Buyout Advice

Trooper receives a lot of emails everyday.  I am apologizing to anyone who as sent me an email, with a story or topic that I have not posted yet. I am trying to post all the emails I receive. Thanks and keep sending in stories, rumors, or topics that you want posted. I will always post your email anonymous.  Here is an email from a former associate that was on the outside and he went through the URey buyout process. I have never experienced anything like it and can not imagine going through the process. Read and judge for yourself.  I worked for a start up that had only 50 employees when I started. I put my mind, soul and body into that small company and watched it grow over the years to over 300 employees. 6 years later we learned that Bob was buying our company and the organization that I helped build took a 180 degree turn over night. The company I worked for made you feel like they were fortunate/lucky to have you as an employee. The new company (UCS/R&R) made you feel like you were lucky to have a job. I will never forget my very first meeting with my new boss, remember this was my first experience with the new UCS/R&R management. One of his very first comments to me was, “You make too much f***ing money. As my jaw hit the floor, he went on to tell me that my salary would be reduced by $30,000 a year and I would get a new compensation plan very shortly. (Nice to meet you too)  After they picked my brain and gathered all the data I shared with them about "their" new company, they changed my title, took away my executive status and told me it wasnt a demotion. What a crock! It was apparent that my days would be numbered because I actually possessed a brain and could think for myself. My down fall was that I actually shared my opinion when asked, even if it differed from my superiors. I didnt know they really didnt want to hear what I had to say. They only give lip service to the old open door policy, if you dare give your opinion it will not be good for you. If you want to keep your job, be a good yes man, tell them what they want to hear and keep a large bottle of lube handy. Heaven help you if you actually share what you really think. My previous job evaluation was near perfect and I won the top award at trip Club Trip for my position. The end of this story was when I was told they no longer needed my services, no reason given. They were nice enough to pay me through the end of that week..Im just glad the decision was made before they sucked every bit of individualism out of me. Everyones experience may not be like this, but I only call it like I experienced it. So, if you are part of a company that has been bought, proceed with caution. 

2009 and Looking forward

I know  is a little bit late in telling everyone Happy New Year, that is because I was hiding under my desk.  Yes a New Year is upon us and I am still around. Somehow I survived 2008, but 2009 is a very large question mark.   has been receiving emails from people who have walked or was shown the door, due to new policies within.  I received an email from an ex-TAC supervisor. His email is quite long, but there is one point I want to share with everyone. It is interesting from a supervisor's point of view how they had to judge people. Please read: The recent lay-off at the TAC. I can tell you that each supervisor was responsible for monitoring negative behavior in regards to the new management and Urey wanted us to rating each employee from best to worse. Let me explain... So if you had a group of 1-25 associates someone in that group had to be a 1(best) and someone had to be a 25 (worse) and everyone between. We also had to monitor how many tickets were being closed per hrs for each associate. So this is how they determine who stays employed and who was let go. Now! This scale resets each year and you guessed it if youre at the bottom of the productive list or talked negative about Urey you WILL be let go next year. Needless to say even if you were a 1 or 2 but expressed your negative opinion about any of the changes you were on the bad list.  I received another email from someone that worked at UCS in the 80's - early 90's. Once again it is a very long email, but he has some very interesting comments. Please read: When I started there was around 200 people, with only one or two black folks. When I quit 7 years later, I forget how many employees, maybe over 400, but still only less than 10 black folks. They also only had a handful of Asian folks. Mainly white, but a good number of Hispanic folks, mainly due to the southeast Texas location, I guess. ....It was kind of cult-ish in some ways. Also kind of nazi/gestapo type techniques. ...This place was a prime example of a "good-ole-boy" ran company. You would do fine if you played the game, kissed-up, and acted like they wanted you to. Wear your hair right, wear the right suit, tie, and shoes, eat in their crappy cafeteria, play their buddy game, oh, and be a white male. Go on their hunting trips and whatever else good-ole-boy get-togethers thay have. Be a "yes-man" brown-nose and you will fit in perfectly. Wow, it's weird to hear how things never changed.  Very interesting insight, meaning this style of business goes back 20 to 30 years. I thought URey was supposed to be a company with forward looking vision.

Loss of many associates...

 By now I am sure you have heard the bad news. The axe fell and many of my co-workers are out of a job. I feel sorry for them, and wish them the best.  Some of the people on the list, I did not know and a few I only knew by name. Some of my friends, I did not even get a chance to say goodbye.  The really scary part, is not knowing if you are next on the list. When you see the person next to you, across from you, behind you all get taken out by the axe, you have to wonder when is it going to be my turn.  Keep in mind I am *NOT* defending Bobo, but how much of this is related to the auto industry? I know many people on this blog will blame Bobo completely, and I am not saying that he is not to blame for some of this.  How much is caused by dealer's downsizing, competition in the market, automotive companies struggling, poor credit, etc? I am sure everyone is saying I am drinking the koolaid, but I did some research.  Look at ADP there stock is way down. Arkona stock has fell. GM, Ford, Chrylser stock is in the dumps. A lot of people in America have serious credit issues. The housing market is crap. The banks are struggling to stay alive.  If Reynolds was still public traded, I guarantee the axe would have come down across the board many times. 

Making news

 Well fellow bloggers we have made some news.   has received an email from a news source trying to document what has been happening to URey.  They are asking for some help. They need to know if the 140 or so layoffs are documented anywhere. Does anyone have an email or a copy of a memo. They would write up a story, but they can not take anonymous postings, as source. They are not going to use anyone's name they just need to have everything documented.   has looked through everything I own and have nothing. This is not a big surprise, because I have no information. I hear and see nothing, because I am kept in the dark on everything. I would like to help, but feel I am useless. So if you want, you can email me and I will pass along the information to the news source.  On another note, I am surprised by the number of postings we are seeing from Texas. I am also glad to hear from people from Bob's other companies, such as Who's calling and Diveriforms. Welcome to the party, because are in for a long ride.  I was thinking the other day (don't laugh). All these years Bob ran all his companies this way. I would have never guessed, that so many lives were affected by this guy. Think before Reynolds this guy was only destroying hundreds of lives on a daily basis. Now he destroys thousands of lives on a daily basis. I guess we are making progress... 

Bad Economy

 Well  still exists for a moment. I somehow survived the last wave of attacks and I am still around. Of course, we never know what is in store for us tomorrow.  I feel like URey is a big ship at sea and we are in the middle of a huge storm. I feel like either jumping off, tossing my cookies, or going below and just take whatever is thrown at me.  I have had conversations with other associates and they seem to feel the same way, so I know I am not alone on this.  Someone had a good comment about things that might have been recorded in audio format, since Bobo never writes anything down. If anyone has a MP3 (audio) file they want me to post anonymously please send it to me. I can upload it to the blog site so everyone can link to it and listen anonymously.  One thing I have learned is Bobo sure is one paranoid dude. I could not believe the lengths he goes through to secure the email server. I knew he was paranoid, but I did not know that. 

Welcome February

 Well  still exists... I know many of my internet friends were wondering. I figured the logo to the left, sums it up.  I have been slammed by emails and comments. A lot of comments and questions in the last couple of weeks.  Let's address each item. 1. We had someone making a comment, that they had a digital recording of Bobo. Another anonymous post explained how the digital file could be uploaded for everyone to listen and still keep everyone anonymous. (we don't want anyone losing a job over this) 2. We have learned that Bobo is paranoid of everyone and everything. Actually I learned he is more paranoid than I previous thought. (unbelievable) 3. Another great comment was the amount of interest on $2.4B debt that Bobo assumed in the merger. The amount owed is a scary thing. I hope the ship stays afloat long enough so I can get into a life raft. 4. I never dreamed this blog would be a major communication tool between URey and there customers. I have learned that thousands of people each day are reading. Customers, competitors, and fellow employees. 5. We have learned that some of the fellow employees would like to buy back URey from evil Bobo and run the company. Never dreamed this would even be mentioned, and yet I overheard someone mention this in the hallway. Of course I don't believe that will ever happen, but then again I never thought Rey would be bought by UCS.  Basically summing everything up, I have come to the conclusion that  knows nothing. 

Texas Tornado

Trooper  thought this sounded like a good topic with all the things happening lately.  I need to address a few concerns I read in the comments section. I was called Bob Brockman by someone and I take exception to that. You can call me any name you want, other than that. (ie. POS, dirt bag, ahole, etc, but not Bob) The next exception I did not like is being called a UCS drone. Please do you really think I would waste my time making posts, if I was a UCS drone? They don't care what you think or complain about. I do however give an outlet for people to vent and talk about what is happening internally at camp URey. I read a comment about Microsoft DMS. Please... I don't want dealers screwed anymore than the next guy, but Microsoft? Did anyone on here actually see a demo at NADA? I did, and I was not impressed. Zero intergration with the OEMs. Without that they might as well stick to Word and Excel. At the rate they are going they have another 5 years of development to catch ADP & Reynolds. Not including all dealers are locked into long term contracts. ADP Drive anyone hear of it? If not do a google search. Interesting product. I don't know if it will really help the dealers or not. I was talking to an ADP dealer the other day and they were complaining about the ADP pricing structure as well. The funny thing this used to be a Rey customer and they jumped ship. The real question is did they jump from one fire to the next? Sure they got away from Bobo, but now they are bending over for ADP. - (Not Bobo)

Fab 4

Trooper  thought this image would be suitable for talking about the URey Fab 4.  Someone in the comments section loves to bash them, so I figured an image might help direct some anger. (maybe on a future post I will get a pic of Bob, and watch the comment section lite up)  Hitting everyone right now is pay cuts.  has not had a pay cut (yet), but I realize I am not immune to this disease. I know a few associates that have received a pay cut for there dedication and hard work. Let me tell you, it feels very rewarding knowing your managers have your back in these hard times (NOT!).  Someone asked if I saw the Microsoft DMS? I saw samples and brochures on the product and I was not impressed. I talked with reps at NADA about the product in great length. The reps thought I was with a dealership because I wore a Dealer badge, so they talked to me about all pieces of the product. They explained how it works, and what intergration points they are working on. I also saw some of the Microsoft partner demos (such as Autosoft, PBS, etc), which once again I was not that impressed. 

Welcome to the Reynolds & Reynolds News & Information site

Welcome to the Reynolds & Reynolds News & Information site. I have been part of the older Reynolds Alumni site for quite some time. I have been reading and writing in the comment section. Lots of information about the way the new company is structured and is being structured. Information within Reynolds is so difficult to come by, hopefully this blog will help with some good news.  I figured I could do my part and start a new blog. Not only about helping past and present Reynolds employees attempt to re-unite, but also to help get some information distributed about what is happening within Reynolds.  This is an open forum and say whatever you want, however everyone gets more out of this site if things are keep clean and mature.  The Christmas party was a huge success. Lots of fellow employees meeting and greeting. Having a good time. Some of the people actually met Bob for the first time.  Please share the good stories about the party.  Welcome,

Bad press does not help matters

The Tropper is asleep at the wheel. I noticed someone posted a comment pertaining to the AN article.  Some very interesting things about the article I would like to point out Reynolds CEO Bob Brockman told Automotive News during an interview in October that its rival has installed 10 or fewer systems. "Since ADP signed up for the GM IDMS program, they've got like one dealer installed," Brockman says. "I might be wrong by a factor of 10; it might be 10. But it isn't many." I have been told many times that our competition is no longer ADP. Why does he care how many dealers ADP has installed?  Bob needs to start to worry about the market share, if he expects Reynolds to survive long term. Sure Reynolds is strong now, but IBM said the same thing before Microsoft made them beg for mercy.  I wish Bob would look at history and learn from it. Look at the companies that dominated, and you can not even find around anymore.  Examples WordPerfect Novel Lotus Borland Commodore Compuserve Just many of examples of tech companies that thought they were great, and next thing you know they are out of business. The software industry moves at an incredible rate.  I really hope all this bad press is not going to effect Reynolds, but I think it will. 

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas! I have been wanting to wish people a Merry Christmas for quite some time now. The problem is I was told by many people that it is against company policy because I might offend someone. I was told the safe thing to say is Happy Holidays.   is hoping that Reynolds will continue to be a dominate player in the dealer market share.  believes in Reynolds and will continue to hold out hope that everything will work out. I have been working at Reynolds for more than 10 years, and I would really hate to see it all go down the tubes. I enjoy the people I work with, and there are some really smart people that work at Reynolds.  I like to think and stay positive, that Bob Brockman will NOT destroy everything that made Reynolds a great place to work.  If you have not seen the video interviews with Bob Brockman I would suggest you watch them. They are very interesting. Some of the things I believe and some of it I think Bob is full of crap. You decide for yourself. I will post the other 2 videos as well.

Happy New Year

The Trooper  wants to wish everyone a Happy New Year.     This is the time of year, where I can reflect on all the changes for the last year. Moved repair center from Dayton to College Station Announced closing TAC and moving to RP New handbooks for all employees Forced all employees to sign non-competes New pay scale for sales associates Decreased health care benefits for all employees Closed software development overseas and brought back to Dayton Created a software development area, that only developers can access Created a lawsuit between GM and Reynolds Had a Beach Boys Christmas party - everyone must attend Forced Fin out of Reynolds Decreased bonuses Fired Sharon K. Reduced all travel expenses - making associates share hotel rooms Eliminated 5 week of vacation Random drug testing for all associates Forced all upper management to wear suits and ties Decreased holidays and sick days Decreased internet access No smoking policy  Wait for Bob's approval before moving on to new things Must work with Bob's "other" companies - (CallBright/Rentsys) Can not eat at your desk Can not lean on the partition walls Telephone and Email monitoring This is just a list for 2007. Holy crap! I am sure I have missed a few items off the list as well. I now understand why I get home at night and am completely stressed out. Wow there are a lot of changes in a short period of time, with no end in sight.  Looking at the list you can see how fellow associates think Bob Brockman is a crazy old man.  Happy New Year,

Important Announcement

Trooper   received an alarming email from a fellow associate who wishes to be kept anonymous. I receive a lot of emails, but this one seemed really worth posting to the site. Please read the information below because it effects everyone with a 401k working at Reynolds.   has not checked his account yet, but will do so very shortly.  The following is exactly what was emailed directly to me: "MORE MONEY OUT OF OUR POCKETS by anonymous I called JP Morgan (1-800-345-2345) and got the balance of my 401k that was transferred to Fidelity. Then I called Fidelity (1-800-835-5097) to find out my starting balance. Low and behold it was over $2000 LESS. Fidelity had no explanation, so I called JP Morgan. They passed me to someone at Reynolds who said that Fidelity charged transfer fees but could not tell me exactly how much the fees were - fees that Fidelity did not mention when I called them. (Transfer fees are listed in the "Accelerate Your Future" brochure, but I can't find anyone who can tell me specifically what the dollar amounts are.) My balance at Fidelity today is down over 10% from the transfer balance from JP Morgan - by tomorrow I may have nothing left if the Dow keeps dropping. SO CHECK YOUR FUND BALANCE and add the FEES to the ever-increasing creative ways that Bob finds to cut our income. By the way - here's a new site posting job questions regarding Reynolds - let's help the youngsters out there know what they are getting themselves into - Please review your 401k, and post whether or not your 401k has been effected. 

NADA Is Coming Soon

   It is that time of year again. Will this year's NADA be as big of flop for Reynolds as the previous year?   Only time will tell. I know I am hearing from dealers who are worried over contracts. Many are saying they want to jump ship to either ADP or Arkona. The problem is Arkona is not really a mature product yet. Many of the dealers that have made the switch from ADP or Reynolds to Arkona are experiencing difficulty. What does this mean to the overall Reynolds lifeline?  is not sure.   believes Reynolds can weather the storm of issues. No I am not drinking the Koolaid, and I have not been Bob brainwashed. I believe the company will shrink to a point of profitability. The real question is how small of a company will Reynolds become?  Hopefully NADA will give some insight to the new competitors such as Microsoft, SAP, and  Oracle. 

Post NADA Wrap Up...

 NADA and announcements.   Yours truly has been overwhelmed by the information at NADA and through emails I have received. I will post a few of them for everyone to read.  First NADA. It was crazy with Reynolds announcing they are pulling out of GM IDMS. You knew it was coming, but to make the announcement at NADA is just crazy. I had many people from GM and other MFGs asking what the announcement was about. Most did not understand, that Bob was in control and it is his way or the the highway.  Second I received an email from an associate. It seems UCS/Reynolds is being sued. We will have to watch this development as it unfolds. Please read. And lastly another email from an associate. What major anti-employee announcements and management actions will be coming now that this year's NADA is done? As you recall, the 3 year employment contract was forced down on everyone, with threat of termination for not signing, right after last year's NADA concluded. Many employees were gone shortly thereafter. Bob saved this little jewel until shortly after last year's NADA to keep the onerous contract from being a topic at the convention. What is the address for mailing Valentine's Day cards to Bob?

Exit Strategy

Time for a new thread...  From the previous comments it seems URey has axed one of the URey's VP's.  finds this very interesting.   is also receiving about 3 new emails a day from associates. If something major comes up I will and try and post it here first.  Here is one email I received from an anonymous associate. I figured it was worth posting to see if other URey associates feel the same way.  EXIT STRATEGY by anonymous  I've been with Reynolds for a looooooooong time. When Brockman took over, I decided to go with the flow - give the guy the benefit of the doubt. I figured that if he could take over a major competitor, he must have a brain. I assumed that he would spend a year or so examining the procedures and employees that had made Reynolds an award winning company - trim the waste and perfect the procedures. I didn't realize it would take such a short time to prove me wrong on all counts! What I have come to understand is that Bob has always looked at Reynolds as the enemy. He took over and started to dismantle the company immediately. He monitors his "prisoners" and does all he can to break their spirit. He's done a remarkable job of instilling fear at all levels of the company. His destruction of Reynolds has created two groups - Reynolds employees who have left and Reynolds "prisoners" who are planning their escape. An unintended side effect may also be the UCS employees who have gotten to know their Reynolds counterparts and have come to understand how poorly they are paid and how few marketable skills they have acquired by working for a company whose technology is from the 1970's.  It is clear that there is no hope that Reynolds will continue as a force in the market. Forget being able to serve customers in an award-winning fashion. Everyday a new policy or procedure is put in place that further corrodes the moral of those of us who are left. It may be difficult for those on the outside to understand what is taking us so long to walk away. Many of us thought we would never be in this position and have been caught unprepared. It would be helpful for those of us now planning our exit strategy [the many who read this board, but are too fearful to post] to have links to sites and contacts that might help us with our resumes - ways to look for a job without making it obvious to those above us - books to read - success stories - and other suggestions from those of you on the outside.  To those who still hold out hope that the Grant family will buy the company and restore it to its former glory, I can only say - plan your exit strategy - Bob may make the decision for you.  Good luck to all,

Bye KP - we will miss you

  has heard a unconfirmed rumor, but it comes from good sources within camp URey.  The KP (Knowledge Product) group at RP in Dayton is being shutdown. On May 29th, URey is moving all KP operations to Houston.  All fellow associates are out of a job, unless they want to relocate to Houston.   wants to be the first to tell them Goodbye and we will miss you. Many of you I have known for years and worked with many times on different projects.  Take care and stay in touch. 

Hackers

 Well  goes out and gets sick on Friday and Monday.  I come into work on Tuesday and try and catch up on the blog, and guess what I see. Tons of posts about hacking. Actually I spent over an hour reading all the comments.  In my opinion our friend Ghost has some really great points about Bobo's plan for URey. If you missed them, you might want to review them in the previous comments section.  Rumored items as the phase out of ERA, UCS suing Ford, and Bobo backup plans when/if the money runs out.  It seems we have associates on this blog that really understand these systems inside and out. 

No Trolls

Trooper  read a good comment and I just needed to post  "Please don't feed the trolls." - anonymous  Also our friend Ghost had another good rumor.  Ghost I heard a little bit about the rumor of Bobo giving up quickly on quite a few of his lawsuits. My guess was not so much that he was not winning, as more to the fact it was costing quite a bit to keep all the lawyers active. Sure if he wins he can pay the lawyer fees.  Just like it has been stated on this blog a million times, Bobo likes to keep his money, so giving up early only makes sense to me. 

Off Topic

Trooper  now realizes that the last topic threw everyone off topic.  Since this is about Reynolds News and Information, I will attempt to get this train running the correct direction.  Ok - I still have my head down, trying not to draw too much attention. When attention gets drawn, it makes bullets fly and normally someone (mainly me) gets hurt.  Right now everything is running quietly within the walls of URey.  I personally have a tough time with the new data center being built. We let hundreds (I am being nice) of associates go because "we can not afford them due to economic downturn". Then the next thing I know I look out the window and see a $40 million dollar state of the art data center being built. I am glad they are investing in the future here in Dayton, but why let so many assoicates go?  On top of that there are huge data centers all over the world URey could use, but they choose to build there own. From a business point of view the payback is going to take a long time to recoupe. Unless there is some tax breaks or something I don't understand which is possible. 

Trooper asleep at the wheel

Trooper has been asleep. (actually hiding under my desk)  I have many stories to post, but have not had the time to post them. I apologize to everyone who sent me an email, and I have not either responded or posted your information. I will have my work cut out for me over the next couple of weeks.  Ok onto the stories.  received an email from a fellow UCS employee out of Houston. (we don't get too many of those stories)  Without posting the story because it would tell everyone who this person was, I will try and explain. This person explained how they were let go, and let me tell you I was shocked. First of all we don't hear from too many being let go out of Houston, but this happened. I thought Bobo was treating Dayton terrible, this guy does not discriminate at all. He treated his fellow Texas crew just as bad, if not worse.  I thought since UCS was his home and POWER was his baby, that he was a little easier on the people in the south. Well  was wrong again. He does not care who you are or what you have done for him, "NO ONE IS SAFE." 

History in the making

I had a trip down memory lane.  I decided to go back and look at previous posts I have made. Looking to see if things I (or others) predicted came true.  I came across a post from way back. It is an interview with Bob Brockman, right after the merger/hostile takeover. He shares his thoughts about competition. If you missed it you can watch it here I know many are thinking  has drank the koolaid, and they are probably right. The really sad thing is Bob predicted this market was only going to shrink. The guy has the ability to predict certain things, and it is kindof scary. Don't get me wrong I think he makes a lot of really stupid decisions as well.  So here is the question of the day. "Is Bobo really smart at prediciting certain things, or does he make so many decisions that it is only natural for him to get a few right?"

URey Lawsuit

  received emails from several people about a new lawsuit URey is involved in. I will attempt to sum it up for fellow associates.  It seems when URey purchased Diversiform (DFI) everyone within DFI had a non-compete contract.  The Reynolds organization has cleaned out all DFI sales reps (except one) and axed the majority of DFI employees after the purchase.  So one of the little print sales reps decided to strike out on his own and he created URey has gone after him pursuing legal litigation against him. From the sounds of it the little guy is going to fight URey to the bitter end.   is wishing this sales rep the best of luck. The biggest problem fighting URey is the resources. URey has unlimited resources, and the little guy is limited within reason. Spending all your time fighting URey damages your ability to do business.  Personally I would love to see someone stick it to Bobo, because he does not fight fair. Bobo uses the legal system for his advantage, rather than compete. Morally what Bobo does is not right, but unless someone can change the law he will use it as leverage for his own personal greed. 

Blog comments

  Well  has received lots of emails and comments on censorship.  It seems everyone wants me to censor the comments and get rid of diaper comments, pooping, religion and other topics.  If you did not know already, I have been deleting comments that are complete junk and viruses. I am permanently deleting them so they do not even show up "as removed by administrator".  I have turn on comment moderation. How it works, if you leave a comment on the blog. It will email me and I will have to approve of this comment before it is made public.  It is still 100% anonymous, but it should help reduce the number of junk comments we are getting on the blog.  Warning - If your comment is not helpful, meaningful, or appropriate it will not go public. If you think the my comment moderation is too much please email me or send me a comment.  Let see if this will help control junk comments. 

Layoff news

 Informed Source: Senior Bobo person lets it slip that Houston/Dayton layoffs likely. Timing apparently undecided. *   received an email from a very creditable source. This individual has been working with senior DCS/Reynolds, and it seems layoffs are on the horizon.  More from the same email "The happy thought of us knowing about layoffs, and obviously looking forward to potentially fighting them, probably caused the 'The Pucker Factor' to go through the roof in the executive suite."  In more news it looks like the moderation of comments is working well. It seems the people visiting the site, have voted so I will continue to moderate. It does take more resources, but it cuts down on the crap postings (although I have to still read them).  I have learned that there seems to be a small group of individual(s) that hate the moderation and me. They continue to send crap to the comments section, even though I will never post it (unbelievable). They have less of a life than I do.  I might be putting more time into the blog, then actually doing real work. All of this because URey does not allow any communication to occur within its walls. So everyone has to come to a blog to learn what is happening within URey (unbelievable).

More on censorship

 I will continue to censor the blog comments, it seems to working very well. (Votes are in favor of censorship)  Need to explain a few things on moderating comments, so I can answer some of the questions coming in. ol>li>I can not modify a comment. I can only publish or reject the comment. (I am being accused of changing peoples comments, which I can not) If you send me a comment with a question I can not answer. The only thing I can do is publish or reject the comment, I can not reply. If you want to ask a question email me and I can reply. If you send in a comment that is 1/2 junk and 1/2 valid information I may not publish it. Yes it has valid information, but others do not want to hear all the junk. (Examples of junk toe sucking, drugs, vulgar language, diapers, etc). I can not modify the message removing the junk, I can only publish or reject the comment. I am seeing valid information, but have to reject quite a few comments because of stupid comments. If you want your comment posted please stop sending in junk in the comment. If you want your comment posted please follow the rules or it will be rejected. Whatever your comment is please make it pertain to URey. Even if your comment is nothing but an opinion I will publish it as long as it is about URey. /li>li>Our hit counts and visitors have increased quite a bit since moderation. Welcome new visitors. I want to thank everyone for sending in comments, without you the blog is not worth doing. It seems like the blog is gaining some ground. I have received emails and comments from more dealers and associates due to comment moderation.  Sorry for not doing this sooner, but I personally like "Freedom of Speech", but it did get out of control. 

Condolences

  believes these types of messages should have there own post.  PRAMER, Kathryn L. age 54 of Kettering passed away Thursday, April 23, 2009. Kathryn is preceded in death by her father Carl H. Pramer in 2006. She graduated from Fairmont East High School in 1973 and Wright State University with a BA degree. Kathryn worked for St. Joseph Group Home helping start the Anchorage For Boys in Centerville. She worked for Reynolds & Reynolds for over 20 years. Kathryn is survived by her mother; Clarice Pramer of Kettering, OH, her sister; Terrie (Reg) Kraft, 1 nephew Andrew, two nieces, Becky & Sarah Kraft, grand-niece Kamryn Kraft all of Beavercreek, OH, and a host of good friends. The family will receive friends 5 to 7 PM Monday, April 27, 2009 at the Routsong Funeral Home, 2100 E. Stroop Road, Kettering, OH with a memorial service to follow. Private burial will be in Woodland Cemetery in Xenia. OH. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, 2808 Reading Road, Cincinnati, OH 45306.  Sincerest condolences for Kathryn Pramer's family and friends. 

Auto Industry and the effects on the DMS

The Trooper  has been following all the developments in the auto industry very closely.  The auto industry is struggling no denying that, however what I would like to hear is how is this going to effect URey and competition?  Sure GM and Chrysler are going to reduce, but the dealerships they reduce are going to be the much smaller dealers. How many of these were actually URey dealers? I don't know the answer to that.  Don't get me wrong URey and ADP will have to shrink. The dealer base is going to shrink. All DMS's, will need to shrink due to the fact of downsizing. I understand that part of the equation. What I still am questioning is how much overall market share will be lost with URey? I am guessing around 30%. Some people have said that I am crazy it will be much bigger than that. They could be right.  Update 1: Since attaching Google Analytics to the blog (over a month ago), I am seeing an average hit rate of about 1,167 unique visitors per day. Pretty good hit count of people visiting the blog. If you have a story or information, within 24 hours over 1000 people will know about it. Amazing... Powerful stuff. I will give more statistics in future blog posts.  Update 2: I will continue to moderate the comments. It has worked pretty well and reduces some of the junk. Keep in mind if there is too much junk in your comment I will reject it. 

Bankruptcy rumor circulating

  has been receiving emails from different sources.  This is not looking good for URey. I for one still need a job and a paycheck, but I always feel people should know what I am hearing.  I am so low on the food chain, they call me bait. I have no ability to change the direction or have any controls over the ship. I can only sit on the sidelines and watch it unfold, like many of my fellow associates. I still feel getting information posted is best for everyone involved. I really hope they can turn this around. Please don't shoot the messenger.  Here is one email. Watch closely this week for another post (I want to verify it is valid before posting here). If the next post is true, I will have documentation everyone can download and view for themselves. a quick bankruptcy is the only hope, if brockman succeeds everyone at Reynolds is doomed to be fired.  Brockman is trying to transition all back to Texas and all onto power, of he is successful and doesn't go bankrupt he will eventually shut all era operations down and pink slip everyone.  But I'd he falters under His debt load and the bank seizes the assets they will not look to unhook era instead they will unhook power.  Only brockman is arrogant enough to try and force thousands to switch to power instead of hundreds switching to era.  I trust you to publish whatever you want on this.  There is a report from moodys concerning the heavy debt load and the danger Reynolds is facing.

GM & Chrysler Axe

 Let me be the first to say say sorry to so many of the beloved dealerships that got the axe.  Many of these dealers I knew from years of talking with them. I am sadden to see GM and Chrysler dealers getting the axe this way. I wish things could have been worked out differently.  It is sort of deja vu, the similarities between the dealers getting the axe and the way many Reynolds associates get the axe. Here one day and gone the next.  I am sure many more Reynolds associates will be shown the door, now that quite a few Reynolds dealers are not going to be in business next year.  I have a question with all the dealers going out of business what does this do to ADP and Arkona? Meaning if Reynolds is reducing head count, what is happening within the competitors ranks? Surely they too must reduce, and I am sure someone has created a blog about it. I looked on the web, but could not find anything.  If anyone knows of a blog or website with ADP or Arkona employees let me know. I am curious how their dealer base is going. 

Concrete

 Well I wanted to wish everyone a long and happy weekend. I need a little extra time to relax. I have been so stressed that I need some time to think and reflect.  I was not going to make a post, but this email came in and I just had to post it. At first I was laughing to myself, and then later became depressed due to the fact Reynolds was once a very good company to work for. So sad. This blog does have a purpose. Please read the email below.  Thanks for running the reynoldsinformation blog -- you may have just saved me from jumping ship from one doomed employer to another...  My current dayton-area employer's laid off a lot of people, had major budget cuts, and I can't honestly see how we'll remain open until this time next year.    Needless to say, I've been trying to get out for the better part of a year. I've noticed a *lot* of IT-related openings for reyrey popping up on various job sites (including Craigslist?  Honestly, wtf?)...That many oddly worded IT postings on job sites, a new data center being built by a firm with a huge note hanging over it's head in a market where dealers are losing OEM franchises.....Yeah, thanks, I think I'll just up and leave IT, and go back to working with concrete.

Lots of News... Labor Union Information

 Let me just say that I never thought I would see the day when GM filed for bankruptcy. It happens and I am hoping the best for all the people involved. (of course I never thought I would see the day when Reynolds would be bought by UCS)  We are living in difficult times indeed.  Let me give everyone some information about the blog stats. I have been watching the hit count. We average 900 hits a day (unique vistors). I am very impressed. When I started this thing I thought I could only get one or two people to listen to what I have to say. Little did I know we would have such an impact.  On another note. I have received lots of emails from associates and many I don't post. I have received an email from an associate and figured it was worth posting. Please read. A great number of employees in several locations are now working together to fight management's harassment and schemes against our customers.  Some are now talking to Union Organizers.  If we are going to go down, we might as well go down fighting!  If anyone else is interested, please let us know and we'll post the Union contact information.  All contacts with the Organizers will be CONFIDENTIAL!! Anyone interested is protected under the National Labor Relations Act and this could open Reynolds up to US Government action if they terminate people for such activity.  If anyone is interested you can send me an email and I will forward on. 

Lawsuit Information

 Well  is researching information again.  I have been told a thousand times by former UCS management that URey does not lose in court.  Well I have found 2 documents that are public information, that I feel everyone will be interested in.  I moved both files to DataFileHost website so anyone can view or download them anonymously. Both documents are in PDF format. Feel free to download and view the documents.  Document #1: Shows that URey does lose in court, even though they will never admit to it. click here for doc1  Document #2: Shows the amount they lose in court. Wow that is a chunk of money. click here for doc2  Well I now believe Kemp Ford is Bobo's #1 enemy. They stood up to UCS and won. Good for them. They fought against Bobo the bully and beat him at his own game.  In my opinion about time someone is putting Bobo in his place. He can not treat employees, dealers, and OEM's the way he does and not except some repercussions.  I have talked with a few associates and they have told me that Bobo is spending a lot of time in court. I will have to keep my eye open for more court documents as they become public. 

Condolences

 Please have a moment of silence for Catherine Pelfrey.  Below is the official announcement.  News Death Notice PELFREY, Catherine "Cathy" C. Age 51, of Centerville, OH, passed away Wednesday, June 17, 2009. Cathy was born in Morristown, TN, on August 11, 1957. She graduated from the University of Kentucky; and was a member of the Pi Beta Phi Sorority. She was the Director of Finance for Siemens Corporation; and was also a member of The Gathering in Centerville, OH. In addition to her father, James Donald Chavis; she was preceded in death by her father- in-law, Clay O. Pelfrey, Sr. She is survived by her husband of 30 years, Clay O. Pelfrey, Jr.; her daughter Lindley "Drew" of Centerville, OH; her brother and sister-in-law, James and Janene Chavis of Loveland, OH; 2 nephews, Brian & Blake Chavis; a niece, Caitlan Chavis; her mother-in-law, Norma L. Pelfrey; an extended family and numerous friends. Friends may call 5-9 Friday (tonight), June 19th, at the Dalton Funeral Home, Corner of State Route 4 & Weaver Rd., Germantown. The Funeral Service will be held 10:30 a.m., Saturday at the First Baptist Church, 79 Farmersville Pike, Germantown, with Pastor John Jackson and Pastor Ted Ricci officiating. Burial will be at Highland Cemetery, Miamisburg, OH. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the Victory Project   Sincerest condolences for Catherine Pelfrey's family and friends. 

Bobo The Bully

 I have received quite a few emails from fellow associates who have expressed the fact that Bobo is justified in some of the lawsuits.  Actually I have emailed some of you and have agreed with some of the legal tactics Bobo uses.  There is an interesting re-occurring theme to the emails. What everyone keeps saying is Bobo is just a big bully with deep pockets.  In my opinion Bobo does not have great products, nor does he possess great leadership. What he has is a monster legal team with very deep pockets.  Now days in America this is how we increase wealth and power. Instead of making better products and competing in the workplace Bobo uses his wealth to squash competition.  So yes maybe I overreacted to some of the lawsuits going on, but for Bobo to squash dealers, competitors, and employees is morally not right.  Tell me if my opinions match yours.

Interesting Statistics

 I have some very interesting statistics I would like to share with everyone. For purposes of keeping fellow associates anonymous I will share some of the web statistics, but not all.  We are averaging 870 unique web hits per day. (Small drop probably due to good weather outside. In Feb we were averaging 910 unique visitors per day.) So keep in mind, when you make a comment, it is like speaking to 800 other associates, dealers, competitors, OEMs, and URey management.  #1 Search phrase - "bob brockman" (yesterday 363 people used that phrase to find this blog). #28 Search phrase - "bob brockman sucks" (yesterday 41 people used that phrase) #38 Search phrase = "bob brockman lunatic" (yesterday 14 people used that phrase)  You can imagine some of the other searches.  Most visitors by state #1 Ohio (no surprise) #2 Texas (interesting) #3 New York (very interesting) #4 California  (very surprised)  Hello All of Canada you visited 54 times yesterday.  Welcome...  I want to say Hello to ADP, Arkona, Toyota, Honda, GM, BMW, and Ford. (No specific order). These people are trying to figure out URey as much as we are. Welcome...  These statistics are cool, but this is bitter sweet for me. What brings people to this blog is information. I am very weak at obtaining any useful information.  So please if you have some information you would like to share please post it to the comments section for everyone. You might be amazed at who is reading this blog.

Eye Opener

 Well I was having lunch the other day with a fellow associate. We were talking about all the crazy things that have happened since UCS merged with Reynolds.  We were just listing them out loud, and all sudden one of them caught my attention. I am not sure if some of you have heard this or not, but I could not believe it.  Reynolds has decided not to do business with SnapOn. Mainly in the way EPC (Electronic Parts Catalog). If you are unfamiliar with this, it is a pretty big deal for the dealers. Originally I worked with Bell & Howell who pretty much controlled the entire market. I ended up changing direction in Reynolds quite a few years ago. I found out just recently Bell & Howell was sold to SnapOn a few years ago. SnapOn has/had a contract with Reynolds to supply EPC for all the dealers. From what I understand it was a good deal for Reynolds, SnapOn, and the dealers. It integrated into the ERA system and worked great.  I found out Bobo decided to kill the contract between Reynolds and SnapOn. From what I understand the dealers are probably going to just leave Reynolds and go directly to SnapOn for all EPC. This leaves a huge void for Reynolds with EPC.  Since I don't work in the EPC area, I am assuming they are going to try and develop there own solution. Bobo creates everything in-house. The problem I see here is this takes many years to develop. By the time Reynolds gets a solution all the dealers will be contracted with SnapOn EPC.  I have one question (actually have many more, but only one I want to post). Why in the hell does Bobo think he can develop everything? Even Microsoft (world's largest software development company) has admitted they can not develop everything. That is why Microsoft created a partner program.

Hopefully Good News

 Well I am hoping the automotive market is starting to settle back down. I think we all need a little bit more stability in our careers.  I felt like I just went through a washing machine, and the final cycle was on spin. (hopefully I am now clean)  I am hoping the dealerships start to recover along with the economy. I know many fellow associates are still worried about layoffs. I have heard rumors of more layoffs coming, but I try not to live by the rumors. It only creates more stress in my life which I don't need at the moment.  I pray for you dealers to recover because our country needs to get back on there feet. I believe if the automotive market can recover some, it will create jobs for many. I think the auto manufactures are on a road to recovery as well. 

Memo From Bob Brockman

 Well fellow associates I received this email and I had to make a post. I am sure 99% of the people reading this blog have seen this email already, but for those who have not, I had to make the post. The question is Do you agree with Bob Brockman on Health Care Reform? From: ReynoldsWorld [mailto:ReynoldsWorld@reyrey.com] Sent: Monday, August 10, 2009 7:34 AM To: All US Associates; All UCS; ALL Callbright; All Keytrak; All Rentsys; wcemplall Subject: Memo from Bob Brockman: Proposed Health Care Legislation Memo to:  All US-Based Associates of Reynolds and Affiliated Companies From:  Bob Brockman Subject:  A Peek Inside the House of Representatives Health Care Bill Date:  8/10/2009 In this country we have undeniably the best health care system in the world. This is particularly true for those of us that work for substantial corporations that have medical benefits programs for their associates like we have here at Reynolds. There are others less fortunate than us for sure.  There are also shortcomings in our present system “ like all things man-made “ it is not absolutely perfect. However, it would be instructive for you to read for yourself the full 1,017 pages of the proposed legislation in the House of Representatives “ with particular attention to some of the issues pointed out in the attachment to this e-mail. My personal impression is that this proposed legislation leads us down the path toward the form of socialized government-controlled medicine that we see in Canada, the UK, and the rest of Europe. If this type of legislation gets passed, it will involve massive changes in health care for the nation. Those of us here at Reynolds will see a dramatic reduction in the quality and quantity of health care that is provided by the company “ we will all be worse off “ you have my assurances of that. Further, this proposed legislation does nothing to address the soaring costs of health care as described in the second attachment. Amazingly, no one is talking about the most important issue of all that of taking personal responsibility for one's own health through diet, exercise, and avoidance of health-risk behaviors. If you don't like what is happening to us, I suggest that your write and/or call your congressman and senators. We are currently headed down the path of insanity! Bob Brockman Chairman/CEO 

3rd Party Access To ERA

 Well fellow associates I am hoping Ghost is completely wrong about 3rd party access.  I have not heard one way or another. If Ghost's rumor is correct we could be in for a long year. If you have been following the comments section Ghost believes URey is shutting down 3rd party access to any company that uses dial-up.  That would be a huge mistake if URey takes that stance. Rumor has it that ADP is shutting down there 3rd party access as well. This will impact the dealers ability to do business with companies that are not controlled by URey or ADP.  I always feel bad for the dealers, because they are the customers that are caught in the crossfire. Believe it or not there are people out there that want to help the dealers do business, then you get ADP and URey who control everything. This causes the dealers business to suffer. 

For those let go...

 I was contacted by a fellow associate who was recently let go. They wanted to provide information to others that were recently let go from URey. This is a longer email, than most, but I feel it is a good post for everyone to know.  Here is what they had to say: Reynolds has contracted a third party HR company, TALX Corporation, that's sole purpose is to find ways to prevent Reynolds from having to pay unemployment.  It is in Reynolds' best interest to not have to pay unemployment as their % rate that they currently pay in for UI continues to rapidly increase due to the very large number of termed employees over the past two years.  The more TALX can save Reynolds by contesting UI claims, the more $ TALX makes from Reynolds. TALX is such a sleezy, unethical company that it really shouldn't surprise any of us that Bobo contracts with them.  If you google TALX, you will see that they have had multiple charges against them from the SEC, the FTC, and current/past customers.  They went so far as to fabricate a completely false document in order to try and intimidate me into not showing up for my hearing (Reynolds appealed the judges decision TWICE when the court determined I was let go without cause and I won both times). My point in sharing this with you is that others should know what kind of crap they're (URey) trying to pull now (although it probably won't come as a surprise with Bobo's reputation) and they should NOT be intimidated by ANYTHING that Reynolds threatens them with upon termination. When an employer appeals UI compensation for a termed employee, the employer (URey, essentially TALX since they represent URey) is required to submit a copy of supporting documentation to the State Unemployment Insurance office two weeks prior to the hearing and another copy to the termed employee.  What TALX and URey didn't know is that I called the local UI office the day I received notice of the hearing and had them fax over everything that URey submitted to them in allegation against me.  In the meantime, TALX sent a FedEx package to me that arrived ONE DAY prior to the hearing (so I wouldn't have time to prepare for the hearing) that supposedly contained the exact documentation provided to the local UI office.  The documentation sent to UI was very different from the documentation sent to me.....  In fact, the documentation provided to UI included a completely fabricated memo that supposedly came from my manager!  I am sure URey and TALX knew I would contest this and did NOT include it in my package nor did they know I received a copy of it from the local UI office. Upon receipt of the FedEx package from TALX the day before the hearing, I contacted the person whose name and telephone number were on the package from TALX and asked her why I received my packet one day prior to the hearing and why the info I received was different from what was sent to UI.  The woman demanded to know 'how' I got her name and telephone number (perhaps you shouldn't include it on your FedEx pkg next time... not the brightest people...) and then stated she couldn't answer that question and that she shouldn't be talking to me and then hung up on me.

OSU loses to USC

 I am sure many reading this are wondering why I am making a post about football on a URey website.  Well the real reason is I have no idea what is happening. I am hearing rumors of layoffs (of course I hear those all the time). Whenever I try and talk to anyone to see what might be happening. I get the normal response... "We lost to USC last Saturday." That is all everyone keeps talking about. It is almost like the world stopped because OSU lost a football game.  I have heard quite a few people complaining about the new RCI and 7601 access. I guess with the lock down of 7601, quite a few dealerships are not happy (can not blame them). I love the types of questions being asked. It is like we are in second grade again. What a joke. The only thing it stops is companies that have scripts written to access 7601. Most of those companies told the dealership to answer the question and the script will continue. The questions did not seem to stop any companies, it seemed to just make it harder for the dealerships to do there job. 

Bye Bye Rentsys

 Well I am sure most if not everyone has heard that Rentsys was sold.  I received an email from a fellow associate who worked at Rentsys. His story on the Rentsys deal is interesting.  Please read: I am a former field tech for Rentsys and would like to share my account. Without warning our Operations Director showed up and held a meeting. We were told that Bobo was pulling his money out of Rentsys and that we were being sold to Smart Source. They conducted exit interviews after that and one by one everyone was escorted out of the building. They kept 8 or so people to "transition" over to smart source. These people who were chosen to stay behind will be laid off on September 30th. "It is worse for the people who where chosen to stay because as the term imply's there is no choice. If they don't stay for the week and a half remaining they will not get any severance or unemployment. This is just the latest and final chapter in the mistreatment of Rentsys employees. I for one am slightly relived that I no longer have to work for Bobo but in reality about 100 or so lives have been severely disrupted because of the mismanagement of Bobo's corporate goons. Good riddance.  It sounds like much of the same thing that happened to Reynolds when bought by UCS. I am finally seeing a pattern after years of working Bobo.  Also someone made mention in the comments section that URey lost Herb Chambers. If this is true, that will definitely will hurt UReys bottom line. Herb Chambers has been a customer of Reynolds for a lot of years. 

TGIF - Rumors

 TGIF - I need a break.  Lots of rumors flying around about more layoffs coming. I have heard everyone from sales to TAC associates will be reduced. Of course not really sure if the rumors are true. All I know is I come into work and see if I recognize any faces. If I see a face I know, I know that person made it another day.  I had a fellow associate ask me the other day if "John Doe" was still at URey? The only way to answer that question is with another question. Have you seen him today? If the answer is no, then "John Doe" might not be with us anymore.  Someone made a comment about how many dealers URey has. Sure we started out at 11k, but with economy, Bobo haters, and normal competition, we are down to 8k. At first this number did not sound correct, but the more checking I did, it seems to be pretty accurate (well about as accurate as asking other associates can be). Keep in mind I have no way of actually knowing how many dealers URey has. Just asking different associates, I can make a decent guess.  The other day I had a dealer on the phone refer to this blog. Of course I was shocked  to think this dealer read the blog. I was in a meeting and wanted to bring up a topic I read on this blog, but since no one internally is supposed to be on blog sites, I  kept my mouth shut. It is amazing the amount of information shared on this blog and who is reading.  Sure you are still going to get garbage posts, even with me filtering. Although not everything is garbage...

R.I.P. Don Wilker

 This was posted to  the comments section.  For those who have not heard. Long time associate (and we are talking 40 plus years here) Don Wilker died today. Funeral arrangements are pending. He had a heart attack.  I personally did not know Don Wilker, but my thoughts and prayers go out to his family. 

Goodbye CallBright

 Well it seems that URey is shutting down CallBright in Morocco. Here is an email I received from a fellow associate. I don't have any more details, other than what is in the email. I told you lots of people came to this blog to share information. 

Halloween scare

 Happy Halloween everyone.  I feel like everyday is Halloween. Everyday I am scared to death of what the new thing will be today. (going to have a job, relocation, reduced pay, etc)  I sat back the other night and did some thinking (don't worry I only think twice a year).  The really scary part is Reynolds was completely turned inside out within 3 years of being merged. Think about how the company focus has changed. How the customers perceive URey now. Think about competition and how they think URey is a joke. It is totally amazing that a massive company like Reynolds has been totally restructured from the ground up within 3 years. One man (Bobo) was able to change everything (I mean everything) within 3 years.  Bobo changed mind sets, focus, strategy, competition, pay structure, buildings, building layouts, handbooks, health insurance,  employees, managers, and even company goals. It is really scary how he was able to change so much in so little time.  I guarantee no other time in the history of Reynolds has so much changed in such a short amount of time. It is not like Reynolds was a little company either. Reynolds was about 1 billion in revenue per year, and this guy was able to change every single item. Of course the changes are not done yet either.  If that is not a Halloween scare I don't know what is. He was able to totally change the lives of so many people.  When the merger happened, someone said to me. "No big deal another CEO with big ideas which won't get completed." I laugh to this day when I think about that statement. The person that made the statement is no longer with the company. Before the merger this same person told me they would retire from Reynolds. Tell me that person's life has not changed direction.  So if you are reading this blog and think your company can not and will not change. I have proof that if you have a workaholic, lunatic CEO then yes your company will change. It might even change very quickly.  Boo... 

Daily rumors flying...

 Hello fellow associates, dealerships, and Bobo.  It seems everyday I hear a new rumor and I have become so numb I don't know what is real and what is fake anymore. I could post the rumors up here on the blog, but then that would just add more rumors.  I hear everything from Reynolds is going out of business, to  Bobo is selling the company. One day I hear we are moving to Texas and the next day I hear College Station is moving to Dayton. Another rumor is Bobo is getting a divorce and everything must go.  I often wonder if I should post anything about layoffs. Then again a lot of that is rumor, and once again I have no clue what is happening.  I sat back the other night and did some thinking (don't worry I only think twice a year). I wonder if Bobo wants the rumor mill to run rampant. Is this his business model? How does having a rampant rumor mill help productivity?  Don't get me wrong every business has a rumor mill. It seems in Bobo's case he wants the rumor mill to be extremely large so employees have no clue what is true and what is false.  The other day I was talking to a dealership and they were explaining something new. I did some checking and it seems everyone I asked had no clue. A few associates told me this was a rumor and the policy has not been implemented. Another associate told me this policy is being written, but has not been released public, yet the dealership heard about it. I don't know if I am coming or going. I have no clue what is real anymore. Is it just me? 

New updates

 Hello everyone.  Lots of new updates done to the blog. Added on the right side of the form is a new link for the blog. It allows you to consume the blog now with FeedReader. The previous blog was only on Google's Blogger, now it is also part of Google's FeedBurner as well. This will allow people to use there favorite FeedReader to see the blog. (I had a few emails from associates trying to read the blog from there blackberry, now it should be available)  Ok in other news...  We had 140 votes for Bobo's overall plan for URey. One thing to learn from the voting, it seems there is a wide variety of opinions about Bobo.  There was an interesting comment, how URey recently lost a court battle against Arkona. See previous post comments.  I recently had a thought (I know it scares some of you). If Bobo's inner circle is on the blog posting, why do they stay anonymous? It is not like they are going to get into trouble. On top of that they might get a pat on the back from Bobo for constantly defending his ideas, policies, and procedures.  If I were part of Bobo's inner circle (which I am not) I would be proud to be able to use my name on a blog site. Especially so everyone knows it is me, and they can not do anything about it. We all know they like to brown nose. 

No Access

 Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone.  I know I have not had a lot of time to make postings or keep up on emails. I apologize to all those who sent emails with questions. I tried to reply to as many as I could, sorry if I did not reply.  This blog takes a lot of time and resources and sometimes I don't find the time in the day to work on it like I should.  I had quite a few emails from people wanting me to make a post about 3rd party access. I am going to tell everyone what I know about access to the ERA/Power system. I tried to find out as much information as I could, but some of it was through the rumor mill. (which may or may not be valid)  If you want access to the ERA system you need to become RCI. Yes I know it costs money, and if I could make it free I would. (Don't shoot the messenger). The whole reason of RCI is not for security, but more for money and control. Obviously the automotive market is struggling, so URey can obtain money not only from dealers, but 3rd party companies as well.  Here is what I have heard. There are several 3rd party companies that get around the question/answer by using a person at the dealership to answer the questions and the software will continue on. This way the 3rd party is not having to go through the RCI process, but yet can still function. I know this does not work in all situations, but I have heard of a few 3rd parties using this approach.  Yes URey has sent letters to every dealership telling them modem access will be discontinued. Another thing I have heard, is that a dealer can buy a PC with a modem and the 3rd party can dial into the PC. Somehow they can go from the PC to the ERA system still producing the same results as before. To be honest I did not quite understand it, but it may help. 

Follow the rules

 Happy New Year to everyone.  Yes  has made it through another year. I am still here alive and kicking (barely).  I come in everyday and no longer ask questions. I now know what the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay "GITMO" must feel like. Sure there are good days, people leave you alone and then there are the bad days. I try and hide under my desk those days.  What I find really amazing is many of the former UCS managers are brainwashed. They have been living this way for so long, they don't know any better. They believe this is way all companies are run. They believe that you work around the clock, and follow orders without thinking. I am not trying to say this to be mean, but they truly don't know what it is like to have empowerment to make decisions. The only way of life they know, is the person above them makes the decision, and without questioning, thinking, or reasoning the orders are carried out.  I remember when Rey was purchased, many were talking in the hallways and cubicles. I asked if they are worried about the new culture that UCS brings to the table. Many laughed it off, and told me not to worry because "the UCS culture can never take over a company like Reynolds. Reynolds is too big and has too many levels. It will take 10 years or so and by then we will have a new CEO". Well I just wanted to tell some of my fellow Rey associates they were wrong. Most are now gone, but I remain. 

Bad thoughts

 Hello fellow associates.  I have been struggling the past few weeks. I have had a few people email me the last few weeks and they told me that I am in a state of depression. They could be right. I have not seen the sun in two months, and it would be nice to get some fresh air, but my lungs will freeze. So instead I stay indoors, and keep to myself, which can not be healthy.  I have been having weird thoughts lately about URey's management. I am supposed to be a good Christian person, yet having thoughts of bad things happening to upper management creeps into my mind.  For the most part everyone at URey is very professional and upbeat, however there are a few bad apples that really hurt the overall organization. In my opinion it starts at the top, and effects everyone down the tree.  I know some of you think I am just bitching... That might be true, but it sure makes me feel better. Someone will tell me to quit and move on. I had that thought as well, then I had another thought (yes 2 in the same year).  It is now a game between me and Bobo. He is about 15 years older than me, so I predict he will be gone and many of his procedures will be gone as well. In the end I will win, because I will see everything he worked so hard to do, fall apart. If everything goes as planned I should have the last laugh.  PS - There is a vote on the sidebar as to whether to remove any comment that is not about URey. I personally don't mind people having the freedom of speech as long as they can be adult about it. 

More Questions than Answers

 Hello fellow associates  I sit here with more questions. Someone made a comment Bobo is going to be 69 in May. At first that statement did not really mean much to me.  Then that little voice in my head started speaking. It started to ask all sorts of questions, and I could not come up with answers. Maybe someone in the web world will be able to help me answer these.  1. If I was a billionaire and was about to turn 69 or 70, I would ask myself what am I trying to accomplish in life? Some people will say it is create a hell for the working class. Why? If I had that kind of money I would be on a beach somewhere. Drinking fruity drinks and reducing stress. I sure and the hell would be adding stress to my life at that age.  2. How old am I going to be, before I throw the towel in? Realistically how many years do I have left to where I can run this company? Before you give me answer like 100, think for a second. If you were 69 years old, how many years can your body function correctly? I can't hardly get out of bed and I am nowhere near 69.  Body parts just don't function that well at that age. Why go through the last remaining years on this planet like that? Especially if you don't have too. It does not make a lot of sense.  3. What is the overall goal of Bobo? Someone will say because he is a lunatic or a money grabbing ass. Those may be true, however... Bobo has more money than he can spend. Even Bill Gates retired and went on to do other things in life. Bill is spending money not trying to make more. I don't think it is about the money.  Bobo if you reading this you seriously want to consider the questions above. Not trying to tell you what to do with your life, but is it worth it? In 30 years from now is anyone going to care that you put all these policies together? Is anyone going to care that you had a ton of money in the bank? Is anyone going to care that you screwed another OEM, dealer, or employee? What will you be remembered for?  Too bad Bobo can not buy more time... The clock is his worst enemy and there is nothing he can do about it.  tick... tick... tick... 

NADA Status?

 Hello fellow associates.  Normally this time of year there is a lot of buzz around NADA conference. This year I am not hearing anything.  I have talked to a few associates that had to work. They told me that dealers would walk into the booth and have questions about everything, but Reynolds products. Sure the dealer booth was busy, but dealers wanted questions answered more than they wanted Bobo's products. Many of the dealers wanted to look at the products being offered. Then if you watched closely, the dealers would leave the Reynolds booth and walk across the isle to Dealertrack. From what I understand it was amazing to watch.  This is great news if you are Dealertrack, but bad news if you are a URey employee. Just more dealers not happy with Bobo and looking to move on to a different DMS. According to my sources, last year Dealertrack had 9 sales people in the country. 1 year later, they are up to 29 sales people. Tell me that is not growth, in the worst economic time. Reynolds can talk about how great they were, but all the other DMS's are feeding off from Reynolds dealers now.  Don't talk about the past, talk about the future and Reynolds is dying. What I laugh at the most is how UCS thinks they are almighty and can not be touched. Bigger companies than UCS/Reynolds have fallen because of bad management. 

Hello and Welcome to the Reynolds Whistleblower blog

First of all let do some explaining...

I am not The Trooper, (but I know who he/she is). Reynolds (Bob Brockman) went after The Trooper to shutdown the blog. That worked for awhile, but the blog is back. I am different than The Trooper.

First - everything I do is a behind the TOR network.... (read about it here  https://www.torproject.org/)
If for some reason I get served a notice, I will post it here. Then I will shut down the blog (maybe) and start another new blog (of course on the TOR network). That way it will be in another country.

Second I will try and post as much as possible about the crappy business practices of Reynolds and Reynolds.

Things like: (but not limited to)
Treatment of dealerships
New software updates to limit dealers access
Great RCI news (worthless project)
ERAccess worthless updates
Anything that makes Bob Brockman mad I am willing to post

Of course you can always email me info as well - email me anonmyously at reynoldswhistleblower@gmail.com

Oh yeah - last but not least - I will attempt to post everything The Trooper had in the old blog. That should help google index the site (including pics of Bobo's house)