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Retail
Fletcher Jones
Mercedes: An Eye-Catching Idea
The newest game in Las Vegas isn’t on The
Strip, it’s at the new, $30 million Fletcher Jones Mercedes
Benz dealership out West Sahara Avenue. The game is guessing what sales,
service, finance, or client centered
message will appear on the various plasma screens that have been
installed in this “Bellagio of
all dealerships.”
Ever the innovators, the Fletcher Jones team has outdone itself in
designing this facility, with amenities
that include a complimentary Starbucks coffee bar, an elegant boutique,
and a full-time manicurist.
“The plasma screens add a lot to our store,” says General Manager
Bernie Schiappa. “They help clients know where things are, what
services we offer. It’s a dealership newsletter on plasma TVs.”
The sleek plasma panels integrate well with the understated mahogany
walls and stone flooring imported from Italy. The visual messaging
system has six locations around Jones’ 205,000 sq. ft. facility,
although
many more can be installed on-site, or even networked among his
various nameplate facilities around town. “Everything we did here we
did for a reason,” says Sales Manager Steve Kaplan. “We get pitched
on many things, but the best ideas come to light.”
The cream that rose to the top for the Jones team was the AxisTV 5.0
system, manufactured by Visix (formerly Tech Electronics, Inc.) of Norcross,
Georgia, and installed by Kelley
Communications of Las Vegas. Far more sophisticated than a simple
character generator, AxisTV
permits different messages (with original or “built-in” backgrounds) to
be created for each screen.
Messages can be “instructed” to stay still, crawl, or scroll
horizontally or vertically. Each can be
changed on a moment’s notice, or scheduled to appear and disappear at
specified times.
“Customers love seeing their name up in lights,” says Sales Assistant
Rene Zemp, who presents vehicles to clients in the spacious designated
delivery bay. “I take a picture of the car, then put it up on the
screen,
and create a personal ‘Welcome and Congratulations’ message. It’s a
lot of fun.” Zemp is the AxisTV “news editor” at Fletcher Jones, and
she operates the whole system from her personal computer behind the
corporate-style reception desk. “I only had a little training, but it’s
so
easy to use I haven’t had any trouble at all. I like playing with it,
and
trying out all the capabilities.”
Zemp’s attractive photo of the boutique’s display of luxury items was
currently on-screen in the main showroom, with a genteel invitation to
browse the shop. Adds Schiappa, “It makes people feel good. We
have more plans for the system. We’re just getting started with it.”
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