Association Website
The association’s website, www.CATA.info is CATA’s membership resource portal. It is intended to be an information clearinghouse exclusively for new-car dealerships. With the simple click of a mouse, www.CATA.info provides the necessary information, forms and tools to make your dealership operations more efficient. CATA members have exclusive access to all of the resources and information available on the site.
On the CATA website, you’ll find the following:
- Order Dealer Forms — including Odometer and Used Car Buyer’s Guides
- CATA Officers, Board and Staff
- CATA Office Location
- CATA Meeting Facilities
- CATA Bulletins
- Chicago Auto Outlook Sales Forecasts
- Illinois Motor Vehicle Advertising Regulations
- Illinois Motor Vehicle Franchise Act
- Illinois Automotive Repair Act
- Illinois Automotive Collision Repair Act
- CATA Attorney Contacts
- CATA Legislative Consultants
- Employee Relations Counsel
- Unemployment Claims
- Workplace Posters
CATA e-Newsletter
The biweekly CATA “e-Headlines” is an electronic newsletter to keep dealership personnel aware of the latest news, legislation and regulations that affect their daily operations. You’ll find that the information the newsletter contains will be of value to many of your operation’s departments. For information or to add email addresses to the distribution list, contact Mark Bilek at mbilek@drivechicago.com.
Auto Outlook Newsletters
“Auto Outlook” is a quarterly synopsis of market trends and indicators prepared for CATA members to give dealers a statistical comparison of how the Chicago area is doing in relation to the entire country’s sales. The Outlook also gives data for personal analysis of market performance, including other forces that may affect local sales. A historical record of the market will assist our dealer members in making good choices about sales in our market.
New-Car Dealer Advertising Campaign
The CATA continues to dedicate funding to help promote local dealerships. Various and timely radio campaigns, ranging from why it’s best to “buy a used car from a new-car store” to reasons why the dealer is the best place to have vehicle service performed, are produced and purchased by the association. The impact is significant and helps our dealers’ image in the market. Leasing has been a recent emphasis.
CATA Educational Seminar Series
A wide variety of seminars enable members to learn more about issues that affect them. Topics range from operational improvements to regulatory compliance to legislative issues. Seminars are complimentary to CATA members and are announced in both the CATA Bulletin and in separately circulated promotional notices.
DriveChicago on WLS-AM 890
From new cars to classic cars, from racing to technology, the DriveChicago radio show delivers a lively and frank discussion of everything automotive. CATA employees and longtime automotive expert Mark Bilek and enthusiast Jim OBrill are hosts of the only automotive-focused radio show in Chicagoland. DriveChicago radio, airing Saturdays at 8 a.m. on WLS-AM, delivers dynamic coverage of the automotive industry, including new-vehicle reviews, in-depth interviews with industry experts, tips for vehicle maintenance and insight into new trends and technologies. All the while, we hope to have a little fun along the way.
Better Business Bureau
The CATA continues to enjoy a strong relationship with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) office that serves Chicago and northern Illinois. One example of this relationship is the Advertising Review program, which the CATA established with the BBB. With the assistance of the BBB, CATA members have a clear understanding of dealer advertising standards in Illinois.
The BBB has worked hand in hand with the CATA in helping dealers with the Bureau’s “Letter Grading” system, which rates businesses on their honesty and fairness to customers.
Companies receive letter grades A+ through F, an update over the previous “satisfactory” or “unsatisfactory” ratings. A business must maintain a letter grade of B or higher to be eligible for accreditation, amongst multiple other factors. This system, the BBB reports, provides more specific information for businesses to find trustworthy suppliers and vendors and to provide a more precise guide to improve operations. The letter grades and a company’s accreditation status are displayed on the individual company profiles as well as in the BBB directory, which is all free and accessible at www.bbb.org.
Dealerships and other businesses can update the information used to calculate their ratings by going to www.bbb.org/chicago/login. The information will remain confidential and is the basis of providing accurate Business Profiles under the new rating system.
Consumers increasingly rely on customer reviews. Research suggests that most customers now have more confidence in online reviews than they do with direct word-of-mouth recommendations. The BBB has recognized both the confidence that consumers now place in reviews and the challenges that they create for our accredited businesses. The BBB now makes it easier than ever to request a customer review from a brand that consumers trust. Our free mobile review app is a BBB accreditation benefit that allows you to request a review from any mobile device with one click. Your customer can also write your review and submit it with one click. Contact Steve Bernas, the president and CEO of the BBB’s Chicago office, at sbernas@chicago.bbb.org for more information on how the BBB can assist your dealership in many ways.
Business Forms
The CATA has long provided some of the forms necessary to sell new and used vehicles as part of your membership benefit. Forms are available to CATA members, including odometer statements, used car buyers guides, used car limited warranty statements and emission control equipment statements. Forms can be ordered via the CATA membership online portal at CATA.info/sys/login.
