Guidepoint Statement on Shaquille O’Neal Lawsuit

Several Websites have recently posted articles on Shaquille O’Neal being accused of using a GPS tracking system to monitor his wife’s vehicle. The articles mention Guidepoint as the provider of this service. More specifically, they state that he “hired 'Guidepoint,' a company to place a GPS tracking system on her car.”

To clarify, Guidepoint is a manufacturer and service provider and sells its products through resellers, which in turn service consumers. Guidepoint’s only direct contact with consumers is via its call center, which handles customer issues and manages service plans. Guidepoint does not perform installations directly for consumers, businesses or other entities.

Further, while our systems are certainly capable of tracking a vehicle via GPS, we certainly do not condone uses of this nature, or of any nature in which a device is added to a person’s vehicle without his or her knowledge.

Guidepoint Systems provides drivers with peace of mind through a three-pronged approach:

1) a state-of-the-art, GPS-enabled tracking unit that is installed in the vehicle, allowing the owner to be aware and informed of the vehicle’s location and movement to prevent or deter theft or vandalism; and

2) a comprehensive service suite—the center of which is a U.S. based call center—that provides Guidepoint members with roadside assistance, driving directions, concierge services and notification of emergency services in an accident. In addition, we work with police in the event of a vehicle theft to help them locate the stolen vehicle quickly and efficiently.

3) Finally, Guidepoint members receive discounts and benefits on travel, electronics and other services through our vendor partners.

It is our policy, as is the policy of our retail partners, to sell and install our systems on vehicles as requested by the vehicle’s owner, with his or her full knowledge. Retailers who violate this policy are subject to cancellation and/or consequences of any legal proceedings resulting from the inappropriate use of Guidepoint equipment and services.

Who Works With Law Enforcement? We do!

There are people who see what we do as buying insurance: something you feel good having but hope you never have to use. But when the unthinkable happens, and you really do need it, you're more than glad it's there -- and sometimes, even more good comes out of it than you anticipated. Take this story, which will appear in Guidepoint's Summer edition of its "To the Point" newsletter:

On July 8, Guidepoint Service Representative Charlesetta “Charlie” Smith received a call from customer Robert G., who said he was robbed at gunpoint that morning in Detroit, MI, and the thieves took his car 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix along with his wallet.

Charlie immediately called authorities and the case was handled by Sgt. Jim Vogler, who is part of the area's Stolen Vehicle Task Force. Charlie then activated the Guidepoint unit inside the vehicle and helped to guide officers to its location.

But due to the nature of the crime, instead of recovering the vehicle, the officers decided to watch it to arrest the suspects. Their patience paid off when the suspects appeared, got in the stolen vehicle and drove off.

Eventually, they led officers to a location where two additional stolen vehicles were found. Sensing trouble, the thieves left the original vehicle and took off in the other two cars in order to thwart capture. But multiple police units were able to follow both vehicles, and after a dangerous car and foot chase, the suspects were finally arrested.

Sgt. Frank Carroll, who was slightly injured in the chase with superficial cuts, thanked Charlie—and Guidepoint—for their assistance.

Not bad for a single Guidepoint unit, a caring call center representative and a proactive law enforcement team -- 3 vehicles for the price of 1!

We Triple-Teamed 'Em!

Hey Everyone,
We're happy to announce that we received a "Value Chain" Award from Connected World magazine! As a service provider to Chrysler, we were honored along with T-mobile in the Automotive Category of the award. It just shows that partnership pays off. Read the press release below.

Guidepoint Honored With Connected World Value Chain Award

Guidepoint, Chrysler and T-Mobile Team Up to Take Silver at Value Chain Awards Gala

July 1, 2011 – Madison Heights, MI – Guidepoint Systems recently announced it was recognized at the Value Chain Awards Gala, held June 16 at the Lincolnshire Marriott Resort outside of Chicago. Connected World magazine, which covers connectivity trends and mobile lifestyles, presented the Silver Level – Automotive Category Value Chain Award to the team of Chrysler, Guidepoint and T-Mobile in recognition of successful adoption of “machine to machine” (M2M) and connectivity solutions for 2011.

“It’s a very cool award to receive,” said Tom Gafford, Guidepoint co-founder and chief technology officer. “We’re proud to be recognized alongside our partners, who enable us to provide safety, security and peace of mind to drivers of Chrysler vehicles. We look forward to continued innovations in the connectivity space and even more features for end users.”

Other categories for the award included Healthcare, Connected Home, Energy, Hospitality, Public Safety and Fleet Management.

Connected World Magazine presents these awards each year to companies and partnerships that have demonstrated successful implementation of M2M technology.

About GuidePoint Systems: Sold through more than 2,500 new and pre-owned dealerships nationwide, Guidepoint integrates GPS, advanced wireless technology, the Web and 24/7/365 response centers to deliver a variety of services to vehicle owners and fleet managers. Rated the #1 stolen-vehicle tracking solution in 2007 by international research firm Frost & Sullivan, Guidepoint also offers a variety of driver safety, convenience, fleet management and vehicle tracking services. Visit www.guidepointsystems.com or call 1-877-GPS-FIND for more information.

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Helio on Running

You'd probably expect Helio Castroneves to be interviewed about his feats behind the wheel, but in this interview, he's traded 4 "feet" on the asphalt for two: his own.

Castroneves, driver of the Penske Racing No. 3 Guidepoint Systems IndyCar, was recently interviewed by Runner's World on their Website, runnersworld.com, about his love for running and how he uses it to stay in shape for driving. But despite the focus on feet the site, an included video still manages to get some nice shots of the Guidepoint car. Talk about exposure in new places! Click the image below to go to the story.

Start Your Engines! (But Get a Tune-Up First)

Ready for summer? We sure are! Despite all of the rumblings about high gas prices, there’s something about a good old road trip that effectively cancels out pesky worries over fuel. Most people on a budget will simply scrimp on something else; say food, for instance, to fill up the tank and hit the road. If this is you, don’t listen to the naysayers: you’ll have a lot of company on the highway.

But before you head out, be sure to make sure your car is in great shape. (Mine is currently telling me, via an incessant yellow light on the dash, that the rear brakes are getting a little low – must have been all of those handbrake drifting turns I’ve been practicing!) There are plenty of Web sites that list the common parts and functions to check or have your mechanic check: here’s one and here’s another. Just Google ‘Summer Car Care Tips’ and you’ll find plenty more.

If you happen to drive an electric vehicle, be sure to carefully map out your drive to include charging facilities, and overestimate your per-charge traveling distance. Even though the age-old “Last Chance Gas” doesn’t apply to you, “Final Hour of Power” does.

So that’s it from a fellow road lover! Pack healthy snacks, bring iPods for the kids—and have a great time!

From Your Guidepoint Guy and Your Friends at Guidepoint

Rain, Rain, Go Away -- It's Time for Helio to Play!

What a drag -- in preparation for IndyCar's biggest spectacle--the Indianapolis 500--practice for Team Penske was cancelled for a second straight day due to rain, making it 5 straight days that practice has been adversely affected by weather. Here's to hoping the sun will shine soon. Press release follows.

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Bad Weather Cancels Indy 500 Practice for Team Penske for Second Straight Day



SPEEDWAY, Ind. (May, 18, 2011) – Team Penske was once again unable to get valuable track time when Wednesday’s practice session for the 100th anniversary Indianapolis 500 was canceled because of rain.

The team’s three drivers – Ryan Briscoe, Helio Castroneves and Will Power – will try again Thursday, when weather conditions appear to be more favorable.

“It’s kind of like the same story all over again,” said Castroneves. “We came close to getting on track today, but once again, Mother Nature had something else in mind for us. We’ll just work a little harder when we do get a chance to run – hopefully tomorrow. Things are looking good on the Shell V-Power Pennzoil Ultra Team Penske car and we’ll be ready to go as soon as we get the opportunity.”


The cars were pulled to the pits at mid-afternoon Wednesday, but a persistent mist kept the cars off the track.

“Unfortunately the weather hampered our chances of getting back out on track again today, which tests our patience with not being able get more laps done here in Indy,” said Briscoe. “It’s frustrating, but knowing we have such good data to fall back on here at Team Penske keeps us from getting too anxious just yet. Hopefully tomorrow provides better weather and we can get back to work in the No. 6 IZOD Team Penske car.”


This marks the fifth consecutive day in which practice was affected by poor weather. Sunday’s session also was rained out, and portions of Saturday, Monday and Tuesday were delayed because of bad weather.

“It was just a waiting game today,” said Power. “We almost had the chance to run. Two days in a row of not getting on track is kind of a bummer. The Verizon car is in great shape and I have every confidence that the team will give me a fast race car. It is definitely going to be busy when we finally do get on track. On a positive note, I’ve had plenty of time to meet with the media and our sponsors over the last couple of days. Let’s hope we can get on track Thursday for fans and drivers alike.”

Action is scheduled to resume at 12 p.m. ET Thursday. Pole qualifying is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. ET Saturday, with the race set for May 29.

The First (But Not Last) Post About Guidepoint's #3 Car

As many of you know, Guidepoint has entered into a sponsorship agreement with Penske Racing, which means the No. 3 car, driven by Helio Castroneves, will be adorned with Guidepoint black and red for several races this season.

Helio is a seasoned driver and former Indy 500 champion, and probably one of the most personable and enthusiastic guys you'll ever meet. We got the opportunity to chat with him at the Toyota Grand Prix on April 17. You could see his passion for the sport as he talked about the ins and outs of his car, racing style and tactics. We couldn't have picked a better spokesperson.

Unfortunately, his racing day didn't mirror his "impact" (no pun intended) on fans as he accidentally ran into a team member's car during the race. And while Guidepoint wasn't the title sponsor for this particular race, we certainly wish him luck in all his outings.

That said, when he does cross the finish line in first place--which he inevitably will--we hope to see the Guidepoint logo across his chest!

Exclusivity? It's a Good Thing

We're all jugglers. Every day we have to prioritize and re-prioritize to get stuff done, and by the end of the day, we're lucky if we got two things finished on our seemingly unending to-do lists.

But what if you could just concentrate on one task, and not have to worry about other things competing for your time and attention? Think of how much better the results of that task would be.

Essentially, that's what Guidepoint has done in its recent agreement with Micorp, a product distributor in Auburn, Mass. Micorp will be the exclusive provider of Guidepoint products to retailers, dealerships and expediters in the New England area.

Both parties agreed to the arrangement in order to spend less time worrying about competition, and more time building the product's name--and as a result--Micorp's Guidepoint sales.

Click here to read the complete press release at Guidepoint Central on Facebook.

Guidepoint and Galpin: Together at Last

It's amazing what a trip to California can do.

Rand Mueller, Guidepoint's president and CEO, recently flew out to visit Galpin Motors, the world's largest Ford dealer. He went to meet the man who runs it all--owner Bert Boeckmann--and finalize what will be a great deal for both companies.

In the meeting, Bert was kind enough to pen a testimonial to attest both Guidepoint's products and business practices. "Guidepoint products are easy to sell, easy to install and easy to use,” he wrote. “That is critical in today’s fast-paced environment where customers frequently do extensive research on cars and accessories before they visit the dealership, and transaction times are half what they used to be.”

Galpin has actually been selling Guidepoint stolen vehicle recovery systems for about a year, which is what makes this meeting all the more impactful. First meetings are often highlighted by the hopeful promise of the working relationship, but in this case, both parties could talk about actual results.

"By selling Guidepoint through our F & I offices, we offer customers a highly valued, competitively priced product that can protect the investment they’ve made in their vehicle and, more importantly, their passengers and loved ones,” continued Boeckmann. “Just as importantly, Guidepoint is customer focused and does business the same way Galpin Motors does – by doing things right and treating people the way you want to be treated.”

In Japan, Not All Can be Swept Away

Working for a company that provides peace of mind to thousands of people nationwide, it's always disturbing to witness or experience an event in which the devastation is beyond our control. Seeing the infrastructure of a country--and all of the elements of the lives within it--washed away like toys in a bathtub, only brings this point home.

Yet, despite all the physical damage, the stories that will ultimately rise to the top are the personal ones, in which family members lament the loss of loved ones or rejoice in reunion. This also tells us something: that the connections we make--not our properties, salaries, experience or accomplishments--are our true value, and cannot be dissolved by disaster.

The Guidepoint family sends its heartfelt thoughts and prayers to those affected by the tragedy in Japan. And as we all hope for news of more lives saved and a full recovery, let's also hug our loved ones and tell them how much they mean to us.

If Your Engine Sounds Louder All of a Sudden ...

Can you imagine? You get into the front seat of your smart, economical, stylish sedan, insert and turn the key (or press the button as is the new fad on cars these days) ... and VROOOOOM!
Not the usual vrooom! you're used to hearing, but one reminiscent of a Harley-Davidson firing up right next to you. Well, if this happens, it probably means some thief just took your catalytic converter.

Insurance company GEICO reported today that stealing catalytic converters is the new "thing" as the components can be used in drug production and therefore have a high street value. What's worse, the theft is not as complicated as it sounds: a guy cuts it out with a handheld power saw and he's gone.

So what kind of precautions can you take against this growing threat? Park in well-lit areas or areas with protection or limited entry. Add this extra step to avoid becoming a victim ... and a noise menace.

Carmakers turn to Guidepoint for GPS tracking

Today, we're announcing that Guidepoint has been selected to supply our GPS-based vehicle tracking and recovery solution to Nissan® dealerships nationwide.

It's a factory-branded accessory, which means it will be sold as a Nissan-branded part, but it's "powered by Guidepoint" -- in other words, we designed, engineered and built the unit, and will provide all the services. The new Nissan VTRS, as it's called, also utilizes wireless connectivity by T-Mobile USA to ensure maximum nationwide coverage for vehicle tracking and recovery services.

This is actually the second factory-branded accessory program we've launched in the last month or so. A few weeks ago, Chrysler announced its new Electronic Vehicle Tracking System to the press. Guidepoint is also the exclusive supplier of technology and services for that program.

Reporter Rachel Smith notes in a story for U.S. News and World Report: "Technology is revolutionizing the way we drive. There’s the voice-activated Ford SYNC system, On-Star and navigation systems -- among others -- that make driving easier. Mopar adds another system to the list: the Electronic Vehicle Tracking System (EVTS), which helps locate stolen vehicles and features a nationwide tracking system. EVTS is available with Chrysler models."

For some of us at Guidepoint, this is starting to feel a little bit like deja vu all over again. Back in the old days when we worked at Code-Alarm, we saw some of our innovations (e.g., key fobs, remote starters) move from aftermarket niche products to dealer accessories parts and, eventually, factory-installed equipment.

Likewise, we've seen GPS tracking move from a very niche-oriented product 10 years ago to a desirable solution that the consumer market has embraced. As the car companies roll out GPS tracking out as a factory-branded part, it will expose the category to even more consumers; at some point, the penetration will reach a point where the car makers want to put one on virtually every vehicle. It's a story that's happened a hundred times - from intermittent windshield wipers to air-conditioning to FM radios.

The difference with GPS tracking, of course, is that we're not just selling "parts." Let's face it, creating a black box with a GPS receiver and wireless modem is easy; providing the back-end software and delivering the service to consumers is the hard part. When someone has their car stolen or is lost in the middle of the night, they don't want to talk to a tech; they want to talk to someone who can solve their problem. Our decade of experience in handling stolen vehicle recoveries and delivering services like driving directions, towing help, or emergency dispatch are what make us different from virtually everyone else in the industry except for OnStar.

Here's what Rand had to say about today's announcement: “Location-based services using the pinpoint accuracy of GPS are gaining in popularity, and we’re excited to be working with Nissan to offer this very unique safety, security and convenience accessory,” said Rand Mueller, founder and chief executive officer of Guidepoint. “We’ve developed a comprehensive system that’s easy to sell, easy to install and easy to use. We’re confident that Nissan dealerships will recognize the significant value they can provide their customers with this accessory product.”

Transforming a cost center into a profit center

We're announcing something today that's pretty exciting for the company because we think it's kind of a "game changer" in one of the channels we serve. It's a new solution for the buy-here pay-here (BHPH) market that we call Recover It.

For the uninitiated, BHPH dealers sell cars to credit challenged customers and, in many cases, will put a device like ours on the car to make sure the customer pays the loan. If the car owner misses payments, our device can be used to send a payment reminder -- in the form of an annoying buzzer everytime they turn on the car -- or to interrupt the starter. In the worst cases, the dealer can use the GPS to track the vehicle and recover it.

We've been in the BHPH market for several years now, but haven't had an amazing amount of success primarily because we sell on value rather than price. Our device works very well and provides a number of functions that other devices don't. Still, lots of BHPH dealers think we're "too expensive" because we cost a a couple bucks more and devices like ours are a necessary evil they don't want to spend money on.

That's why we're psyched today because we've got a new solution that turns this "cost center" into a potential profit center for BHPH dealers. Recover It is a new GPS-based solution that provides payment assurance technology, but also allows a dealer to sell highly valued stolen vehicle recovery services to credit challenged customers.

Werner Scherz, who runs our finance and BHPH channels, puts it this way: “There’s no shortage of companies that can make a low-priced black box with GPS capabilities and $0 in monthly fees. By adding highly valued services into the mix, we've created a total solution that can be a profit center for dealers rather than a cost center. Most importantly, the customer gets some great benefits, including Guidepoint’s award-winning stolen vehicle recovery service and, in many cases, a discount on auto insurance. This is truly a win-win for both dealer and customer.”

The cool thing is that we're one of a handful of companies that can actually do this. Since we launched in 2002, we've been doing stolen vehicle recovery. We're really good at it. The company has a 98 percent recovery rate, with most vehicles recovered in less than two hours.

“Working with law enforcement to provide safe, effective stolen vehicle recovery service is something that takes years to develop,” said Rand Mueller, founder and chief executive officer. “Guidepoint has invested in fully staffed 24/7/365 response centers in Dallas, Detroit and Mexico that work with law enforcement every day to safely recover stolen vehicles across the country and in Central America.”

Werner is out in Las Vegas at a conference for BHPH dealers today and tomorrow to introduce Recover It. Should be an interesting couple of days for him.

Analyst report touts Guidepoint

Here's an interesting post by an analyst at a company called Strategy Analytics.   He really seems to "get" where our industry is going, and he's pretty much right on target about how we're trying to compete against Lojack.

We've never made it a secret that we compete with Lojack.   While they've been around for more than a quarter century -- compared to about a decade for us -- we believed that we've "built a better mousetrap" with Guidepoint.  Our technology is better (in our humble opinion) and we have spent a lot of time and energy developing our service by working with law enforcement around the country.   Take a quick read of the report...it's pretty insightful.

GPS helping car dealers locate new profit centers

Over the past decade, Guidepoint has established itself as a leader in consumer services for vehicle owners, including stolen vehicle recovery, tracking and convenience services. We've won awards from global firms that track the industry and have gotten plenty of media write-ups about recovering stolen cars and helping out our customers.

While recognition from analysts and reporters is nice, we know that the opinions that matter most are those of our customers and, to be perfectly frank, the car dealers who sell our products. Since our launch in 2002, we've worked with thousands of car dealerships across the country to sell, install and service Guidepoint units in customer vehicles around the U.S. They make a fair profit and are never shy about giving us feedback on the product and our services. In fact, many of them end up using Guidepoint on their dealership vehicles (e.g., parts trucks, loaner cars, etc.)

That's what's lead us to expand the range of services we can offer from "consumer" to "business-to-business" services. Today, Guidepoint offers a complete suite of services to assist car dealership and automotive finance companies enhance their profitability, including payment assurance devices, lot protection, loaner car protection and more. Dealers and finance companies can learn more at www.gpsdealersolutions.com or by calling 1-877-477-3463 for more information.

Sales team expands with NY, NJ rep

We're announcing another addition to the team today: Ralph V. Castronuovo, who's joining the company as sales manager for the New York and New Jersey markets.

Ralph has been around the car biz for a number of years, working both in the aftermarket parts business and the auto loan industry. At Guidepint, he's going to be responsible for developing our business among new vehicle dealerships as well as dealerships and finance companies specializing in pre-owned vehicles.

Prior to joining Guidepoint, Castronuovo was Eastern Regional Account Manager for El-Segundo, Calif.-based National Payment Network, Inc. He brings considerable sales experience in both aftermarket products and automotive financial services, including work with several top-tier dealer groups in New England and the Mid-Atlantic states. Previously, he was a senior account executive at Union, N.J.-based Auto Action Group, Inc.

Rich Zeichner, our veep of sales, had this to say: “We’re very pleased to have Ralph join the Guidepoint team. His background in automotive financial services and aftermarket products is a perfect combination for helping dealerships understand the solutions Guidepoint offers, including stolen vehicle, tracking, payment assurance and fleet management. As dealerships look for ways to increase their profitability, Guidepoint offers them a unique solution that is easy to sell, easy to install and easy to administer.”

Welcome aboard, Ralph!

Growth = opportunity

One of the great rewards of working at an emerging growth company is watching people develop - and being able to give them new opportunities. Today's blog is about one such opportunity because we're getting ready for a growth spurt at Guidepoint.

The next few months ought to be pretty interesting at our primary call center in Fort Worth, Texas. The addition of new products and services for two new automotive OEMs is going to cause a significant uptick in activation, tech service and service calls for Guidepoint.

Fortunately, the guy in charge of our services, Clyde Landis, is way ahead of the curve in terms of planning, hiring and execution. He's in the process of hiring more activation specialists to handle increased volume that we should see throughout the summer and fall months. In order to properly hire, train and manage a larger team, he's promoted Pam Bilbrey to the post of Inside Sales Manager, effective June 14. Pam's been with the company for a couple of years and has proven herself in a variety of roles.

Here's what Clyde says about his new inside sales manager: "Pam brings a wealth of sales experience to the table; we all have seen that. But, she also has great judgment and a unique ability to train and develop talent regardless of skill set. Take a few minutes to congratulate her now while she can appreciate it; as of June 14, she won’t have the time."

Congrats Pam!

Global research firm honors Guidepoint

Later today, the global research firm Frost & Sullivan will be announcing that Guidepoint has been given the 2010 North American Frost & Sullivan Award for Customer Value Enhancement. The award recognizes our work to establish Guidepoint as a preferred vehicle tracking solutions supplier to both OEMs and the aftermarket in North America.

We're pretty stoked to receive this honor, especially when we were selected from others in the industry -- including some much larger and much older competitors, as well as the plethora of small companies that sell black boxes and pings.

“While there are some aftermarket suppliers for vehicle tracking systems, they are either too small to offer comparable benefits to those offered by GuidePoint or are geographically limited,” says Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst, Ratika Garg. “Besides end users, GuidePoint offers benefits to distributors and installers as well since the system is easy to install and can be reconfigured quickly and cost-effectively based on customer demand.”

Frost & Sullivan found a number of noteworthy features in Guidepoint's technology, including the fact that it's easily programmable, our new Smartphone apps and our power management. The report on the research award note: "The GuidePoint device is easily programmable and new features can easily be rolled out to existing customers by making changes to the software through wireless downloads to the unit. The configuration is such that functionalities and services can be adapted to customer needs, making the system highly customizable.

The company offers applications for users of smartphones such as the Droid®, iPhone®, and the Blackberry®. An innovative element of the GuidePoint system is that all antennas are embedded within the device, which makes the installation process robust and simple. Another innovative element is power management. The GuidePoint device draws minimal power from the vehicle, resulting in a highly energy efficient product. Further, focus on quality remains strong. The GuidePoint system is EMC-tested and is expected to last virtually the entire life of a vehicle. GuidePoint installers are trained directly by the company and accredited. Master technicians are brought into GuidePoint, trained and given certifications, ensuring a consistency in service delivery."

Our CTO, Tom Gafford will be receiving the actual award, but we all know that the trophy is just really a symbol of the hard work by our research, product development, marketing and customer services teams.  To everyone on the Guidepoint team, take a bow.

Pushing for Money, Not Just Metal

Here's a nice Q&A from Auto Remarketing News with Werner Scherz, who runs our finance and buy-here pay-here (BHPH) channel for Guidepoint. He makes some great points in here relative to using GPS systems for credit challenged customers.

The reality is that lots of dealers sell black boxes to BHPH dealers and finance companies with the pitch of: "We're cheap, and if the customer skips, you can use our system to get the car back."

Our approach is different. Our SurePay solution is based on the notion that dealers don't really want the car back from the customer. What they want is for the customer to pay their loan every time a payment is due. Our system offers a multi-step approach to changing behavior and getting customers to pay, including payment reminder and starter-interrupt functions as well as a regimen that's proven to work. Take a read.

Tech support team gets MECP certified

Many of us at Guidepoint have been around the mobile electronics business for several decades, and we know there is one thing you can always count on: technology doesn't always work.

There are lots of reasons why a product fails to deliver the expected performance, whether it be user error, installer error, product defect or my personal favorite: gremlins. When things don't work, we try to take an immediate and practical path: "Fault is irrelelvant. What's relevant is fixing the problem."

Enter our tech support team. Lead by James Wood (or "Woody" as he's known to everyone), Guidepoint's tech support team is really a customer-service unit in disguise. When stuff isn't working, they diagnose, advise and help fix the problem as quickly as possible. To that end, Woody has put his team through the paces of becoming MECP certified under the Mobile Electronics Certified Professionals program. Each of them has spent time in the classroom and under the dash to learn all the "what can go wrongs" in an installation and help create "Best Practices" for installers around the country. Currently, we have six MECP certified techs on staff that work 'round the clock.

"If a consumer has a problem in the middle of the night, we need to be able to assist," Woody explains. "Our products and services are evolving constantly as GPS and wireless technology advances, and vehicles are becoming more and more computerized. MECP certification provides an installer the necessary knowledge to integrate aftermarket accessories into today’s complex vehicles. This also proves to employers and customers that you have a professional commitment to expanding your knowledge of the job."

Tech support members include, Stephen Escamilla, Cesar Salas, Blake Mize, James Woody. There are also two employees on the graveyard shift (11 p.m. - 7 a.m.) that took part in the MECP training: Bryan Martinez, Chris Okon.