Possibilities - Automotive Consumer Services, Inc. Auto Buying With TBBS

Contact:   eSoft, Inc. (Makers of TBBS)
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AUTOMOTIVE CONSUMER SERVICES, INC. AUTO BUYING WITH TBBS
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*** From August 1992 Possibilities Newsletter ***
*** Copyright 1992 by eSoft, Inc.  All Rights Reserved ***

Automotive Consumer Services, Inc. Auto Buying with TBBS
by Alan Bechtold

Virtually any business can increase its sales by adding a TBBS online system 
to provide a customer service.  Automotive Consumer Services, Inc. is proof.  
Tarry Shebesta and Mark Murry, partners in the innovative new service 
business, have utilized the TBBS online information system to developed an 
effective online extension to their automotive brokerage service that is a
resounding success.

Automotive Consumer Services, Inc. helps consumers find the best possible 
price on new and used cars.  They go through fleet departments or sales 
managers of local dealerships to find their customers the best possible deal 
on a new car and the company's used car brokerage service helps put sellers 
in touch with potential buyers. 

Shebesta is the designer of ACS Online, a TBBS system that acts as an 
extension of Automotive Consumer Service's customer service and sales 
departments.  He gives the system credit for much of his company's success. 

Shebesta said, from the beginning, ACS was conceived as a business with a 
strong emphasis on online services.  "Even before we started ACS, we had a 
vision of some kind of online service or tie-in," he said.  "I was involved 
in online systems before that, so it was always a kind of natural thought." 

Although originally founded as a brokerage service only, ACS has already 
expanded its product offerings, largely because of the ease with which new 
products can be offered via the company's TBBS online system.

For example, ACS customers can now request professional inspection of 
prospective vehicles by certified ACS mechanics, whether the car is one 
located by ACS or by the customer.  The company also now helps its customers 
find financing or lease arrangements.

ACS' most popular new products, especially online, are its New Car Reports 
and Used Car Reports.  Based upon current suggested retail prices, the 
reports let interested buyers research and compare different makes and 
models and choose the best option package for each car.  Customers can 
choose from a list of available reports on ACS' TBBS online information 
system, then elect either to download each report, display it on-screen or 
have it sent via fax.  In either case, ACS also mails a printed copy of each 
report that is ordered.

"The pricing reports are requested by 85% of the nationwide callers we get 
online," Shebesta said. 

Although ACS' automotive purchase programs are also offered online, they 
have been limited to local and regional callers.  But, the success of the 
company's online system is quickly changing Shebesta and Murray's outlook on 
this branch of the business.  Shebesta explained that, while online sales of 
a big-ticket item such as cars takes some time, sales have so far been 
encouraging.

"The system has definitely increased our automotive sales brokerage 
business," he said.  "In fact, the last two purchase deals I worked on came 
right off the system.  We're currently thinking about expanding [the 
company's automotive sales brokerage] nationwide, primarily because of the 
great success of the online system." 

ACS Online's TBBS online information system has also expanded the company's 
reach.  "Right now we have an online customer database in excess of 750," 
Shabesta said.  "I'd say 35% of that is NOT local." 

This rapid growth has hurried Shebesta and Murray's other expansion plans 
exponentially.

"We've put as much of our service as we could online," Shebesta said.  
"We're also just now exploring the aspects and possibilities for online 
ordering of other products and services through our TBBS.  We've just hooked 
up with Markel Distributors and plan soon to offer a wide array of popular 
software titles.  We already offer a broad selection of printer ribbons from 
Printer Ribbon Supply Company."

Some of ACS' latest online offerings might not appear related to the 
automotive business, but they do apply to all of the company's online 
customers, who are always in need of computer software and supplies.

More in character with the company's product line, Shebesta and Murray have 
also added a new online catalog of International Motor Books, featuring 
thousands of titles covering virtually any automobile currently available.  
Their customers can now order any of them right online.  Plans are also 
under way to provide a selection of automotive supplies at wholesale prices. 

"We're also considering expansion of our AutoList, which is online, with the 
addition of a popular local classified magazine's ads, and with placement of 
our caller's online ads in their magazine," Shebesta said.

TBBS was a logical choice for ACS from the very beginning.  "Another local 
system operater had been running TBBS since it was available for Radio Shack 
TRS-80 computers," Shebesta said.  "When he upgraded to TBBS for MS-DOS 
computers, I was so impressed with the software I called his system all the 
time.  I was so used to using TBBS it was the natural choice when I was 
ready to put up a system." 

Shebesta and Murrey started out cautiously, investing first in a single-line 
TBBS package and testing the online portion of their business on an older 
8088-based PC.  In less than one year, however, they've upgraded to a 286 
based PC with a 60 megabyte hard drive.  The system's 2400 baud modems will 
also be upgraded to 9600 baud modems before the end of the year.

"These days, especially when you're participating in echomail conferences 
and mail exchanges, 9600 baud is a necessity," Shabesta said.

Shabesta's earlier experience as a TBBS user was helpful when it came time 
to set up the ACS Online system.  His familiarity with the software from a 
user's point of view and his friendship with the local TBBS system operator 
allowed him to get a lot of the work he needed to do out of the way even 
before his own copy of the software arrived in the mail. 

"I already had a lot of the system's files ready and many of the system's 
menus planned ahead of time," Shebesta said.  "So, when the software 
arrived, my local sysop friend came over and we just brought it right up.  
We were online in one day.  Knowing what I needed ahead of time helped." 

The system's menus were purposefully kept clean and uncluttered, but 
Shebesta did make some interesting use of ANSI graphics to brighten up ACS 
Online's look and feel.  He used the popular shareware program ANSIPAINT, to 
"draw" the graphics portions of his menus first.  Then he imported his saved 
designs into the SDL code that would generate his TBBS system.

Most of ACS Online's information is offered as TBBS Type 20 searchable text 
database files, especially the popular Automotive Recalls information 
option, which tells customers about all recalls on various makes and models 
of cars.

The system's vehicle databases hold all the data that generates ACS Online's 
popular automotive reports.  They are now all offered as TDBS dBase III Plus 
compatible TBBS menu options. 

"Originally we were using just keyword search files for those as well," 
Shebesta said.  "Then my partner, Mark, came along and he knows dBase so he 
proceeded to set up the vehicle databases with TDBS.  It's good to work with 
someone with strengths that match your own weaknesses." 

One thing Shebesta's always liked about TBBS is what he referred to as its 
inherant "workability" -- the ease with which TBBS can be changed and 
updated.

"Since we first went online in 1990, we've made two revisions you could 
refer to as 'face-lifts,'" he said.  "And we plan to do another one as soon 
as we get TBBS 2.2.  We keep refining the system and making it easier for 
our customers to use.  And we have a lot of ideas for things we want to try 
that didn't make it on the menu yet, so there's always something changing." 

ACS Online shares one of its incoming phone lines with a FAX machine.  "We 
use Fax Line Manager, which first checks to see if a call is an incoming FAX 
call," Shebesta explained.  "If it is a FAX call, it then jumps 
automatically to the FAX machine.  If not, it is jumped to the BBS.  The Fax 
Line Manager sells for around $100 and it's definitely cheaper than paying 
for an additional business telephone line."

With so much growth and activity, you'd think the two entrepreneurs would 
have their hands full just keeping the system up and running.  Shebesta 
admits there's always plenty to do, but also credits TBBS with making his 
job easy.

"Basically, we're constantly checking the TBBS Dayfile throughout the day," 
he said.  "We determine what people are doing and generally monitor the 
system.  Mornings are when I usually check for mail and other routine things 
that need to be done for the day."

Many of Shebesta's routine work running the ACS online information system 
has been automated by using TBBS' unique External and Internal Events.

"We have an automatic processor that runs at night and cleans up our 
userlog," Shebesta said.  Basically a batch file activated automatically by 
TBBS at a specified time each day, Shabesta's "processor" archives the 
current Dayfile then runs a program that creates an ASCII text system 
activity report based upon information in the Dayfile.  "It pretty much runs 
itself," Shabesta said.  "There simply isn't that much maintenance to it."

This kind of automation can also be applied to other system features, 
enabling any TBBS System Designer, regardless of his or her level of 
expertise, to bring his or her callers enhanced information services without 
adding significantly to the routine work load.

"We do now offer FidoNet email and conferences of interest to our callers," 
Shebesta said.  "For example, we receive and participate in the Hot Rod and 
Automotive FideNet echo conferences.  Because of the way TBBS can be set up 
with external and internal events, it handles the netmail operations all by 
itself, including the automatic midnight processing.  The only thing I have 
to do is compress the message base, which we do probably once a month."

The ability to add these kind of features, without adding to the System 
Designer's required maintenance tasks, is important.  Shabesta might not 
have been able to offer FidoNet echo access to his system's callers.  "These 
are popular features," Shabesta said.  "They help keep potential automotive 
customers calling back frequently, even if they don't need our company's 
services now."

Shebesta admits it isn't easy to sell big-ticket items such as automobiles 
through an online service.  That's why his company offers the ACS Online 
system free to all callers.  "We've set up the system itself to be free and 
that's basically the way it's going to stay," he said.

The system, Shebesta said, is good public relations for his company and it 
does a good job of publicizing itself.  "It GENERATES general callers that 
can eventually become paying customers," he said.  "We hope to keep those 
callers coming back regularly, to eventually order a car, with our other 
regularly-updated automotive information."

While the system does act as its own PR, Shebesta stresses that you do have 
to let the world know you're there, to get the lines busy and keep them full 
of callers.  "We promote the system mostly by word of mouth," Shebesta said.  
"But it's also important to get word of your system on the various printed 
and online lists of online systems.  For instance, we're in BoardWatch 
Magazine and Computer Shopper as well."

Shebesta also suggested you should never fail to captalize on any contacts 
you make along the way.  "Mike Banks, the well-known telecommunications 
writer, lives just a few miles from us," he said.  "He called our board and 
has promised to cover us in Computer Shopper as a BBS Of the Month."

Shebesta also recommend you write a simple press release, print it out as 
nicely as possible and mail it to the editors of magazines such as 
BoardWatch, Computer Shopper or any specialty magazines within the subject 
area covered by your board, and to local newspapers, magazines, radio and 
television stations.

Shebesta and Murray have also listed their system on Prodigy.  "Don't forget 
the other commercial online systems, such as GEnie and CompuServe," he said.  
"Most have computer and telecomm bulletin areas where you can post messages 
advertising your system."

Yellow Pages advertising can also be helpful.  "We have a small listing in 
the local Yellow Pages, with a brief description of ACS Online, under 
'online services,'" Shebesta said.  "It's brought us more than a few calls."

Most important for any new business, however, is finding the time to 
properly promote it and then to expand it as the promotion does its job.  
"Setting up a system like ACS Online, for ANY business, is easy," Shebesta 
said.  "You have to do some work and frequently refer to the manual at 
first, but the overall setup is straightforward and easy.  If you can think 
of it in your mind, TBBS can most likely be set up to do it.

To see ACS Online in action, Shebesta invites all TBBS System Designers to 
call the system by dialing 513-624-0552 (3/12/2400 bps).  Leave email 
addressed to SYSOP when you call and say POSSIBILITIES sent you.  Shebesta 
will set you up for expanded system access on your next call so you can look 
around.

- END -
PS0892-3
Rev. 8/92

Copyright (C) 1994 eSoft, Inc., All Rights Reserved.  Permission granted
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interested party.  Any other use requires the written permission of
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IMPORTANT:  The information herein is subject to change without notice.
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