Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - S15

BEST PRACTICES 2023
15
(BY THINKING SMALL)
When the 401 Group buys a
dealership, such as Pembroke
Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram in
Ontario, it wants the transition to
be invisible to customers, right
down to maintaining the familiar
faces in the showroom.
SUPPLIED PHOTO
Lancaster said. " We don't want to tarnish
what the owner has done. "
* Existing staff are kept on as much
as possible so customers see familiar
faces.
" We don't lose people. We try our
best to retain all our staff, " Lancaster
said. Often, employees have gone to
school or played hockey with customers.
*
Staff are taught not to upsell during
the sales process but to ensure the vehicle
matches the buyer's needs.
'HIRE FOR PERSONALITY'
During ownership transition,
Lancaster said, staff at a newly
acquired dealership are educated in the
401 Group's " top-tier " approach to business
and customer care. For new staff,
" We hire for personality, and we train
for efficiency. "
The dealership group is constantly
looking for ways to improve, including
learning from the company's RV sales
experience, Lancaster said.
People who buy RVs often buy them
as " reward " vehicles, and the purchase
comes with excitement and joy. Car
buyers should feel the same way, he
said.
" We want customers to have the
[most fun] experience possible. "
Metro dealerships could learn valuable
lessons from the way small dealerships
treat their customers, said
Dominic Sigouin, a Quebec-based automotive
retail consultant who caters to
small markets.
" People want to be recognized and
well-served, " he said. When metro dealerships
compete intensely on price, the
ability to create a positive buying experience
can get lost.
" You're talking about price when
you don't have anything else, " Sigouin
said.
Larry Lantz, who owned Hanover
Honda in Hanover, Ont., (pop. 7,700)
180 kilometres northwest of Toronto,
said he always kept focused on a golden
rule.
" I would not treat a customer any
other way than they wanted to be treated. "
Lantz
retired in 2021, passing the
Sigouin:
Everyone wants
a good price,
but small-market
dealerships
offer the
personal touch
that customers
desire.
FILE PHOTO
store to his sons.
Dealers in metro
markets who cut
the purchase price
to the point of minimal
profit often
say they can make
up ground on volume,
Lantz said,
but " that makes no
sense to me. "
To make up for
it, they'll often set
high shop rates,
which turn off service
customers, he
said.
Every buyer
wants the best
price, Sigouin said,
but they want the
personal touch of familiar staff members
being involved in delivery and
ownership experiences.
The one-contact approach, he said,
is much more common in smaller markets
where dealerships have smaller
teams. - ANC

Automotive News Canada - December 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Automotive News Canada - December 2023

Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - Intro
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - 1
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - 2
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - 3
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - 4
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - 5
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - 6
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - 7
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - 8
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - 9
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - 10
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - 11
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - 12
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - 13
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - 14
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - 15
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - 16
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - 17
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - 18
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - 19
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - 20
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - 21
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - 22
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - 23
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - 24
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - 25
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - 26
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - 27
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - 28
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - 29
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - 30
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - 31
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - 32
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - S1
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - S2
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - S3
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - S4
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - S5
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - S6
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - S7
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - S8
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - S9
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - S10
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - S11
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - S12
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - S13
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - S14
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - S15
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - S16
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - S17
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - S18
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - S19
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - S20
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - S21
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - S22
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - S23
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - S24
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - S25
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - S26
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - S27
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - S28
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - S29
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - S30
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - S31
Automotive News Canada - December 2023 - S32
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