It’s been a year since Amazon launched a car stereo installation referral service where consumers can find a local installer for items they buy on Amazon.
The program is part of “Amazon Home Services” shop that also refers customers to plumbers, electricians and home audio installers.
Industry member Ray Windsor, now head of the Elite Distributor Alliance, helped sign up car audio specialists for the program but hasn’t been part of Amazon’s program for 9 months. He said, “I think the Amazon idea was/is a good one,” but, “I don’t think Amazon has realized success as they envisioned it.”
Amazon did not respond to CEoutlook inquiries on the program.
Dealers report mixed results with the program, according to 8 dealers who spoke with us.
We did not find a dealer who was getting more than 10 calls a month and more than 5 jobs a month, but some were happy with the plus business they received.
Micah Williams of Sonus Car Audio, TN said the program has worked well for the shop. He’s been able to upsell remote start customers to remote-start-from-a-phone solutions. It’s brought in customers, and the initial fear that Amazon would attract only price conscious consumers has not come to pass. Williams gets a full mix of customers, including those seeking quality. “It’s driving a customer into your store that wasn’t coming in,” he said.
Tunes-N-Tint, FL said it gets about a sale a month through the program. “It’s been good for us. If I had my way we wouldn’t be partnering with them because they wouldn’t exist, but we are providing for the customers who shop at Amazon just as if they brought it into the shop and didn’t tell us where they got it,” said Operations Manager Joe Cassity.
Two dealers said they end up getting referrals from Amazon without going through the full process. Someone checking out may see the offer for an install and see the retailer’s name and then simply call him, without going through Amazon. And so it becomes a way for people to find you.
One dealer said he gets 2 or 3 jobs a month. Another said he gets 5 jobs a month. He claimed that Amazon doesn’t always get the install kits or data modules right and then customers drive to his store and are angry when they arrive with the wrong products for the job.
George Polillio, Owner of Bumper to Bumper, MA said he was an early participant in the program. “It’s a great concept to drive more people to your door, it just needs to be fine tuned or streamlined. I’d give it a 6.5 out of 10, but I think that with time, they’ll find ways to make it work.”
Participating stores also said they were to comply with strict guidelines in how to treat the customer. For example they had 24 hours to respond to a referral.
Retailers said they are able to set their own installation fees under the program.
To join the service program as a dealer requires a lot of initial paper work. Most dealers said they received 20 to 25 page contracts and some said they were subject to background checks.
Windsor said he still believes Amazon Home Services is a good program for specialists to support. It “gets in front of consumers who either never heard of the installing brick & mortar specialty retailer and bypassed the retailer in his purchase research…” he said, adding that a specialists “only asset is a long term profitable relationship with the consumer,” and the Amazon program helps bring them in the door.
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It’ll all work out when the installer is delivered Via Drone with the product!
The Amazon pays via drone to the installer’s bank. Overnight Drone’s deposit box.
Or Fly by Checking account’s.
Perhaps Google can get involved and Autonomously driven car delivers the installer while a drone delivers the parts. Then shuttles the installer to his next job after a full charge.
Or Drone delivery and install by robotics. I wonder if the drone will smoke in your car?
Right on Bashir ! You have a level head on your shoulder and with good business sense.
It’s a very bad idea from Amazon. Very minimal profit for dealers. We decided to match Amazon and ebay prices even if we sell the item at cost. We have a big sign in the store “We match Amazon or ebay prices”. Customers now feel more comfortable when they see that. It’s working great for us and boosted the sale.
It’s worked out great for us. Out of the many many jobs we have gotten, there has only ever been one single issue with a customer. We’ll continue to use it if Amazon keeps the program alive!
probably doomed to failure, imo. what good is 4-5 deals a month-except in the boondocks.
but i am able to buy some car audio brands at prices below my distributors’ prices.
I was disappointed. A big waste of time. I was unable to use my buisness email to get notifications from Amazon because my buisness email was linked to Amazon as a purchaser not a service provider. They made me get another email just for them. Too much paperwork, no direct contact if you had questions and had to use an old AOL email address just for the home services program. Its 2016 last time I checked. Too bad they did not look at Installer Net as a model.
I agree completely with the idea that such a program requires a bit of, if not a good deal of, “fine tuning”. I am confident that somebody will get it right in the not too distant future.
Ray Windsor