Digital Dealer - August 2018 - 28

C O V E R S TO RY ( Continued from pg. 27)

In the following conversation, Phil
discusses his remarkable journey
from lot kid to owner, and shares his
thoughts on a range of topics, from
the company's innovative and popular
"Right from the Start" clinics to their
full-time commitment to customer
satisfaction and retention.
QUESTION: Phil, you started in
auto retailing as a lot attendant at an
early age. Today, you own the Sunset
Auto Family, which includes some of
the most successful dealerships in the
state of Washington. How did you get
from there to here?
ANSWER: That's a good question.
I'm not really sure how I got here.
Let's see, I went to work at a Cadillac
store when I was about 14. I might
have even fudged a little about my age
to get the job. After that, I worked for
an auto group that owned three stores
and eventually began selling cars.
Next, I obtained a sales position
with a South Puget Sound Chevrolet
dealer and stayed there for about
two years, gaining the kind of sales
experience everyone in this business
needs. Then I got my first big break.
I was promoted to the desk as a sales
manager and held that position for
about nine years before my next big
opportunity came. I went to another
Puget Sound area Chevrolet store
as their GSM. Finally, I ended up at
Sunset Chevrolet in 1997 as the GSM
and quickly became the GM. Ray
and Jerry, who at the time owned
Sunset Chevrolet, presented me an
unbelievable opportunity to buy into
the dealership. I really owe my career
to them. They saw something in me
and gave me the kind of chance few
people ever get. I could never thank
them enough.
Once I secured sole ownership in
Sunset, we had two initial objectives:
First, our plan was to re-brand Sunset
by introducing "Warranty Protection
for Life" to the marketplace. We did
this with a little help from Richard
Sherman of the Seattle Seahawks,
28

AUGUST 2018

who was our spokesperson when we
launched the program.
Secondly, our goal was to expand
the Sunset brand by acquiring
additional dealerships in the same
geographic area. Less than six
years later, the Sunset Auto Family
includes franchises such as Ford,
Kia and Mitsubishi to go along with
Sunset Chevrolet and Sunset Trucks
(an independent pre-owned truck
dealership).
QUESTION: Sunset Chevrolet
has been #1 in Chevrolet sales for
Washington State for more than 15
years. To what do you attribute this
success?
ANSWER: We really treat all
customers as family, hence the name
"Sunset Auto Family." I'd like to
expand on that a little bit. Our original
dealership (Sunset Chevrolet) is
located in the small town of Sumner,
Washington, with a population of
only about 9,700 people. Sunset
Chevrolet is our flagship dealership
and it has been around since 1920.
There have been as many as five or six
generations of families who would not
think of going anywhere but Sunset
for their automobile needs. The Sunset
formula has been to take great care of
customers. As a result, we have a very,
very loyal customer base. We could
not have accomplished all the things
we have without this loyal customer
base-and, I might add, without the
best team of employees on the planet.
By the way, I think the location of
Sunset Chevrolet would shock you.
It's built between one of the oldest
neighborhoods in the state, houses
built during the 1920s, and railroad
tracks. There's no auto mall or auto
row; there's no freeway visibility or
access. We stand on an island in a
residential neighborhood on a street
called "Traffic Avenue." It's really a
remarkable thing. Sunset Chevrolet
started in a gas station not too far
from its current location.
QUESTION: Your Warranty

D I G I TA L D E A L E R . C O M

Protection for Life plan made quite
a stir in the industry. Please tell us
more about it.
ANSWER: We adopted it because
we want to take the very best
care of our customers by offering
them a great added value package,
something beyond the vehicle at a
great price and low payment. But
unfortunately, it seems everybody
is now trying to knock off our plan.
You know, it's funny, many of our
competitors spent over five years
trying to convince customers our
warranty plan was some kind of
advertising gimmick. Now they are
trying to find a similar program for
themselves.
"Warranty Protection for Life"
takes the hassle and fear out of car
buying for our customers and makes
ownership worry-free for as long as
they own the vehicle. It seems just
about every Chevy dealer is offering
something that at least sounds like
our program. And it is not just Chevy
dealers. We are seeing dealerships
representing Honda, Hyundai,
Ford, Toyota, Buick/GMC, Subaru,
Nissan, and others offering "Lifetime
Warranty" plans. I guess imitation
is the highest form of flattery, right?
Maybe they think it's our secret
sauce. If they do, they are mistaken.
Our secret sauce is our commitment
to the program and to our customerfirst culture.
We have seen several dealerships
jump into the Lifetime game and
then jump out almost as quickly.
Most dealerships are not willing
to make the kind of financial
commitment required. Many
dealerships think this is a financial
commitment in the automobile.
That would never make any sense.
However, this kind of commitment to
the customer (not the vehicle) makes
all the sense in the world. It is this
culture that earns us loyal customers
for life.
QUESTION: How does your
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