Meeting the Midland Honda team, you can instantly sense their passion for what they do. We had the opportunity to sit down with Kimberly Osborne, Marketing Manager, and Allan Sylvester, Service Manager, to learn how they’re using video to strengthen communication with customers in both sales and service. Before implementing video, they saw a 35–40% approval rate for service. Now, they’re between 85 and 91%. Their innovative approach helps build trust, foster transparency, and create a better overall experience for their customers.
Tell us about your dealership, your role, and how you got into automotive.
Kimberly: “I’m Kimberly, the Marketing Manager here at Midland Honda. I do not have an automotive background. I’ve done a bunch of different things in marketing but moved up to the area and found this opportunity—and kind of got addicted to it.”
Allan: “I’ve been in it for almost 35 years now. I went to university for business and economics. When I was done, we were in the middle of a recession, and there were no jobs available. A neighbor who owned a dealership gave me a job. That was almost 35 years ago, and I’ve never looked back.”
How has your experience been with TradePending’s video products?
Kimberly: “It’s everything for our dealership. We take video very seriously. We use video in every area of the dealership that we can, especially in service. We started with Snapcell before TradePending acquired them last year.”
Allan: “Before videos, customers would judge whether they needed a service based on price. If it was higher than their price point, they thought we were cheating or lying.
If it was lower, we were their best friend. Videos show them what’s happening, and the technician explains the condition of the car and what needs to be done. The price point is gone, now there is value, and people understand what needs to be done.
Technicians used to rely on advisors to sell products or recommend repairs. Some advisors were new or didn’t have enough knowledge to convince customers. Now, technicians explain it themselves and show what’s wrong.
Customers appreciate it and understand it and so do the advisors. The advisors now see what the technician sees, so there’s no misinterpretation.”
What were you using before these tools, and how do the results compare?
Kimberly: “When I came on board four years ago, we were using a platform that was awful. Videos wouldn’t upload, and everything was stored on technicians’ personal phones. The Wi-Fi in the shop wasn’t great. We’ve upgraded it since then, but it just wouldn’t work. It was a nightmare.”
TradePending’s video tool changed our lives. I’ve watched demo after demo of companies claiming to have the best video platform, but they never compare. Alan and I have sat through demos where we ask, ‘Does it do this”’ and they say, ‘No.’ TradePending always does.”
Allan:: “The old platform was so bad that it made technicians hesitant to adopt TradePending. But once they saw how well it works, they didn’t think twice. They’re making videos all the time now.”
How has video improved communication and transparency with customers?
Allan: “Seeing is believing. If a customer calls me with questions, I can access the video and explain it like I’m the technician. Before, I was just looking at an invoice with minimal notes. The video solves a lot of problems for me and for customers.”
Kimberly: “In sales, our technicians do videos explaining all the safety and reconditioning work they’ve done. They point out dings or dents and show them on the video. We post these videos on our website for each vehicle in our inventory, so customers see exactly what’s been done to bring the vehicle up to safety standards. It’s a huge benefit for our sales team. It means more coming from the technician than the salesperson.”
What metrics do you use to measure success with these tools?
Allan: “We have a big screen near the shop displaying TradePending data, how many videos technicians have taken, and how many service recommendations (ASRs) customers have approved. Before TradePending, we were at a 35–40% approval rate. Now, we’re between 85 and 91%.”
Kimberly: “I look at how many videos are being made and the watch rates. If the watch rate drops, I check if the videos are too fast or not engaging.”
What’s next for your dealership? Any exciting goals or changes coming up?
Kimberly: “We have a lot coming up for 2025 and 2026 that we can’t share yet. We’ve done some cool giveaways this year and will continue those next year.”
Allan: “We’re focused on having the largest pre-owned vehicle inventory in Simcoe County. I think we’re close. It’s exciting to offer that kind of choice to customers.”
Congratulations again to Midland Honda, and we can’t wait to see what you do next!