Imagine something like a medic bracelet for your car,a device that would identify you quickly in the event of an accident.
If automakers buy into the idea being tested by Irvine-based Kia Motors America Inc., auto dealers could have another way to attract and retain customers. Roadside Tele-matics Corp. in Newport Beach has been working on such a thing for a few years now,RoadMedic Key Registry.
It’s tested the product with Ford Motor Co. and now more extensively with Kia.
The way it works: When a customer buys a car at a dealership, his or her keys would be registered and emergency information about the customer would be entered into Roadside Telematics’ database.
The key medallion would need to be in the ignition following the accident for the system to work.
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South Coast Plaza: men’s shoes, beauty boutique coming |
The premise is that emergency workers or those first on the scene of an accident would be able to notify the next of kin quicker, said Lawrence Williams, Roadside Telematics’ chief executive.
With a relative advocating on behalf of the accident victim, the person is likely to get better healthcare, he said.
The usual method of identifying someone who’s been in an accident is rummaging for emergency information in the glove box and running the vehicle identification number. Those techniques don’t necessarily lead to the correct information, Williams said.
The big picture for the automakers and auto dealers is that they can expand their services, and, in theory, build brand loyalty and keep customers.
“It costs less to retain a customer than it costs to get a new one,” he said.
The service would become part of the roadside assistance program, which would be sold through dealers. Dealers also would come into the picture after an accident, Williams said, helping drivers buy a new car.
In the past, automakers have been reluctant to be associated with auto accidents, Williams said. But the idea has become more appealing as automakers aim to be more competitive, he said.
The goodwill of helping customers after they’ve been in an accident also helps to lower product liability lawsuits, he said.
A simple enough idea, but Williams said it’s been a hard sell to venture capitalists. The company is making money from its pilot programs, he said.
If Kia decides to add the service to its roadside assistance package, the service would be sold per auto, Williams said. Other automakers likely would follow suit, he said. Roadside assistance took 25 years to become a standard package for most automakers, he said.
Store Openings
South Coast Plaza is set to open 12 stores in spring and summer, including two shoe stores for men and two beauty products boutiques. And don’t forget H & M; Hennes & Mauritz’s two stores set to open April 12. Calypso Christiane Celle opens a 2,100-square-foot shop in May.
Marni, an Italian clothing, handbag and accessories boutique, plans to open a 2,400-square-foot store at the shopping center in August. Designer Consuelo Castiglioni and her husband, Gianni Castiglioni, own the chain, known originally for its furs. Chief Executive Gianni Castiglioni hails from a family fur company.
Founded in 1994, Marni has $100 million in annual sales and has been courted for purchase, according to the Wall Street Journal. The Castiglionis have said they’re not selling.
John Lobb, a London-based men’s leather shoe shop, expects to open in summer. Shoes are handmade,carved from wooden molds, according to the customer’s precise foot measurements taken by a “fitter.” Shoemaker Lobb has been described as the male Imelda Marcos. His shoes can cost a few thousand.
Another men’s shoe boutique, Allen-Edmonds, plans to open a 1,500-square-foot shop in August. The Allen-Edmonds Shoe Co. isn’t from Italy or London, but rather Port Washington, Wis., where it was founded in 1922. Shoes are made in Wisconsin and Maine.
Simon Pearce, a maker of hand-blown glass and pottery, is readying a 1,100-square-foot store to open in May. Simon Pearce was founded in 1971 in Kilkenny, Ireland. In 1980, Pearce moved operations to Quechee, Vt., where it is today. Stores are mainly on the East Coast. Simon Pearce has one other California store in San Francisco.
Molton Brown, a London-based botanical beauty products store, is set to open a 720-square-foot boutique in May. The chain sells products with exotic names such as Celestial Maracuja Bathing Nectar and heavenly Gingerlily Shimmer Oil.
Bare Escentuals opens an 810-square-foot shop in April. The San Francisco cosmetic maker, public since 2006, makes products that aim for the natural look. It sells through its own boutiques and retailers, such as Ulta Cosmetics and Sephora, spas and infomercials.
Jewelry, watch and gift boutique Movado will open a 2,100-square-foot store in April. The Paramus, N.J., chain owns and operates about 60 boutique and outlet stores in the U.S.
Environment Furniture, an “eco-conscious” furniture maker from Los Angeles, plans to open a 2,800-square-foot store in July. It has three showrooms, one in Las Vegas, L.A. and High Point, N.C.
Movado, Bare Escentuals, Calypso Christiane Celle and Marni are OC exclusives for South Coast Plaza. Allen-Edmonds, Simon Pearce and John Lobb are exclusives for Southern California. Molton Brown and Environment Furniture are West Coast exclusives.
