Does a dealership holiday card actually bring people back?
Not by itself — and anybody who tells you otherwise is selling something. It's one touch in a retention program. What makes it worth doing is the price of the touch. About five dollars a card, against several hundred dollars to conquest a replacement customer through advertising. At the floor that's a ratio of 50 to 1, and no realistic dealership sits at the floor.
Should it come from the store or the salesperson?
Both names on one card. Stores that let salespeople hand-sign their own customers' cards get noticeably better results, and it costs you an afternoon in the tower in November. If your turnover is high, lead with the store name so the card still means something when the customer looks at it.
Can we imprint a manufacturer logo?
Your dealership logo, absolutely — $30 one-time setup, free on every re-order after. Manufacturer marks depend on your brand guidelines and your dealer agreement, and clearing that is your call, not ours. Most stores imprint the dealership name and leave the factory mark off, which also keeps the card looking like it came from people rather than from corporate.
How many, and when?
Everyone in the service file from the last three years plus every buyer from the last six. For a single rooftop that runs into the thousands, which puts you at the best per-card price we publish. Order in September or early October — the discount is 25% off the card price through October 15, and December in a dealership is not the month to be proofreading anything.