DealerSocket has joined forces with its customers to help Canadians impacted by the wildfires that have engulfed Fort McMurray, Alta.
The automotive solutions provider said that all setup fees collected in May and June are given to the Canadian Red Cross in support of those affected by the wildfires. Sam Rizek, Director of Sales and Business Development for DealerSocket, is spearheading the campaign.
“As a Canadian, we get really sentimental when another Canadian is suffering. Most times everyone does a one time donation and it’s done. We thought it would be a lot more impactful if we can actually involve our customers. It’s new business and prior customers. We get to do this with them. So it’s not just us giving, it’s them too, and they know they’re helping,” said Rizek in an interview with Canadian auto dealer.
Current customers are able to donate, and new customers that are charged setup fees are able to have that money go straight to the Canadian Red Cross.
“We’ve gotten great feedback from customers. One hundred per cent is going to help Canadians. We’re not waiving setup fees, and Canadian dealers are good at understanding that. I feel like it gives them peace of mind as to what kind of company we are. Everything has been really positive, no one has said anything negative,” said Rizek.
In a relief effort of this magnitude, every penny counts, said Rizek.
The donations that DealerSocket is getting from setup fees can create a significant impact on residents in Fort McMurray, he added. “It can be from $500 setups to $7,000, depending
on the scenarios. It’s a lot of money that we can donate.”
“This is the benefit of working for a bigger company. I just had to send it to my CMSO Matt and it was accepted right away. There was no hesitation. They were on board from the start,” said Rizek.
Overall, Rizek said the company hopes to generate a lump sum based off of last year’s numbers, which would be $30,000 to $50,000.
“We’ve gotten off on a strong start, which means a really strong donation for Fort McMurray,” said Rizek.
“How quickly and easily do we forget and go on to the next big story? Meanwhile, these people are in the beginning of it. It’s not in front of us in the news and we’re not living there. For us, it lets us see this is still a pretty deep issue that’s going on for a ton of people.”
