Feds Ban Aftermarket 'Autopilot Buddy' for Tesla Drivers

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Feds Ban Aftermarket ‘Autopilot Buddy’ for Tesla Drivers

The primary function of the Autopilot Buddy is to disable a Tesla safety feature that monitors the driver’s hands on the steering wheel and warns the driver when hands aren’t detected, according to NHTSA.

Counterman Staff
By Counterman Staff
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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued a cease-and-desist order to a company that sells the “Autopilot Buddy,” a product marketed as a “Tesla Autopilot nag-reduction device.”

The primary function of the Autopilot Buddy is to disable a Tesla safety feature that monitors the driver’s hands on the steering wheel and warns the driver when hands aren’t detected, according to NHTSA.

“A product intended to circumvent motor vehicle safety and driver attentiveness is unacceptable,” NHTSA Deputy Administrator Heidi King said. “By preventing the safety system from warning the driver to return their hands to the wheel, this product disables an important safeguard, and could put customers and other road users at risk.”

According to the Autopilot Buddy website, Dolder, Falco and Reese Partners is the owner of the Autopilot Buddy trademark and patent. The company notes that it isn’t affiliated with Tesla.

In a letter to the company, NHTSA directs Dolder, Falco and Reese Partners to respond by June 29 and to certify that the company has stopped all U.S. marketing, sales and distribution of the product.

Tesla boasts that all of its vehicles “have the hardware needed for full self-driving capability at a safety level substantially greater than that of a human driver.” However, several high-profile accidents involving Tesla vehicles have prompted greater scrutiny of Tesla’s self-driving features.

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Customer Service: How It’s Done

Customer service should be your number one priority, and it all starts with the greeting.

Eric Garbe
By Eric Garbe
Eric Garbe is a graduate of Columbus State Community College with a degree in Automotive Maintenance Technology. He has extensive independent and dealership field experience as a technician and shop owner and is an ASE Certified Master Technician and former Adjunct Automotive Professor. He has been professionally writing automotive technical articles and documents for many years and in his free time enjoys restoring old cars and creating custom interiors and upholstery.
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This is always an important topic to discuss, because I consider excellent customer service one of the most important tools you can have to earn trust, respect and repeat business from the customers that come through your door. Whether that customer is do-it-yourselfer from across town or the professional repair shop across the street, your business depends on a solid relationship.It’s a subject that I am passionate about, and it’s one that many people are losing touch with. Whether you are communicating to someone in person, on the phone or using some type of social media, good customer service and bad can both exist. You can’t afford the latter, so this is the first in a series of topics which can and should be shared from the front of the shop to the back. No matter which role you hold, you represent the shop and yourself. Customer service should be your number one priority.First on the list is the greeting. From the second a customer walks in the door, they need to know you appreciate them coming in and how important they are to your business. First impressions are everything and here’s the correct way to do it each and every time: look them directly in the eye, smile and say hello!Of course, you can say “Good morning” or “Welcome to Joe’s Autocare,” but it should be a formal greeting and the most important thing is that you have smiled, looked them in the eye and recognized that they have walked through the door.You should always retain a formal greeting until you are on a first-name basis with a customer. Only once you have established that level of relationship is it OK to use the less formal greeting of “Hi,” followed by the person’s name.This greeting does more than just indicate respect and appreciation for someone walking through the door. Most likely there are customers both new and old who are in earshot of your conversation. For newer customers, this continues to build rapport and reinforce their positive view of your shop; they see that you demonstrate respect and treat everyone in the same manner. For repeat customers, even ones that have been coming for years, the greeting is important because the way you treat them is the reason they continue to come.And when a long-time customer comes in and you greet them with “Hi [First Name],” this indicates your appreciation for them and that you’re glad to see them as a person, more than just a customer. New customers that witness this will see that your repeat customers are comfortable enough to be on a first-name basis, another indication of the trust they have in you.

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