MAGAZINE INSERTS
The Dealer version of the AMSOIL Magazine is very good. I like it very much and I keep almost all my issues.
The ALTRUM insert is also very good. I just wish it could go in without being stapled. Maybe that glue glob stuff that easily peels off. You just can’t get the insert out without tearing up things. You have to use a small knife on the staples and major surgery. Anyway, the magazine is still darn good. Regards,
AMSOIL: While staples are the best choice to ensure inserts stay in place, AMSOIL will continue to evaluate other options, including glue dots.
HIGH-MILEAGE CLUB COMMENTS
I really enjoyed seeing the letter regarding a “high-mileage club” (December 2010)! I am a Dealer in Michigan and a mechanical engineer, and I like that sort of information to assist in the selling process. It really opens some eyes to the advantages of AMSOIL. I also have seen a story regarding a Barracuda that has about 400,000 miles without any mechanical failures. Perhaps that one and others from the past should be available.
For the new Dealers like myself, I would like to see an area in the Dealer Zone that allows Dealers to download such articles. This would be a tremendous sales tool that is not being used as it should due to lack of knowledge of previous information. Thanks!
AMSOIL: We tracked down the owner of the 1968 Barracuda, and you can read all about his good experiences with AMSOIL products on page 11. You can download back issues of AMSOIL Magazine from the righthand column of the Dealer Zone’s main page. For access to more testimonials, click the “Testimonials” link on the left side of the AMSOIL homepage, under “Other Links.”
GM dexos1™
There have been some questions about the dexos1 certifications from GM and which oils actually have the license and which just state that they meet the standards.
On the official GM dexos site, AMSOIL cannot be found on their list, so there are some questions as to its absence. How do we as Dealers address this legitimate concern? Thanks for the help.
AMSOIL: AMSOIL OE and XL 5W-30 oils meet the specifications outlined by GM for dexos1, but AMSOIL has chosen not to license either through GM. Many other large oil manufacturers have chosen not to license through the dexos1 program as well, including Valvoline and Castrol. According to 2011 GM owners’ manuals, GM also allows the use of other oils: “In the event that dexos-approved engine oil is not available at an oil change or for maintaining proper oil level, you may use substitute engine oil displaying the API Starburst symbol and of SAE 5W-30 viscosity grade.”
AMSOIL OE and XL 5W-30 oils meet dexos1 and API specifications, are API-licensed and carry the API Starburst symbol. They provide excellent protection and performance in vehicles specifying dexos1 oils.
TESTIMONIAL SUBMISSIONS
I have a customer who has been on CMT/ ABC News because of the type of vehicle he drives and the service he performs with it. It’s a 1942 American La France fire truck which was also on the TV show Trick My Truck. If I got a few pictures and wrote a small article, would it get published in the AMSOIL Hotwire?
AMSOIL: It sounds like an excellent story, and we would certainly consider it for publication in the Hotwire or AMSOIL Magazine.
CUSTOMER TYPE 4
Dean Alexander’s article “How To Reinvigorate Your AMSOIL Business with OE Synthetic Motor Oils” (December 2010) was very good, and it is comforting to know he faces the same resistance we do as Dealers with regard to extended drains, breaking consumer habits (sometimes that are generational) and the real economy of quality products. In my professional automotive career, another popular type of customer exists:
Customer Type 4: People who only open their hoods to fill the windshield washer fluid. They often come in to our shops months (I have seen years) overdue for service, and often are so low on oil the red warning light on the dash flickers or is on steady. These are not our regular customers, and if we can convert them to XL or OE, we could get them in on a regular basis and both pick up business and protect their vehicles. Of course if the vehicle may be damaged due to neglect, I avoid picking them up as customers to avoid AMSOIL being blamed down the road for the premature failure that may be imminent due to a poor maintenance history. The new XL 10,000-mile/six-month schedule fits very nicely for the care of the engine, vehicle safety checks, tire rotation, state inspections and related sales.
EAO88
When are you going to reintroduce the new EAO88 oil filter for the Ford Powerstroke?
It has been almost two years this spring since it was taken off the market and replaced with SDF88. New customers hear they can go 25,000 miles/one year between oil changes under normal use, but have to use the SDF88 filter which only lasts 7,500 miles. They want the long mileage filter to go with the oil.
AMSOIL: The obstacles to the reintroduction of the EAO88 are beyond our control. If there is a change that allows its reintroduction, AMSOIL will do so.