Erica Sietsma of Atlantic Automotive Joins the Ask Patty Advisory Board

CarsMagazine.com launches AskPatty.com with automotive advisory panel of automotive- industry expert women.

Sarasota, FL (PRWEB) June 19, 2006 –- CarsMagazine.com announced today that Erica Sietsma, Corporate Training Specialist for Mile One Automotive part of the Atlantic Automotive Group, one of the largest dealer groups in the US (http://www.mileone.com), will join the automotive advisory panel of industry-expert women for their new woman’s portal, AskPatty.com. The Ask Patty website launched June 8, 2006 in conjunction with Carsmagazine.com and provides a safe place for women to get advice on car purchases, maintenance and other automotive related topics online.

In her automotive advisory role, Sietsma will respond to questions from consumer women on automotive related topics and assist consumer women by advising them on car purchases, service and other automotive related topics. The Ask Patty interactive advice blog launched in May of 2006.

“As a member of a large dealership team I know from first-hand experience that buying a new or pre-owned vehicle can either be a lesson in frustration or an exciting and rewarding experience,” says Erica Sietsma, Corporate Training Specialist Atlantic Automotive Group, Mile One. “In surveys, many consumers have rated the vehicle purchasing experience to be somewhere between being sued and having a root canal. Our dealerships can simultaneously help consumers fulfill their automotive needs and exceed their expectations by putting the customer's needs first and providing an unparalleled buying, ownership and service experience. Ask Patty is the resource that all consumers (male and female) can use to see which companies measure up to this level of commitment,” according to Sietsma.

“We congratulate Erica Sietsma and her appointment to the Ask Patty advisory panel of automotive expert women and her efforts to help women consumers improve their experiences with car dealerships,” says David A. Metter, Divisional President of Marketing, MileOne Automotive Group. “Ask Patty will benefit car dealers by improving how they attract, capture, retain and keep loyal the tremendous buying power of women consumers in their respective local markets.”

Sietsma entered the automotive industry just after her graduation from Cornell University with a double concentration in Business and Communications and took a position working for the number one automotive customer relations management software company, Autobase. Sietsma has since worked for CallSource one of the top Call Tracking providers to the automotive industry. Siestma recently became a corporate trainer for the dealership sales and sales management for one of the largest automotive dealer groups in the country, MileOne Automotive part of the Atlantic Automotive Group, which has 65 dealerships on the East Coast.

In Sietsma’s spare time, she runs a book club at the local Barnes and Noble, is the Membership Director for the WAAI, and spends time with her parrot "Olive" and volunteers for Girls, Inc.

“We are very pleased to have Erica Sietsma on the advisory panel,” says Jody DeVere, President of Ask Patty. DeVere continues, “Erica’s keen insight into dealership training practices and hands on experience continues to deepen our offering of shared experience and quality advice for consumer women to draw from. Erica is one of those smart, savvy and talented young rising stars in the automotive industry, an automotive woman professional who is always “in the know,” according to DeVere.

Peter Martin, President of CarsMagazine.com added, “Sietsma’s acceptance of her role on the advisory panel of expert automotive women for Ask Patty will help foster trust and credibility with both women consumers and dealership employees. Sietsma’s report building skills on both fronts will help bridge the “dealer experience” communications gap for women.”

About Ask Patty:
Women purchase half of the vehicles sold in the United States each year, spending over $80 billion. Yet, shopping for and buying a car can be a challenge for women who are first time car buyers or for women who had a bad experience in the past with a car salesman or dealership.

Ask Patty provides women consumers the opportunity to post questions about car buying, selling, repair and maintenance to a panel of expert automotive women. Ask Patty is a safe online place to share and discuss their car buying experiences. Women can submit posts directly to the Ask Patty automotive advice blog by going to http://ww.askpatty.com. The Ask Patty advisory panel of automotive expert women, headed up by Deborah Renshaw -- professional NASCAR driver, and is comprised of women who hold various leadership positions in the automotive industry.

About Cars Magazine:
Founded in 1997 in Long Island, New York, Cars Magazine quickly became one of the leading Used Vehicle Marketing Publications in the Tri State area. Cars Magazine has become an industry leader in marketing pre-owned vehicles and with the launch of http://www.CarsMagazine.com they plan to take their vast experience nationwide. As part of this national expansion they have opened a satellite office in Sarasota Florida.

The executive management of CarsMagazine.com has over 80 years of combined experience in automotive retail, advertising, finance and eMarketing. Their dedication to excellence in customer satisfaction sets CarsMagazine.com apart and ahead of our competitors.

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