Blog Posts - UNITED FIELD CHASE- FIELD SERVICE COMPANY

UNITED FIELD CHASE- FIELD SERVICE COMPANY

United Goes to Vegas for 2017 MAC Conference

3/15/2017

United Field Chase field service company is attending the only annual meeting in the U.S. exclusively dedicated to educating individuals responsible for risk mitigation and regulatory compliance. The 2017 MAC Conference will lead the field in addressing and combating acquiring risk.

The 2017 MAC Conference runs from March 21st to March 23rd in Las Vegas, NV.

The annual Merchant Acquirers’ Committee (MAC) Conference is exclusively dedicated to educating individuals responsible for risk mitigation and regulatory compliance. Attendees will hear professionals discuss ways to manage and mitigate portfolio risk by leveraging the proper technology, techniques, and industry shared best practices. Delegates will look through the eyes of experts into the future of fraud and risk trends in the payments industry. MAC leads the industry in addressing and combating acquiring risk. Although the focus is risk management, the MAC conference attendees include CEOs, marketing executives, and many other senior leaders. Risk has become everyone’s business in today’s regulatory times.

Check out the 2017 MAC Conference:
http://www.macmemberevent.org/

The key to auto finance in 2017: Technology

1/11/2017

Experts from Equifax, Fiserv and J.D. Power all agree: Technology is going to be the catalyst to keeping the financing cog in the automotive retail machine humming in 2017 at least near the level dealerships, finance companies and other service and product providers enjoyed this past year.

Equifax auto finance leader Lou Loquasto said technology discussions simply can’t be missed whether it was back in November during Used Car Week or when the American Financial Service Association and the National Automobile Dealers Association gather for their annual events in New Orleans later this month.

“Anybody that went to (Used Car Week) or is going to NADA or AFSA — I’ve been going to these conferences for 20 years — they can see how much innovation is going on,” Loquasto told SubPrime Auto Finance News before 2016 closed. “I think because margins are going to continue to be tough to get to the levels post-recession, growth isn’t going to be where it was. So I think 2017 is going to be the year of innovation in our industry.

“When we talk about innovation in our industry, it’s not just about technology. It’s data and analytics, too,” he continued. “In 2017, I think you’re going to see more innovation coming out of our industry because you’re going to have to if you want to keep good margins and continue to grow.”

While most dealerships and finance companies aren’t strangers to technology, the advancements these constituencies have made in the past 15 years evidently still lags consumers’ expectations. According to the Expectations & Experiences quarterly consumer research from Fiserv, the company learned that 53 percent of borrowers had negative feelings about the financing process, including 33 percent who said it made them anxious.

In a phone conversation last month with SubPrime Auto Finance News, Fiserv’s Scott Hendriks added that within the contingent that had negative feelings, 78 percent of those respondents said there needed to be greater efficiencies in the finance process.

“It’s still a very dealer-driven model, going back into the F&I office to determine what rates and programs are available. What’s my payment going to be on a lease or what’s going to be my rate on a retail deal? I think that part of it is still very much in dealer control. I think consumers are looking to have more transparency and take that process online,” said Hendriks, who is director of product management at Fiserv Lending Solutions.

Since joining Fiserv in 2002, Hendriks has been very involved in the development of the company’s auto loan origination system product.

“I think what we’re going to see over the next period of time is that evolution where that very dealer-driven model we have today for finance is going to go the way of the sales process, which is more to a consumer model where they’re able to determine those things up front and arrange financing online. So it is when they go to the dealership a one-stop delivery. It meets the borrower’s expectation of their time as well as their experience,” he said.

“Technology is really at the forefront of how that’s going to happen. Lenders need to have technology assets that allow them give the customer that experience and be able to engage with them online at the point of decision on the purchase as opposed to waiting until they go to the dealership,” Hendriks went on to say.

More of the same sentiment came from the 2016 U.S. Consumer Financing Satisfaction Study produced by J.D. Power. The firm made its assertions in light of expectations of new-vehicle sales to plateau this year, prompting Jim Houston, senior director of auto finance at J.D. Power to say, the marketplace “is making for a very competitive auto lending market, which means dealers and lenders in many ways need to get back to the basics to satisfy customers.

“Lenders need to move beyond a transactional relationship and create a customer-centric culture that helps them build a relationship with their customers. The lenders — and dealers — that are able to do that are the ones most likely to excel,” Houston added.

The J.D. Power study highlighted what analysts called five fundamental “musts” that a dealer or finance should keep in mind as means to improving customer satisfaction.
That collection included:
— Understanding the Deal: In the luxury brand segment, overall satisfaction is 49 points higher (on a 1,000-point scale) among customers whose dealer or finance manager explained account features, services, or benefits of their financing than among those whose dealer or finance manager did not (880 versus 831, respectively).
— Reference Guide: A finance company welcome package that answers basic loan servicing questions (such as how to make payments and how to sign up for automatic payments) can reduce the number of contacts the customer needs to make. Specifically, among luxury brand customers who say they “completely” understand all of the servicing information, problem incidence drops to 8 percent, compared with the overall luxury problem incidence of 10 percent.
— Accessible Self-Help Tools: When email customer service is available, satisfaction improves by 42 points among customers of luxury brand vehicles and 61 points among customers of mass market brand vehicles. When online bill pay is available, satisfaction improves by 53 points in the luxury segment and by 86 points in the mass market segment.
—One and Done: Satisfaction declines significantly when a customer has to contact their finance company more than once to resolve a problem. Overall satisfaction among luxury brand customers resolving a problem with one call is 875 points but declines to 821 among those whose resolution requires two calls.
—Satisfaction Equals Loyalty: Highly satisfied luxury and mass market brand customers (overall satisfaction scores above 900) can have a significant effect on dealers and lenders, as they are nearly twice as likely to return to a particular dealership and are more than twice as likely to lease or purchase the same brand again as those who are less satisfied (scores range between 801 and 900).
“In the seemingly complicated environment of vehicle financing, it’s the sometimes-overlooked customer handling steps that can bring clarity to the customer and give dealers and lenders a unique competitive advantage,” Houston said.

“Working together on the steps that clearly affect satisfaction levels can enable dealers and lenders to turn first-time customers into repeat customers,” he added.

-Article By Nick Zulovich

Happy Holidays from the United Team!

12/22/2016

Wow time flies... It seems like just a year ago we were wishing all of our friends, family, clients, and agents out there a Happy Holiday!

On behalf of everyone here at United Field Chase, we would like to wish all of you a very Happy Holidays!

Sincerely,

The United Field Chase Team

P.S.
What is your favorite part of the Holidays?

Happy Thanksgiving From Our Family

11/24/2016

All of us at United Field Chase would like to wish you and your family all the best during this holiday.

In an age of electronics and social media, it’s an opportunity for face to face conversations and the bond it creates. It’s a chance for backyard football games and the favorite board games that bring out rivalries and competitiveness in every generation.

But most importantly, Thanksgiving is about being thankful for what we have, the people in our lives, making it through another year and for everyone that is still with us. And for those who have left us, it’s a moment to be grateful for the time we had with them, the wonderful lives they led and the legacy they’ve left behind.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Halloween! - Safety Tips

10/31/2016

Halloween is October 31st, a time for fun with friends, family, and neighbors with children trick-or-treating door-to-door. Most people are friendly and nice but there are some who play cruel tricks on children and ruin the good time.

You can help make the evening of Halloween a safer event for everyone. Even those who do not take part in the event can help by watching out for trick-or-treaters. Parents should bear in mind that "fake" weapons such as guns, knives, and swords should be of materials that are, smooth, soft, and flexible to prevent injuries. Props for children that actually look like a real weapon should be avoided completely.

Safety Tips for Trick-or-Treaters:

Be part of a group and do not stray from the group, there is safety in numbers.

Do not enter the home of a stranger.

Never accept rides from strangers.

Look both ways before crossing the street and cross when the pedestrian crosswalk light signals you to walk.

Carry flash lights so you can be easily seen.

Do not take shortcuts through backyards, parks, or alleys.

Be alert, have fun but do not let your guard down.

Safety Tips for the House:

Keep a porch light on so trick-or-treaters will know to visit and can see where they are walking.

Remove yard clutter that trick-or-treaters may trip over.

Secure your pets to protect both the visitors and your pets.

Use battery powered Jack-O-Lanterns instead of ones with candles. If you do use candles, make sure they are far enough out of the way so that kids' costumes won't accidentally be set on fire.

Avoid giving homemade treats. Responsible parents do not allow their children to eat them unless they know the person making them.

Safety Tips for Parents:

Young children should be accompanied by an adult.

Kids always want to help with pumpkin carving. Small children should not be allowed to use a sharp knife to cut the top or the face. There are many kits available that come with tiny saws that work better than knives and they are also safer. Although, you can be cut by these small saws as well. It is best to let the kids clean out the pumpkin and draw a face on the front, which you can carve for them.

Check your child's candy before they consume it. Anything suspicious should be discarded!

Feed your children before they set out. This should help discourage them from trying their treats before you are able to check them.

Know where your child is and whom they are with.

Buy flame retardant costumes and consider using make-up rather than masks. A mask may obscure your child's vision.

Costumes should be light in color or have reflective tape put on them.

Costumes should be made from light materials to avoid dehydration and other heat related issues.

Party Goers:

Arrange a safe ride home and/or designate a driver before partaking in any festivities.
Always designate a sober driver.

If you are drunk, take a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation.

Before leaving for a party, put numbers of local cab companies and your designated driver(s) into your phone.

Walking impaired can be as dangerous as drunk driving. Designate a sober friend to walk you home.

If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact local law enforcement.

If you know someone who is about to drive or ride impaired, take their keys and help them make safe travel arrangements to where they are going.

Make Halloween a fun, safe, and happy time for your kids and they will carry on the tradition that you taught them to their own families some day!

Kids love Halloween! They get to dress up and get free candy! What a perfect holiday, give your kids some precious Halloween memories that they will have for life. Trick-or-treating is not what it use to be. It is not as safe to let kids walk the streets alone. Send a responsible adult or older teenager with them. Have a pumpkin carving party for your children and their friends a couple nights before Halloween. They will enjoy looking at their creations for a few days before they have to be thrown out. Check your local grocery store or craft store for Halloween cookbooks full of tasty treats on a horror theme for both kids and adults.

Halloween safety tips provided by City of Tampa, Florida.

Auto Finance Summit Was a Big Hit!

10/11/2016

It was great seeing everyone who attended the Auto Finance Summit 2016. Thank you to everyone who helped make it such a successful event. We will see you next time!

We Are Going To Las Vegas!

9/27/2016

United Field Chase will be attending the Auto Finance Summit next week in Las Vegas! We look forward to this opportunity and hope to see you there.

VIEW OUR AUTO SUMMIT 2016 EMAIL

U.S. Marks September 11th Anniversary

9/11/2016

The United States is marking the 15th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks, when al-Qaida terrorists hijacked four planes and flew them into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon near Washington, while one crashed in rural Pennsylvania.

President Barack Obama observed a moment of silence at the White House Sunday at 8:46 a.m., when the first of the four hijacked planes slammed into the World Trade Center, before speaking at a ceremony at the Pentagon, the U.S. military headquarters, honoring those killed in the attacks.

"We remember and we will never forget the nearly 3,000 beautiful lives taken from us so cruelly," Obama said. "We wonder how their lives might have unfolded, how their dreams might have taken shape."

As they have been in past 9/11 commemorations in New York, the names of the 2,983 killed that horrifying day were read slowly by their relatives as music played in the background. As daylight ends Sunday in New York, spotlights will project two giant beams of light into the sky to represent the fallen twin towers of the World Trade Center.

A September 11 Museum has been erected on the New York site where the World Trade Center once stood, housing artifacts and photographs connected to the attack.

At the Pentagon, the 184 people who died on September 11, 2001 are honored with 184 benches over pools of water. A huge American flag was draped from the roof of the headquarters of the country's Defense Department on the side of the building where the attack occurred.

Safety and Awareness Training

9/8/2016

It was our pleasure and honor having Sergeant Brandi DelVecchio visit our offices today! Sergeant DelVecchio provided our team with invaluable training on safety and awareness. The training was vital for not only protecting our United Field Chase family of employees, but their families as well. We truly appreciate her taking the time out of her busy schedule to provide expert advice to our team. A special thank you to the Coconut Creek Police Department for sending a true professional.

Here's Why We Celebrate Labor Day

8/30/2016

Labor Day Parade in 1899 in Buffalo, New York

Here's what you need to know about one of America's most important holidays.

The first Monday of September means that white clothes are out, sales are in, summer holidays are over and classes begin. For many of us (but far from all of us), it’s a welcome day off of work or school, ahead of what is likely to be a busier month than the last.

But the Labor Day holiday has a storied past, one of violence and celebration, that’s embedded deep in the history of the American labor movement. And while it has spread around the world in different forms, Labor Day has distinctly American roots.

Here’s a quick primer on the meaning and history of the holiday.

When did Labor Day begin?

The modern holiday is widely traced back to an organized parade in New York City in 1882. Union leaders had called for what they had labelled a “monster labor festival” on Tuesday, Sept. 5, according to Linda Stinson, a former historian for the Department of Labor (the idea for a general labor festival may have originated in Canada, which today also celebrates “Labour Day” on the first Monday in September). Initially that morning, few people showed up, and organizers worried that workers had been reluctant to surrender a day’s pay to join the rally. But soon the crowds began flowing in from across the city, and by the end of the day some 10,000 people had marched in the parade and joined festivities afterward in what the press dubbed “a day of the people.”

When did it become an official holiday?

The practice of holding annual festivities to celebrate workers spread across the country, but Labor Day didn’t become a national holiday for more than a decade. Oregon became the first state to declare it a holiday in 1887, and states like New York, Massachusetts and Colorado soon followed suit. Under President Grover Cleveland, and amid growing awareness of the labor movement, the first Monday in September became a national holiday in 1896.

Why is it on the first Monday in September anyway?

Labor union leaders had pushed for a September date for the New York demonstration, which coincided with a conference in the city of the Knights of Labor, one of the largest and most influential of the unions. The first two New York City Labor Days took place on the 5th of September, but in 1884, the third annual New York City Labor Day holiday was scheduled for the first Monday in September, and that date stuck.
The September rally would soon clash with International Worker’s Day on May 1, which arose out of what is known as the Haymarket Affair. On May 4, 1886, protesters in Chicago gathered to demand an 8-hour workday. Toward the end of the day, a peaceful demonstration devolved into violence when a bomb was hurled toward the police, killing one officer instantly and injuring others. The police responded by firing into the crowd, killing a still undetermined number of people. The incident enraged labor activists but also fueled fears in America that the labor movement had become radicalized, prompting a crackdown on labors groups: the bomb thrower was never identified, but four people were hanged for their alleged involvement.
In the wake of the Haymarket Affair, Union leaders and socialists declared May 1 as International Workers’ Day, and the day was and continues to be unofficially observed in the U.S. It’s also that date that most other countries officially or unofficially observe as a holiday in honor of workers. But when President Grover Cleveland moved to create a national labor holiday, he chose to avoid the thorny history of that May date.

So what’s the difference between Labor Day and May Day (International Workers’ Day) in the U.S.?

Jonathan Cutler, associate professor of sociology at Wesleyan, described Labor Day as a “government alternative” to May Day in an informative interview with NPR about the Haymarket Affair. May Day may have helped promote the creation of a national holiday, but Labor Day is associated with a different significance. “May Day has always been linked to the demand for less work and more pay; Labor Day celebrates the ‘dignity’ of work,” Cutler said in the interview.

We have Monday off, but does the labor community still actually celebrate the holiday?

Yep. To this day there is still a major parade in New York City (and other cities across the country, large and small), and the #UnionStrong will probably make a big showing on Twitter. It’s true that union membership has been declining for years, but many of the challenges that faced workers more than a century ago are still being overcome today, whether by the growing movement for higher wages in the fast food industry or by overworked tech and finance employees calling for better hours.
“If there is anyone who needs to attend to the spirit of Haymarket, it is the American white-collar professional who works 10 hour days, including many weekends, and who has fewer paid vacation days than other white-collar professionals around the world,” Cutler said in the interview with NPR.

So, are white clothes really out?
Yes and no.

Source: time.com