches How to promote your CarCareONE program 16 Ask the pros Answers to common questions about CarCareONE 17! Off to the races! Marketing/Special Features of the program... 17

5 At the starting line Credit cards are the engine that drives consumer buying power! Just about every shopper has at least one credit card. Most consumers would consider credit cards to be standard equipment in their wallet or purse! These shoppers have come to appreciate the benefits of using credit cards for their purchases for these reasons: Safer than paying with cash. More convenient than paying by check. Low monthly payments. Availability of special financing terms such as No Interest if Paid Within 90 Days. Now your Automotive Business can experience the power of its own private label credit card! For all the reasons listed above, many retailers now offer their customers the convenience of financing with extended payment options such as No Interest if Paid Within 90 Days. The power of a private label credit card works for home furnishings and electronics retailers... and now it can work for YOUR business! Now you can offer your customers what they want... a credit card with promotional financing for their auto repairs and product purchases... thanks to the CarCareONE SM private label credit card! Here s your roadmap to success! Think of this booklet as your owners manual a guide to all the features and benefits of the CarCareONE private label credit card program. You ll find helpful hints so you can maximize sales performance... without working up a sweat! This guide is written as a training tool. It s designed to help you become familiar with the CarCareONE credit card marketing program, and help you sell the card to your customers. You can use this guide for individual study... or for group discussion and training. However... before reading this booklet, take a look at the videotape you received in your start-up kit. Then, fasten your seatbelt and get ready to boost your sales and profits with CarCareONE! 2

6 km/h Get revved up! CarCareONE: Fully loaded with features for YOU! As a Service Professional, you must meet the expectations of two audiences: Your business relies on you to generate service customers. That s a vital component of your business s overall profitability. Your customers expect you to provide good advice and excellent service. With CarCareONE, you can easily do BOTH! Think of the CarCareONE card as a tool you can use to... Boost your profits! Turbocharge your average ticket sales! Rev up repeat business! Polish your customer service! km/h

7 Fine-tune your performance and profits! Four ways CarCareONE helps you and your business! 1. Boost your profits! CarCareONE costs your business LESS per transaction than VISA or MasterCard or any other type of card. Many bankcards charge on average about 2% on every sale processed. With CarCareONE, you pay lower transaction costs... which INCREASES PROFITABILITY! You have 4 transaction types to choose from: CarCareONE 25-Day Non-Promotional Purchase CarCareONE 90 Days No Interest if Paid Within 90 Days CarCareONE 6 Months No Interest if Paid Within 6 Months CarCareONE 12 Months No Interest if Paid Within 12 Months Refer to your CarCareONE pricing sheet for current pricing. See how much lower CarCareONE transaction costs are! 2. Turbocharge your average ticket sales! CarCareONE generates higher average ticket sales vs. VISA or MasterCard. The CarCareONE card average ticket sale is 290% higher than bankcards. Average first purchase on CarCareONE card: $464! Eliminates customer worries about going over the credit limit on their existing bankcard. With CarCareONE, customers don t have to defer important car maintenance or repairs. 4

8 3. Rev up repeat sales! CarCareONE generates customer loyalty and repeat sales. Your business name is on the card customers will come to YOU first for their car care needs. Repeat sales represent over 50% of total card sales. (And it s a whole lot easier and more profitable to get repeat business than to have to attract NEW customers all the time!) You gain the ability to communicate directly with CarCareONE cardholders you can get a mailing list periodically that makes it easy for you to mail advance notices about upcoming sales and specials, new products, special finance offers... or send letters to thank customers for their loyalty! 4. Polish your customer service! Your customers will appreciate the benefits of carrying the CarCareONE card: Emergency Roadside Assistance at no cost for one year. Safer than paying by cash no worries about not having enough money to pay for parts or repairs. More convenient than paying by check. Low monthly payments. Availability of No Interest if Paid Within 90 Days and other long-term financing options. No annual fee. Frees up their existing bankcards for other purchases. Easier bookkeeping all auto repair and automotive related purchases on one account. Convenience of taking care of all car needs at once no need to delay or defer repairs or maintenance due to lack of cash or existing bankcard limits. Accepted at over 10,000 auto service/product locations nationwide. 5

9 Get it in gear... You don t have to be a sales person to sell the benefits of CarCareONE! If your job title is something other than salesperson, you may think that you have little opportunity to introduce customers to the benefits of the CarCareONE private label credit card. However, you might not realize that ANYONE who comes in contact with customers is involved in the selling process! The way you deal with people... the impression you make... and the kind of customer service you provide are all part of the sales process. Many of us have the impression that selling has to do with forcing people to buy things they may not want. Just the opposite is true! Selling is actually finding out what your customers need and want... and then informing them of how your products and services like CarCareONE meet those needs. It s an easy two-step process: 1. Understand the features of CarCareONE. 2. Explain those features as benefits to the customer. To help you with this process, on the next pages you ll find a list of the features of the CarCareONE program... and how your customers will benefit from these features. 6

10 Take a closer look... How to translate features of the CarCareONE card into benefits for your customer! As you consider the reasons why your customers should carry the CarCareONE card, put yourself in your customer s shoes and think: Why would I want a CarCareONE card? Customers aren t so much interested in the features of the card; they re interested in benefits: Saving money... saving time... convenience... peaceof-mind. In other words, your customers want to know, What will the CarCareONE card do for ME? This chart will help you sell the benefits of the CarCareONE to your customers... Features No Interest if Paid Within 90 Days on purchases over $150 (minimum payment required) No Interest if Paid Within 6 Months (on qualifying purchases; minimum monthly payment required) No Interest if Paid Within 12 Months (on qualifying purchases; minimum monthly payment required) Benefits Ideal for large or unexpected purchases gives customers extra time to pay, and saves them money. No finance charge if paid within 90 days as long as minimum monthly payments are made on time. This feature encourages customers to buy needed largerticket repairs and get a complete job done (such as engine or transmission rebuilds) without concern about not having enough cash on hand or maxing out their existing bankcard. Customers can also realize dream purchases such as sunroofs, stereo upgrades, sophisticated electronics, and other after market large-ticket purchases that ultimately enhance their driving enjoyment. There is no finance charge if paid within the promotional period; minimum monthly payments are required. 7

11 Take a closer look... (continued) Features Benefits Low minimum monthly payments Additional line of credit Allows customers to budget for large or unexpected expenses. Payments are as low as $10 a month or 5% of the unpaid balance, whichever is greater. Payments are required during any promotional period. Offers customers additional buying power keeps the existing line of credit on their bankcards available for other purchases. Money management tool Because CarCareONE is exclusive for automotive repairs and parts purchases, it s easier for customers to keep records for car-related expenses. No annual fee Unlike many bankcards, there are no start-up charges for the CarCareONE card... and no annual fees. Saves customers money. Instant credit available (subject to credit approval) Because it takes only a few minutes to apply, customers save time... and can make purchases immediately. 8

12 Take a closer look... (continued) Features Emergency Roadside Assistance Optional Debt Cancellation Benefits Provides convenience, peace of mind, and saves money. Customers can call a toll-free number 24 hours a day and a tow truck will be dispatched to assist with jump starting, towing, tire changing, out-of-gas and other fluid replacements, and lock-out service at no cost to customers*. Customers must use the 800 number (provided in an insert piece that comes with their CarCareONE card) properly for dispatch and reimbursement. Customers simply sign for the service provided. They do not need to pay upfront and wait to be reimbursed. Customers save breakdown costs, and they don t need to pay for a separate auto club membership. *Service provided at no cost charge for a period of one year from the date your account is opened. Security and peace-of-mind: Protects customers in the event of involuntary loss of income. This optional debt cancellation feature may pay a customer s payments if they die, are off work due to illness/injury, or temporarily lose their job. Nationwide acceptance Exxon/Mobil Usage Accepted at Exxon/Mobil locations for gasoline purchases Peace of mind and convenience: The CarCareONE card is accepted by over 10,000 auto service and product businesses across the country. Pay at the pump functionality is now available for your customers. Now you can use your CarCareONE card for gasoline purchases at over 16,000 Exxon and Mobil locations. 9

13 GREAT START Get off to a great start! How to answer customer questions and concerns about CarCareONE... and make the sale Selling isn t a one-way process where you do all the talking. A good sales professional listens to the customers needs and wants... then points out how CarCareONE can meet those needs and wants, then asks for the sale. You will want to adopt a proactive approach with EVERY customer May I put that on your CarCareONE card? Here are some examples of sales opportunities you may encounter... and road-tested approaches on how you can turn them into sales that satisfy customer needs and wants: Opportunity Features to Emphasize Benefit/Sale Customer indicates they will be paying for repairs with a VISA, MasterCard or some other type of card. You have informed the customer that there are additional repairs that should be done. The customer states they don t have the cash or credit to pay for them, and they want you to do only the minimum amount of work. The customer who has a lot of pride in his/her car, brings it in regularly for maintenance, and is willing to spend money to keep it looking good and running well. No Interest if Paid Within 90 Days Emergency Roadside Assistance GREAT Additional line of credit No Interest if Paid Within 90 Days No Interest if Paid Within 6 or 12 Months Promotion START Would you be interested in hearing about a way of paying that can save you money? We re now offering the CarCareONE card that allows you to spread your payments out over 90 days at no extra cost and no interest. What s more, our CarCareONE card offers roadside assistance. You don t get No Interest if Paid Within 90 Days and roadside assistance with your VISA/MasterCard, do you? You know, with our CarCareONE program, you can have all your work done now, and spread the cost over 90 days (or 6 or 12 months, if you choose to offer to the customer), at no additional cost. We ve started offering the CarCareONE card to valued customers like you. It gives you a special account just for your car. It has some convenient financing options and other special features I think you ll find useful. I d like to take a minute to tell you about it. 10

14 Opportunity Features to Emphasize Benefit/Sale The customer has brought his/her car in for maintenance or repairs prior to going on vacation. Customer always pays cash AND/OR has stated an objection to high-interest credit cards. Roadside Assistance Nationwide Acceptance Additional line of credit No Interest if Paid Within 90 Days No Interest if Paid Within 6 Months No Interest if Paid Within 12 Months Exxon/Mobil Usage No annual fee No Interest if Paid Within 90 Days Emergency Roadside Assitance There s nothing like a breakdown or emergency repairs to ruin a vacation. Our CarCareONE card provides emergency roadside service and it is accepted at over 8,000 places nationwide. You will need to fill up with gas, why not keep all gas purchases on one card? If you re like most people, you use your VISA or MasterCard for motels, gas, and other vacation expenses. The last thing you want to do is to use your bankcard for unexpected repairs or emergencies. With CarCareONE, you ll have a separate line of credit just for your car, with special financing options that will save you money. Our CarCareONE card allows you to spread your payments out over 90 days with no finance charge or annual fee. Plus you get Emergency Roadside Assistance at no cost for one year. The customer s car is for a son or daughter to use while away at college. Emergency Roadside Assistance Nationwide acceptance No Interest if Paid Within 90 Days Exxon/Mobil Usage If you re like most families, college is a major expense and requires careful budgeting. There often isn t much room for unexpected expenses. Our CarCareONE card provides flexible financing options, usage at Exxon/Mobil gas purchases and Emergency Roadside Assistance to protect your family members when they are away from home. Customer uses his/her car for business trips. No Interest if Paid Within 90 Days Emergency Roadside Assistance Nationwide Acceptance As you know, it s important to be able to rely on your car while traveling on business. You sure don t want roadside emergencies or unexpected repairs to interfere with an important meeting or sales call. Our CarCareONE card includes Emergency Roadside Assistance and is accepted at over 8,000 locations nationwide. Plus it offers several convenient payment options. 11

15 Put it to the test... Think of other opportunities for introducing the CarCareONE card to customers! You ve just read some possible situations that lend themselves to telling your customers about CarCareONE. There are many other great opportunities for you to use the feature/benefit approach to selling CarCareONE! Use the space below to record at least ONE other opportunity, using the feature/benefit approach. Opportunity Features to Emphasize Benefit/Sale 12

16 Steering clear of obstacles... How to overcome customer objections... and answer their needs with CarCareONE! Despite your best sales efforts, customers will sometimes raise objections. Often, these objections are based on a lack of understanding of the product or service. One road-tested technique for overcoming objections is Feel-Felt-Found. Here s an example of how it works: Customer: The interest rate on that card is too high. You: I understand how you feel. I had another customer the other day who felt the same way. However, after I pointed out there is no interest charge if the balance is paid within 25 days, they found that it might be convenient to have the CarCareONE card. Here are some more objections you may encounter... along with features you might use to overcome those objections. Customer Objections I don t need another credit card. I don t have time to fill out an application and wait for it to be approved. The interest rate is too high. Features No Interest if Paid Within 90 Days Separate line of credit for your car Emergency Roadside Assistance at no cost for one year. No annual fee Exxon/Mobil Usage Apply online at Very brief application Takes 2 minutes to complete about 20 seconds for approval 90 Days No Interest if Paid Within 90 Days No annual fee No Interest if Paid Within 6 Months. (if your business chooses to offer) No Interest if Paid Within 12 Months. (if your business chooses to offer) I always pay cash. My car is new and under warranty. I don t expect to pay for any repairs. Emergency Roadside Assistance at no cost for one year. Separate line of credit for your car for keeping track of your expenses. Emergency Roadside Assistance at no cost for one year. CarCareONE card can be used for ANY vehicles the customer owns. Exxon/Mobil usage is a great benefit because you ll need fuel wherever you go and they have over 15,000 participating locations. 13

17 Put it to the test... Think of ways YOU can overcome objections! Put what you ve just learned about overcoming customer objections to the test! First, write an objection you might expect to hear from a customer when you offer CarCareONE: Objection: Now, using the Feel-Felt-Found approach, complete the following sections to help you overcome that objection: Feel: Felt: Found: 14

18 Winning tips! Proven ways to boost the number of approved applications! The CarCareONE card program is a winner for you... and your customers! Here are some hot tips to increase your dealership s application approval rate: Display POP material. When you enroll in CarCareONE you are provided with attractive, attention getting point-of-purchase signs and materials. Display these prominently at all customer point-of-contact locations. Offer the card to ALL customers. Don t limit your approach to customers based on their appearance, type of car, or typical repair bill. Be especially alert for customers who are paying with a major credit card. You ll want to convert these customers to your CarCareONE program because it provides them with more value... and boosts the overall profitability of your business. Timing is everything. Don t wait until the customer is paying the bill. Offer the card early in the sales process. That makes it easier for you to explain the benefits to the customer, as well having an excellent opportunity to sell the customer up to all the service and/or products they need and want. Neatness and completeness counts. Make sure the application can be easily read, and that all information is complete. Some credit-worthy applicants are rejected simply because of incorrect or incomplete information on the application. A few seconds of your time reviewing the application can speed up the approval process and significantly increase chances for approval. Be sure to double-check: Proper name and spelling Correct address and spelling Full and correct Social Security number and date of birth Don t use CarCareONE as a last chance finance opportunity. Many dealers report approval rates of over 60% if offered to ALL customers. Consider suggesting a co-applicant. If a customer has a poor credit rating or no credit at all, suggest that a family member or friend also sign the application. Want a proven formula for success? More applications = More approvals! 15

19 Road-tested approaches... Winning ways to let customers know about your CarCareONE card program! Promotional materials. To help you promote CarCareONE to your customers, GE Consumer Finance provides a complete package of pointof-sale merchandising supplies such as signage, take one brochures, etc. These materials should be your initial and primary mode of promoting CarCareONE in all customer point-of-contact areas of each location. By mail. Consider mailing a letter to your service customers, announcing your CarCareONE program. You ll want to tell your customers the benefits save money, gain security, peace-of-mind, and make it easier to keep their cars running well and looking great thanks to these CarCareONE card features: No Interest If Paid Within 90 Days, Emergency Roadside Service at no cost for one year and nationwide acceptance. Let them know how easy it is to apply or refer them to for credit approval. 16 One proven way to generate traffic: a discount coupon for $XX off any repair, and/or special pricing on maintenance procedures such as an oil change or tune-up. Then, while the customer is at your location, introduce them to the benefits of CarCareONE. Once your customers acquire a CarCareONE card, you ll want to mail them special offers to generate increased incremental sales. Periodically GE Consumer Finance provides participating locations with a list of all their CarCareONE customers showing each customer s name and address. This list is available free of charge, but must be requested by the dealer in writing; fax requests to GE Consumer Finance at (937) In advertising. For your convenience, CarCareONE ad slicks are available from GE Consumer Finance. These great-looking, attention-getting ads have just about everything you need to successfully promote the CarCareONE program. All you need to do is add your business name, address and phone number, and you ve got a camera-ready ad to take to your local newspaper. It also pays to mention the special finance offers in ALL your regular newspaper ads. You can keep things simple with a line of text such as, Ask about our No Interest if Paid Within 90 Days financing. To help you get the most from your advertising dollars, take a look at the advertising guidelines provided by GE Consumer Finance. Note: GE Consumer Finance does NOT provide co-op advertising or promotional funds to advertise CarCareONE. In person. Nothing substitutes for direct, face-toface selling. Be sure to introduce the CarCareONE program to ALL your customers not just those who appear to be well-heeled nor as a last resort to customers who have no other means to pay. To make in-person selling easier, review this booklet for proven feature/benefit sales techniques starting on page 7... and how to overcome objections on page 13.

20 Ask the pros... Get answers to your questions about CarCareONE! Here are the answers to some common questions about the CarCareONE private label credit card program: How much does it cost a business to participate? Your business pays a network access fee and a minimum discount each month for access to GE Consumer Finance computer network, which allows you to process both applications and transactions. And, merchants pay a per transaction discount which is generally lower than Visa or Master Card discounts. Businesses should consider not only the costs of a CarCareONE program, but also the potential for CarCareONE to increase your business s high margin incremental sales for service, repairs, bodywork, parts and accessories. Your best source of potential CarCareONE credit card customers are customers that may want to pay with another card, such as Visa or MasterCard. These customers are more likely to be approved and will appreciate the value of No Interest if Paid Within 90 Days and Roadside Assistance. CarCareONE has outstanding potential return on every merchant s investment in the program. You ll want to review your program s current pricing sheet for information. Compare your costs for credit against the CarCareONE fixed cost which includes the terminal, supplies, access to our system, and support. What kind of application approval rate can dealers expect for CarCareONE? Credit card application approval rates will vary depending on the characteristics of your business customer base, and more importantly, on how you manage the CarCareONE program. Locations that offer CarCareONE to ALL service customers will maximize their approval rates. However, locations that offer CarCareONE only to those customers who have no other way to pay will have much lower approval rates because these customers generally may be poorer credit risks. GE Card Service s current experience suggests that approval rates of more than 50% will be typical for many dealers... as long as CarCareONE is presented as the card of FIRST choice. What is the consumer interest rate for CarCareONE? CarCareONE has a variable cardholder interest rate that is based on the prime rate. Consult the most recent cardholder terms and conditions for the current rates. This rate is comparable to what consumers typically pay for department store and other retail credit. But remember cardholders pay NO INTEREST when they pay their account balance in full within the promotional period. For instance, this means a cardholder who pays off a No Interest if Paid Within 90 Days purchase made on CarCareONE within 90 days, pays no interest as long he or she makes regular payments... but gains 90 days to decide how to manage his/her finances. Customers appreciate this flexibility, and tend to reward businesses with increased repeat business. 17

21 Ask the pros... (continued) Can CarCareONE be used to finance vehicle service contracts or extended warranties? No. CarCareONE is designed to help automotive bussinesses add value to their repair, service, parts, bodywork, and accessories programs. The card is NOT appropriate for unperformed services like warranties and should not be used for these transactions. Transactions of this kind are not consistent with the dealer agreement for CarCareONE. Dealer agreement violations can result in the cancellation of your program. Neither GE Consumer Finance nor your business wants to have successful CarCareONE programs canceled. You should not use CarCareONE for the sale of ANY warranty programs. Can CarCareONE be used for anything other than automotive service transactions? Yes. The CarCareONE card can be used for major repairs, bodywork, and accessories such as sunroofs, car sound systems, phones, and navigational systems. All are eligible for promotional credit and represent opportunities for dealers to generate incremental sales. How long does it take for customers to get approved for a CarCareONE card? Won t waiting for approvals slow down service transactions? CarCareONE approvals are made very quickly... generally within 20 seconds. In effect, GE Consumer Finance offers instant credit approval. Service customers can get approved before they leave the shop after a morning drop-off, for example. CarCareONE approvals are fast because GE Consumer Finance provides each dealer with a Terminal Application Processing (TAP) terminal to be used at his/her store. TAP terminals allow dealers to enter application information via a keyboard and submit applications directly to GE Consumer Finance. Applications are generally approved in less than 20 seconds on the TAP terminal. As soon as the applicant is approved, the dealer can process the sales transaction on the same TAP terminal, meaning the customer has immediate buying power. The customer will receive a CarCareONE plastic card in approximately ten days after approval. Also, customers can apply online at and receive instant approval. How do I process an application if the TAP terminal is not functioning. Call and you can process an application over the phone using only numeric characters. 18

22 Ask the pros... (continued) What kind of training does GE Card Services provide your business so you can get CarCareONE set up and operate the program successfully? CarCareONE is a complete turnkey program for your business. GE Consumer Finance provides all the materials, including training materials, for you to operate the CarCareONE program successfully. Generally, the CarCareONE start-up package will arrive within two to three weeks after your business s program application is approved. A GE Consumer Finance trainer will call you several days later and provide phone training that will help you set up and operate the program. GE Consumer Finance has had excellent success with phone training. We are fully staffed to provide your business with whatever assistance you need to get the program up and running. Is CarCareONE available for business accounts? No. CarCareONE is designed to provide your business with a value-added selling tool for individual consumers. What happens if a TAP terminal fails? How can a dealer get a new terminal? Terminal issues and all other operating issues are handled by GE Consumer Finance Client Support department in Kettering, Ohio. You can get new terminals by calling GE Consumer Finance Client Support at GE Consumer Finance Client Services is fully staffed to provide all locations with assistance when program operating issues occur. This department currently services over 55,000 merchant locations across the United States. You should also note that GE Consumer Finance retains ownership of all CarCareONE processing terminals. Consequently, terminal replacement does not generate additional costs or charges for your business. Can dealers process VISA/MasterCard transactions on a CarCareONE terminal? Yes. However, processing needs to be done through GE Consumer Finance at the current discount rates shown on your current pricing sheet, if cards are swiped. Businesses that wish to process VISA/MasterCard transactions through another bank will need to have a separate terminal for those transactions at this time. You will want to refer to your program s current pricing sheet for current VISA/MasterCard discounts. 19

23 Ask the pros... (continued) Can a business put its name on the CarCareONE card? Yes. All CarCareONE cards have the name of the issuing business embossed on them. The business name is embossed below the cardholder s name near the lower left edge of the card. What happens to a business when a cardholder doesn t make payments on time, defaults, or files for bankruptcy? Cardholders are responsible to GE Consumer Finance for monthly payments and balances. Participating locations are NOT held responsible by GE Consumer Finance if cardholders fail to make payments in a timely fashion. CarCareONE is a nonrecourse program. What credit limits do cardholders have, and how are they determined? Cardholders are assigned credit limits by GE Consumer Finance based on credit scoring models. These models include consideration of credit bureau scores and the customer s demonstrated ability to pay on time. Credit limits for CarCareONE may range from $300 to $2,500 depending on a customer s creditworthiness. Credit limits above $2,500 can be considered by calling GE Consumer Finance at How long will it take for the CarCareONE program to get set up after an application is submitted? Generally, locations have their CarCareONE program up and running within three (3) weeks after they send in their CarCareONE merchant application. How long does it take for customers to get their credit cards once they are approved? Can customers make purchases before they get their cards? Customers will generally receive their cards within ten days after being approved for a CarCareONE account. However, a customer may make initial purchases on his/her CarCareONE account as soon as he/she is approved, even though he/she has not yet received a card. This means that businesses can process transactions as soon as a customer is approved for CarCareONE. Remember, an approvals take less than 20 seconds because they are processed on the CarCareONE TAP terminal. Subsequent purchases after the initial sale require the card to be swiped just like any other credit card purchase. 20

24 Ask the pros... (continued) What should a location do when a CarCareONE card applicant is declined? Won t the applicant be angry with the business? Customers who are not approved immediately should be told, GE Consumer Finance cannot process your application at this time and inform them that GE Consumer Finance will notify you of its decision by mail within two weeks. This avoids a negative situation for the location s service staff and diverts customer negatives from the business. Remember that consumers are often knowledgeable about their credit status. Those with poor records will not be surprised by being declined and will appreciate the business s attempt to get them approved. You will want to refer to page 15 of this booklet to review proven tips for increasing approved credit applications. You ll also want to review the CarCareONE video that deals with this issue. What kind of reporting can my business location receive? Your location will receive a detailed monthly transaction statement, showing detail of all transactions and fees. Additionally, you can view your detailed month-to-date and year-todate application, approval rate, sales and average ticket statistics online. You can view this information 24/7 online at Click on Existing Dealer Services Sign In. You will need your merchant number, zip code and tax identification number to sign on. Should locations send mailings to their customers about CarCareONE and encourage them to apply? Will GE Consumer Finance pay for these mailings? Mailing CarCareONE information to current customers is a viable way for locations to generate awareness of their business and CarCareONE. GE Consumer Finance recommends that CarCareONE oriented mailings be focused on service prospects and include a special discount to maximize the potential for CarCareONE to generate incremental sales. GE Consumer Finance provides a complete package of point-of-sale merchandising supplies such as signage, take one brochures, etc. These materials should be a location s initial and primary mode of promoting CarCareONE in the service area of each location. GE Consumer Finance provides CarCareONE advertising guidelines and ready-to-use ad slicks for use in dealer advertising. GE Consumer Finance does NOT provide co-op advertising or promotional funds for businesses. 21

25 Off to the races! Top Guns The Top Guns program a great way in give incentives to your employees to offer the CarCareONE card to every customer. In 2001, we created the CarCareONE Top Guns program, which offers qualified merchant locations incentives and prizes for their employees for offering the CarCareONE card to your customers. How does your location qualify to become a Top Gun? It s simple. Qualification is based on previous year sales volume. We set a monthly sales minimum that you must meet or exceed to qualify. If you joined the program later in the year, we only look at the monthly sales for the months after you joined the CarCareONE program. Top Guns Elite Club The CarCareONE program also offers the Top Guns Elite Club. In order to take advantage of the special benefits of being a Top Gun Elite member, you must also qualify based on previous year s sales. The sales threshold to be an Elite member is set higher than the normal Top Gun threshold. What are the extra benefits? We will offer you special pricing on specific promotions, fee waivers and chances to win extra prizes and incentives. Exxon Mobil Another great benefit of the CarCareONE program you can inform your customers about is the pay at the pump utility at any Exxon Mobil location. That s right your customers can also use their CarCareONE card at any of the 16,000 Exxon or Mobil locations across the country for gasoline purchases. To find the nearest Exxon or Mobil location, visit their website Click on Products and Services from the menu bar at the top. Under the Consumer tab, click on Service Station Locator. Roadside Assistance Every one of your customers who have a CarCareONE card in their wallet, also get the peace of mind of Roadside Assistance at no cost for a period of one year from the date the account is opened. There is no limit as to how many times they can use it. The program covers jump-starting, towing up to 10 miles, flat tire change of an inflated spare, lockout service and fluid replacement. All they need to do is call the number provided when they receive their card and the nearest provider will be dispatched to their location. 22

26 23 Notes...