Happy 2010!!!!!!!!

Yes, I know it's just one day difference from yesterday but farewell, 2009...and

HELLO 2010!!!!!

We're getting new product this year and we're chomping at the bit to get it RIGHT NOW. However, we will be patient and build our business by going back to the basics and putting the customer first.

If we take care of the customer, they will take care of us. That is MOSTLY true. Of course, there are some customers that will always just be a bit grumpy. I sometimes want to tell this people that you catch more bees with honey...but I'm afraid they wouldn't get it.

We have some customers that we LOVE dearly and we would do just about anything for. Why? Well, because they are friendly, fair, and they trust us. And you might think that trusting a car dealership is a bad idea....HOWEVER, you actually get the whole dealership behind you and owners willing to do what it takes to make you happy. We trust you because you trust us and we would never do anything to take advantage of that relationship. Why would you when you know that repeat and referral business is necessary for sustainability? What do we do extra for these customers? Anything within reason.

The others that come in with their guard up and assume the worst of us? It's rocky as it starts and never gets "happy" even though we ask them what we can do to make them happy. We have a customer that doesn't think he should have to make an appointment in our service department for an oil change. Ok...sure just drive in and tell us you want an oil change. But then if there is a wait or people ahead of him???? I bet you money that he would be upset that he had to wait or that it took longer that it should. He also feels a technician should be right available at the scheduled time if he has to make a schedule. He's obviously has never worked in a service department before. We have asked him what we can do to make him happy.....but when the only thing is NOT to take appointments in our service department. What can we do??? I wish we could read his mind so we could just telepathically know when he was going to bring his car in and be ready for him.

There are also MANY people who do not want their credit pulled but would like to know what interest rate they would qualify for. Uh....um....well....you kind of need to know the credit score of the customer to quote an accurate rate and term for the loan. That is NOT something our dealership requires but the banks. Yes, call it crazy, but they want to know how good your credit is BEFORE they give you a rate. Funny, isn't it?

I appreciate all of our customers....but we have some that we have built relationships with that make our job fun. I hope to build more of those relationships in 2010.

Happy New Year!

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