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Dealer Ray Mungenast: 'I'm just the voice'
Automatically Generated Transcript (may not be 100% accurate)
Hello I'm Leslie Alan welcome to the dealer speaks. As chair of the American international automobile dealers association. -- look at ray Monday it asked of them boys for the import dealer. If the job his late father Dave among -- senior had in 1998. In fact the group's lifetime achievement award is named for Dei -- -- -- But rage and Brothers Dave junior and hurt aren't living in the shadows. They run at 327. Million dollar enterprise. Moving more than 5000 new cars a year. And Raymond and asked -- this part of the business with a simple philosophy. A superb -- -- and good service will keep them coming back. This is the among NASCAR multifamily history wrong and begins in 1934. With my father's birth. -- among get Matt hails from a family that a natural thing blew it needs no introduction. Hi I'm Dave Duncan missed his father started selling motorcycles in 1965. And -- entered the car business. Actually was late 1966. Early 67 we opened our first automobile dealership which was at Toyota story. Don't want -- automotive family now comprises five dealerships. A motor sports store. And collision sensors there's also -- motorcycle museum which honors the legacy of the company's founder. An avid biker who died in 2006. On the lack of the thing who have been 51 year old Graeme mound in -- domain. Stands at fourteen acres in west Saint Louis county. There's the Acura store. And next door a 78000. Square foot Lexus showroom which he opened in 2009. It's twice as big as this all -- -- a nearby. And mountain NASA has gone out of his way to give the place the comforts of home. A TV lounge. A children's lounge. A -- row with coffee and fresh baked cookies. There's also a business loans to keep customers connected. And a fireside lounge quiet free of distractions. All -- a country club feel. These amenities. Are not just for show. The main thing was customer retention and and growth of market share and and also on an equal level was our employee satisfaction. The response. Overwhelming. We opened this building in November of 2000. And kind and it was probably the worst economic time that you could have opened and taken on. Financial challenge like this for our customers responded immediately. Even those times were tough -- during their vehicles and for service and buying you were pre owned vehicle when they could. If it's helped us and we've we've been profitable since they want the story. Cuba -- once service customer who tells the store over free shuttle ride to the mall. She looked around since. Why -- why would I wanna leave this place. Reminded that it was a sign that he hit the mark he had found what customers want in a facility. One of the best ways to retain customers is to have a good service department and here the Lexus door there are no fewer than 32 service -- -- Work twice as many as deep as our prior facility. We do a very good business and our customers are very happy with the so they continue to bring their cars to us even. They have 607080000. Miles long. Would close the ninety new cars being sold each month. Your service -- just don't have the number of service -- that you need so that was probably the single most. Reason for building the new facility. Was a multi -- service drive to receive our clients. And then have the days to get the cars through so customers can bring their vehicles and for service when they want. He says customer service awful means communication. Don't try to sell them everything. Is it immediately just the constant communication about their vehicle. On the day of our visit it was unseasonably warm in Saint Louis we headed for where else the fireside lounge. On the mantle a JD power award a reminder of one of the stores and best practices. Customer follow lot. It's easy to think what we know holly wanna be treated but sometimes that changes. And changes ongoing me too so we followed constantly to make sure that we're achieving. Expensive training keeps employees on tests. A state of the -- training center offers a stunning view of the show room below. That becomes somewhat of a distraction what people are contributors and perhaps. And I can't tell the story of the Monday and asked automotive family or -- mug and ask for that matter. Without mentioning one thing. And that's motor sports. This is a photo of when I was the general manager of or Honda motors works agency he was 28. And like his father a bike enthusiast. He even spent time racing in Europe. And that drives to stay in the game could serve mound -- -- well in the coming years. He says the biggest obstacle facing hit stores in fact all dealerships. I think government regulations and it may get worse before it gets better it's a very competitive market the banks are just now starting -- money. It took to some of the perspective fires again so. That's getting a little bit better but that's been huge challenge to get people financed with a fiscal cliff with a fiscal put these two. And there's the uncertainty about whether automatic tax hikes and spending cuts will hit the US next month. Not a minor concern for a luxury dealer of customers often run their. Owned businesses. The danger of the fiscal cliff is that we are. We are in an economy that is just beginning to repair itself -- it's it's wounded but it's repairing itself. That's on the way back the fiscal cliff could could just knock it completely back down is deeper and deeper as it was in recession. You know just a couple years ago. In February 8 month and half half the gavel plus to AI AEA -- -- now drop. I'm just voice and and I appreciate the opportunity to have been that -- in 2012. And among their -- operation could be growing plants are in place for a new Honda store and an Acura expansion is being considered. Thanks for watching the -- speaks take care.
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Volvo Store’s Personalized Videos Connect With CustomersOur best practices series continues. Tom back. It is estimated that 90%. Of car buyers do some shopping on the Internet. In the merit study shows more than one in ten shoppers actually skipped the test drive before purchasing a vehicle. That's because those folks are satisfied with their online search. In an effort to put a face on the cyberspace shopping experience. Many employees at procedure imports of global story New Jersey. Our armed with quarters or Smartphones with cameras in just about any device with a lands. Thirty year old dealer principal Matthew there's been running the family stores since 2005. In the explains what happens next. So if if someone inquires about it a vehicle we have and stock they're gonna get a personalized video. From one of our team members like Internet sales consultant. You know below it. Good morning James my name is Tina and it works here at prestige Al east Hanover locate and spends much of her day in front of this camera on her computer monitor. She highlights vehicle suspects in financing options the potential buyers. After a quick check of the recording. My and I she tackles the email subject line. Right here we just put the cart and he and hard about the senate and then tomorrow we send him an. Email follow up saying he got the video message however below here and this is feedback. Comes fast but you can actually see that watching the video and they respond to you instantly. They have never had experience like that anywhere else and it's so personalized for them. But the videos don't stop there particularly when it comes to used car sales. The store's business development manager castor serves as both reporter. And photographer. And outside here at the carping I'm gonna do video walk around the car. And they show you up all the features on the car casters is sending a shopper occur and to detailed video clip which is also uploaded to YouTube. Helps him avoid common pitfalls later in the sale. The customer comes on the lot to see used car and sit there ago. Oh look there's a take a hundred dollars off oh look there's a scratch take 200 dollars off I get all that right out of the way up right. By showing off all the physical defects long before they get a lot that immediately takes that sort of objection out of the equation. Even buyers contribute to the video effort through testimonials. On the store's website. Bottom line video is boosting online sales. The stores Internet department now generates 50%. Of the dealership business up from 30% just two years ago. Taken adds the customized videos aren't staged to manipulate it says the raw footage goes a long way with customers. This way that mystery that that. That negativity about the cart experience and and it upside down. And shows the people. Doing their homework the that were real people and if you are going to make a decision. Work with us we're real we wanna help you and you know it kind of brings transparency. To the table speaking of which. If someone gets an email and they happen to be off or on vacation. That email is transparent to all the managers can jump right in. See where that agent left thought that the customer and you know start their line of communication. Taken insists he's not trying to play Big Brother instead he monitors employee communications. To more effectively manage his customer database. Many of those people live about an hour's drive to the east in New York City. Taken knows his clients that are most points in between are busy. So he's built a team of shuttle drivers who drop off the motor cars with customers and bring their vehicles in the first service. Joseph Cano is a client care specialist. Without deliver far activism that we pick up this morning and school has very limited availability to get out and we provide that service for the. We have customers that have never. Actually physically visited our dealership and that's just fine with Hagan who doesn't believe that heavy up sell in the service late. Instead he wants to build relationships. Some might say we're crazy we might drive an hour. The card and just for no change but it's not about that changed it's about what's gonna happen over the lifetime that customers' vehicles about. What they're gonna tell their friends and family members when it's time for them to make a purchase decision of an automobile. Among Pickens top priorities. Getting more young people involved in the car business. That's happening right here in the service department. Under the guidance of master technicians. Kevin is working alongside shop Foreman Andrew As an engineer I'm planning a certain collection towards me college this experience really give me some valuable experience. As you. How the defense systems in the car answer back to what true. The future the seventeen year old efforts to bring a smile to the face of hate him. He started working in the store seventeen years ago at age thirteen as dean Taylor. At sixteen he was in an NA VH one group. Dealer academy followed college. He can then proceeded to work at every corner of the dealership before becoming general manager about eight years ago. His father in business partner Leonard founded the store in 1979. He tried to convince Matthew to become a doctor or a lawyer but it was too late. I told him you know I have got to do this I love this. Prestige is on track to sell a combined 1000. New and used vehicles this year. In since Matthew is taken over. Prestige one those presidents club award twice. It is given to stores based on sales volume. And customer satisfaction. Think so much for watching we'll see you soon.
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Chrysler's Saad Chehab on Marketing and MinivansWe've been on a roll so far been lucky with a great progress last year we we actually sold a year over here an additional 100000 units over 2011 so we're very proud of so we're keeping the momentum going and part of that progress has been this. And have a unique marketing approach that we've done that wasn't necessarily it's a bigger budget bargaining new cars look more substantial. Applications that we've introduced to the customers that really work for their own lifestyles and their own tastes. for example we just introduced to him both on addition 300. John good minerals limited edition to 2000 units that's called the classic the future. And now or to a special less special card today for 200. We're looking to make sure that we have an appropriate people over for either the France. We will definitely have a minivan one of the two brands or or or country started this this segment right continue to be part of it. But one of the two grants cannot cannot have the same people again in the same so we have to. A role play if you like in the to have a different type of a people mover for one of the brands and the other continues with the minivan. Every grand love to have everything in March obviously especially if you're on a roll. As we've been so far. From from three years ago as the price of brand. But the reality is that we have to make sure that whatever game he made in the segments that we are existing in today that we protect that. Progress that we made and bring new cars bring. New technology is always be up to date and relevant in the marketplace with those three vehicles which are very important to us there our bread and is. And then after that we can think about what's what what other icing on the ticket prices of brand can contribute the total group because we are coexistence. Type of a brand with in the Floor that we have to be cognizant. Complementing each other and not be on top of each other so. What role will continue we are looking at that time diversifying and and adding. But at the same time we have to make sure that we bring new car is great wonderful vehicles that. Still play that their role in the marketplace that we existence today.
