Earl Stewart On Cars

Was it’ll Rogers who said, “It ain’t braggin’ if it’s so”? I’m uncertain if I trust that and I usually feel just a little funny about tooting my very own horn. The reason why I’m writing about my dealership’s fulfillment is not because of what we did but how we achieved it.

We were able to make this happen truly amazing feat when you are “nice guys” and we did win spite of what Leo Durocher may have said. What almost every other car sellers can’t understand is how exactly we can be so successful without advertising just how they do. If you have seen my ads, you understand how I advertise.

It’s all about my direct personal access via my red telephone, my decrying the dealer fee and phoning for it being made unlawful, and telling you that you’ll always be treated with integrity, respect, and courtesy in my dealership. Our sales methods and our service methods are like our advertising. We walk the talk truly.

I have four red telephones located in the service drive, customer waiting around lounge, show room, and the body shop. Beside the red telephone is a sign with my picture stating, “The buck stops here. If we’ve not exceeded your expectations, pick up this red phone and be directly linked to me, the owner”. I request most of my new customers to a reception every 8 weeks, talk with them, and give each one my business cards with my home phone number.

  • You work in a structured way, have an eye for fine detail and can explain your opinions in clear form
  • Michigan State University
  • Waste reduction and cost evaluation to enhance the efficiency of treatment
  • Problem solver
  • Continual improvement predicated on objective measurements
  • You should align the weight of each content bucket with your business goals
  • Incompetent candidates are eliminated
  • Location link

We don’t have secretaries in my company and we don’t have voice mails. Nobody, including me, has their calls screened. Actually, if the person you are calling has gone out of the dealership, the call is connected to her cell phone directly. My instruction to all or any of my employees is “If the customer thinks she actually is right, care for the problem”.

The important thing about this viewpoint is not debating who’s right. The important thing is what our customer thinks. Our motto is “It’s what you do for your customer when you don’t have compared to that is the true measure of character…like sticking up for someone that can’t defend himself”. There is another reason that I’m “bragging” in this column.

Other businesses and especially other car dealers are sitting up and taking notice. Hopefully we will see some of them change their business practices like falling the dealer fee and changing their bait and change advertising tactics. If you’re a car dealer reading this column, give me a let’s and call chat. I want to let you know how much better you will do by treating your visitors just how your mother probably told you you should. Not merely will your business do better but you’ll rest better at night.