Sconda

Scott Sees Great Possibilities for QR Codes

As with most technology trends, this one started in Japan a decade ago, has been popular in Europe for years and is just now catching on in some major metro areas in the United States.  No, I'm not talking about those tiny cubicle style hotel rooms for the highly stressed business person on the go.  I'm talking about Quick Response Codes, aka QR Codes.

These small, black and white codes can be scanned by smart phones with QR Readers.  Once scanned there are a few places the codes can take you.  The most popular destination is the immediate hyperlinking to a mobile website, but other options include contact information, such as a digital business card, or even directions to specific location.

So how can you get in on the QR fun?  It's simple...just go to the app store on your phone and download any one (or two) of the many free QR Scanners available.  Some Android phones are already coming equipped with these scanners right out of the box and it is widely assumed that all smart phones will follow suit in years to come.

"What's great about QR Codes is that they allow for an interactive experience from what was generally a stagnant object, like a newspaper ad, yard sign or direct mail piece," says Douglas P. Scott, Marketing Manger for Scott Honda and Scott Select.  "I see endless possibilities for these codes as long as they are embraced by the American public like they have been in Asia and Europe."

Scott Honda is expected to be the first ever dealer to use a QR Code in the Philadelphia Auto Show Buyer's Guide.  The full page color ad is walk through the rich history of the Scott family's 80+ year history in the automobile business.  So the code, placed in the lower left corner of the ad directs people to the history section of the dealership's blog for even more interesting photos and stories dating back to the 1920's.

Currently in the entry way and customer waiting areas of Scott Honda are "Sconda Mobile Links" (pictured above) which allows customers to first learn about QR Codes and then links them to our mobile website, as well as our social media pages, where they can learn more about the dealership and even find special gifts and discounts.

"By using web page shortening software, like bit.ly.com, the QR codes become trackable, so now you can know how many people are looking at each individual code," Scott told Sconda Blog.  "My hopes are that this 'new' technology can be used to improve dealerships ability communicate effectively and efficiently, thus enhancing the customer experience."

Scott Select is Open...Yeah!

After months of renovations, logo creations, inventory purchasing and employee hiring, the doors to the all-new Scott Select are now wide open.

"We are so excited to finally get to say 'Welcome to Scott Select'", says Vice President, Duke Scott.  "We all did a lot of work to get to this point and think the combination of our location, our product and our reputation for great customer service we will make Scott Select a success."

Located where Saturn of West Chester used to be, Scott Select will feature "Simply the Best Pre-Owned Cars" that are mostly 1-5 years old.  The 100+ car inventory will go through a thorough 150-point checklist, be combed over by many eyes for visual imperfections, receive a 6-month 6,000 mile comprehensive warranty and after all that, if you're not happy you can just return the car for a full refund after 3-days or exchange it after 30-days for a new one. 

"Save your haggling for the neighborhood yard sale" says General Sales Manager Kevin Shoemaker.  "Our Select Pricing is not done by Oz behind the curtain, but rather comprehensive, internet-based, cost comparison software is used to insure the inventory is priced lower than the competition.  The best part of Haggle Free Select Pricing is that it is set below current market values, as well as popular consumer guides like Kelley Blue Book, NADA & Edmunds, so the negotiating is already done for you."

Besides making the showroom beautiful, Scott put a lot of emphasis on creating a service facility that would make many new car dealers jealous.  With 15 service bays, state-of-the-art technology, a car wash and a beautiful waiting area, including another one of our famous Scott Kids Spot, Scott Select is now your home for service and parts for all of our loyal customers that own more than just a Honda.

We have even rehired three of the employees displaced by the closing of Saturn of West Chester, including Service Advisor, Doug Rider who will greet you at Scott Select when you come in for your free first service and your lifetime of free state safety inspections that comes with every purchase.

There are still some important features to Scott Select that are not complete, like our brand new, custom website, the inventory can still be viewed at ScottSelectCars.com (yup the toilet paper people own ScottSelect.com). There are also some beautiful photographs that need to be hung on the walls, but we are very proud of the work done to renovate this existing structure.  Click here to see a few of the finished product and some before pictures too. We like to think that we took the same care in rehabbing this pre-owned building that we put into rehabbing our pre-owned cars.

A note from the editor:  It took many people many hours to make this new pre-owned super center a reality (and there's still a little more to do), but the day has finally come and no one is more happy than your loyal Sconda Blogger, Douglas P. Scott.  The massive amount of time needed to get this ship out of the harbor (pun intended) took away from all of the time needed to keep up Scott's social media presence.  So be on the look out for a ramped up effort to on the blog/facebook/twitter side of things in the days to come.

2011 Odyssey May Cause 2nd Baby Boom

The 2010 U.S. Census team has new concerns the all-new 2011 Honda Odyssey could cause what bloggers have dubbed a "2nd Baby Boom".

Scientists are extremely worried that adults with 0-2 children will desire this beautifully-styled vehicle so much that they will actually have more children, just to justify owning one.

"Our internal market research has shown such a fierce attraction to the curves on this new Honda that it's causing the area of brain linked to parenting many children to light up the monitor," remarked Dr. Chip Lipbalm, of the Center for Population Expansion (CPE).  "We really think this will help regions like Scandinavia who are actually seeing a decrease in population."

It appears single men even want to get in on the 2011 Odyssey craze.

"I never planned on having a family," 24-year-old Jayson Jagger, of New York City told Sconda Blog.  "But the moment I saw this awesome minivan, with room for three car seats across the middle, I bought a wedding ring for my girlfriend of 3 weeks and we're expecting triplets this September!"

Some on the interweb had claimed the newest version of the Odyssey would be renamed the Iliad, but those rumors were put to rest by Honda last week when they unveiled the minivan for the first time at Chicago's Auto Show.

While dealers like Scott Honda in West Chester, PA are taking orders for the new Odyssey, reports are that the vehicle may not be sold in India and China due the their already huge populations.

Stay tuned to Sconda Blog for updates as they come in.

Scott Buys Saturn of West Chester Land, Scott Select to Open This Spring

On the afternoon of January 15th the ink dried on a deal to purchase 700 Westtown Road, in West Chester, formerly Saturn of West Chester.  This 4.5 acre swath of land will be the new home of Scott Select, "simply the best pre-owned cars".

The exact business plan for Scott Select is still be fine tuned, but Scott will be taking 80 years of automotive sales and service experience and injecting into this new venture.  With Scott Honda finishing as the #2 Certified Honda dealer in the country two yeas in a row, we feel we have a great blue print for selling newer model, impeccably reconditioned vehicles in the Delaware Valley.

"To have this new property on a well traveled road and right next to Scott Honda gives us a huge advantage," says Vice President Duke Scott.  "Our sales people will be able to sell between both stores and our service departments will be able to handle overflow at either location."

Scott had planned to build an entirely new "green" building further down Westtown Road and was close to breaking ground when the Winner Automotive Group announced the sale of their Saturn property last fall.  It was a no-brainer for Scott, what's more green than reusing an existing building and there are still plans to possibly use solar technology and LED lighting in the new building.

"We are really looking forward to opening the doors of this new store," Duke told Sconda Blog.  "It will be a push to get it open as soon as we'd like, with the right people in place, but we know we have resources to make it happen."

Stay tuned for more details on Scott Select, coming in the Spring to this corner near you.

Honda CR-Z Hybrid Looks Badazz

What's white, fast, eco-conscious and badazz?  It's the new CR-Z hybrid coupe from Honda.  Fresh off being awarded the Editors' Choice from the Tokyo Auto show by Auto Week magazine, this lean, mean concept car turned reality is primed and ready to hit the road in the second half of 2010 according to Honda.

Billed as the resurrection of the Honda CR-X, a sporty 2-seater built from 1983-91 with a cult following, the CR-Z, which stands for Compact Renaissance Zero, may become an instant classic herself.  Already equipped with a Facebook Fan Page maybe the CR-X can create some positive Facebook attention following the less then stellar public response on Honda's Accord Crosstour Fan Page.

Sporting a 6-speed manual transmission, eco-friendly/driving enthusiasts can finally combine two of their loves in this one vehicle or as Honda says on the coupes official micro-site, "CR-Z is that place in the universe where sport and efficiency meet."

Look for it in the Scott Honda Showroom, Fall 2011!

Honda SKYDECK Concept set for Debut

At the upcoming 41st Annual Tokyo Motor Show Honda will debut the SKYDECK, an innovative six-passenger, multi-purpose hybrid vehicle.  Reminiscent in size to the first version of the Honda Odyssey that was more wagon than minivan, the SKYDECK has an unmistakable futuristic feel.

The eye catching, space saving, unconventional doors are almost assuredly set to become the standard entry combination in a world where space is always at a premium.  The open and airy interior is sleek and spacious, featuring center-mounted stackable floating seats for easier access to the third row.  The interiors clean lines are accentuated by a unique for Honda all-glass roof.

According to Honda, their Tokyo Motor Show display "will cover the largest floor area of any single brand at the show, combining automobiles, motorcycles, power products and other highlights to present the distinctive world of Honda mobility."Driven by dreams and passion, and with the booth concept of 'Creating the never before!'" Honda says they have "strived to propose attractive products that please and amaze its customers."

Honda’s automobile exhibit will present a variety of environmentally responsible approaches to mobility, including hybrid vehicles, a fuel cell electric vehicle and a battery electric vehicle. The display will also highlight models with innovative packaging and enhanced driving performance that communicate the enjoyment an automobile can provide.

source: Honda

The EV-N from Honda - Tiny Meets Retro

 

Honda will use the Tokyo Motor Show, beginning October 21, to introduce their all-new concept car, dubbed the EV-N.  This micro machine takes exterior styling cues taken straight from the Honda N360, a 2-cylinder, 354cc, 31-horsepower, built in the late 60's .  The interior of the EV-N is all it's own.  This mini Hybrid Honda is said to have an electric motor, with a lithium-ion battery that is partially powered by a solar panel on the roof of the car.

With small becoming the "new black", this true 4-seater would fit nicely into the Honda lineup, going a step smaller then the popular Honda Fit and has the potential to be a big hit, if it ever hits U.S. shores.  However Honda has no plans for productions as of now.

note to manufacturer: Think on it Honda...we could sell the heck out of these. 

Google Eye's the Car of the Future: Imagine your Family Room on Wheels

Our friends at Google have decided they like a good challenge?  If that's their rationale for building the  car of the future, might a suggest creating a decent airline to compete with Southwest.

Google’s Solar Powered ATNMBL (Autonomous Automobile) might not win any awards for looks, but what it lacks in visual appeal it more than makes up for in others.  This vehicle is more focused on comfort, safety and efficiency than, speed, power and sleek lines.

Having "blogged" now for four months I have noticed that naming sources at all in a post has become a lost art.  It is more a case of whisper down the alley, than true journalism.  Bloggers skirt this issue by saying they aren't journalists and that information gathered on the in digital super-highway is prevalent, free and the source of it all matters not...well I disagree.

So instead of taking pieces of info from 5 blogs, I was able to find the original post from the actual designers of this vehicle and who better to tell you about ATNMBL than the designers, Maaike Evers and Mike Simonian, the folks who brought you the Google G1 Phone.  It's a great post that really gets to the heart of their inspiration of their passenger based, couch on wheels.

Stay tuned for Google's coming announcement of the near Earth Planet that they currently have under development.

Who Needs Roads, Flying Hondas are Coming

Remember when you were 8 and you thought about life in the year 2010.  You knew that family trips to the moon would be a weekend event, robot pets would be under the Christmas tree and four tires on a car would be a laughable part of ancient history. 

Well, ok, maybe it was just me.  But Honda has answered my dreams of a future filled with flying cars with the Fuzo...remember the name and get on the waiting list now.

According to Automotto.org the "2068 Fuzo" is intended to be a sci-fi VTOL flying car. As it takes to the air, the wheels retract, and the four turbines kick into action, allowing it to reach a maximum speed of 400 mph. The three-seat concept is kept lightweight by the use of materials like carbon fiber, Kevlar and carbon nano tubes.

The controls are joystick based, the left allows the car to spin on its axis, while the right handles tilt and direction. There are two foot pedals to control power and brakes. The car can be fully controlled by a fly-by-wire system using GPS; safety will mainly be handled by parachutes and airbags.

This innovative design is from the mind of designer John Mahieddine. John I hope I live long enough to drive one of your flying creations.