Bill Kolb Jr. Subaru- A Defended Approach to Automotive Retail

2 Jul 2013

Improving on-site video surveillance
HD cameras effectively monitor acres of auto inventory

Bill Kolb Jr. Subaru, the largest Subaru dealership east of the Mississippi got it right with their approach to prevention based video surveillance. Today, this successful business is focused on customer service and investing in their employees, not on worrying about the potential of crime.

Bill Kolb Jr. Subaru, based in Orangeburg NY, is a business run with efficiency and thoughtful planning. Bill Kolb, Owner and President knows a few things about automotive retail, having been in the business since 1961 (yes, that’s 52 years). The main store covers more than a city block in area. With an inventory of 500+ cars at any given time in various locations fear of vandalism and theft was a constant concern. Previously Bill had 5 cars stolen from his lot and had the video to prove it. They watched the five cars drive off the lot, one by one on the video clip. Police had no leads and provided little guidance or hope of recovering his stolen cars. Like many auto retailers with acres of inventory to cover and plagued with false alarms, a traditional video security system wasn’t the answer.

Bill is a man that thinks things through – in a big way. Just as he had increased sales at this dealership from a mere 5 cars a month to monthly sales of 350, he clearly understood how to overcome challenges. He searched for a better way. He wanted a partner that he could trust to spec a solution that would stop theft from happening in the future. Luckily, he found it a partner, Alex Torres at S.O.G. Security Inc. Alex brought in VideoIQ for a full demo and Bill was hooked. Bill spent the next couple of months perfecting an intelligent analytics solution that criminals want to stay away from.

Bill knows word gets around quickly and the strength and reputation of their security system warded off future attempts. “When a suspicious person is on the site after hours, a strobe light activates and our monitoring station performs a talk-down audio command to ask identified person (“You in the yellow jacket”) to come closer to the camera for verification. Our system is built like a heart monitoring system that reviews an incident to verify if it’s a legitimate concern. We are alerted instantly”, said Bill.

So, now lets talk about efficiency. If a sales person walks ¼ mile to a car lot with a customer, and the customer decides they want to test-drive a yellow car instead of the blue one, they would have to run back to the office for a key. So, Bill found an answer – window key lock devices on the window of every car that his sales team can access with a simple key. Great idea, but this created an even higher demand for top security, as thieves could easily break in the car’s lock box and then easily drive away. VideoIQ was the answer. “I do not concern myself with security any longer. I have business to tend to. Having our window keys available saves deals and time! Honestly, the VideoIQ system is so good, that I cannot imagine how it could be beaten!”

The Bill Kolb Jr automotive dealership is run like a military operation with a clear mission and process. “It’s different here in so many ways. If a customer is not happy after 30 days or 1,000 miles, we take the car back. We don’t haggle over price. Our staff retires here. I have had this Subaru dealership for 15 years and I am confident we found the right recipe. Security is an important element as it makes everyone more productive and safe. Our solution is highly effective and powerful. Since we have installed VideoIQ, we haven’t had a single security incident that required help from authorities. Our focus is on selling cars, as it should be.”

http://www.videoiq.com/resources/customer-success-stories/bill-kolb-jr-subaru/