Economy Honda Superstore
2135 Chapman Road Chattanooga, TN 37421Contact Us: 855-260-8717
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Economy Honda Superstore News
Congratulations to the Honda Pilot!
Congratulations to the 2012 Honda Pilot,the winner of Cars.com's Best SUV for $37,000
CLICK HERE to view our Honda Pilot Inventory!!!
Our most recent shootout put seven of the most popular 3-row SUVs that cost no more than $37,000 in head-to-head testing by the automotive experts from Cars.com, Motorweek and USA Today . The competition also included an evaluation of the family-friendliness of each vehicle by a family of four. This was an extremely close competition, but the Honda Pilot took the title for its great mix of comfort, features for the price, roominess and fuel efficiency. View full coverage of the results on Cars.com.
Pick up today's USA Today to see the front page coverage of our shootout!
Family segments, like 3-row SUV's, are extremely competitive in today's marketplace. Winning an award from Cars.com sends a message to these customers about the quality of the Pilot. Sharing this news in your dealership, on your social networks and in planned marketing materials is a great way to spread the news to potential customers.
CLICK HERE to view our Honda Pilot Inventory!!!
Economy Honda Delivers the
Five-Star Treatment Chattanooga dealershi p makes Honda Fi nancial Services (HFS) part of its VIP process.
The sales team at Economy Honda Superstore in Chattanooga,Tennessee, has one overriding goal. "We always try to deliver the Wow factor," General Manager Corey Choate says. When you take a look at the dealership's processes and the results they deliver, Wow! is a natural reaction. Economy Honda typically sees a closing rate of over 40 percent from its fine-tuned appointment selling process. Those are great results for any dealer, particularly with 50-60 "VIP appointments" on a typical Saturday.
Multiple Award Winner
"HFS is a huge part of our success," Choate says. "With every
new car and every Honda Certified Used Car, we give HFS first look at financing the vehicle, no matter what."
Economy Honda: from left to right: Brett Karstens, Dealer Relations Manager, Denise Dickson, Finance Manager, Jeremy Holsomback, Finance Director, Steve Hadden, Finance Manager, Corey Choate, General Manager, Jeff L. Williams, Regional Manager, Monta Burney, Sales Manager, and Jeremy Newberry, Sales Manager
"Their management has always been 100 percent supportive ofus. We appreciate being their first choice," says Brett Karstens, American Honda Finance Corporation (AHFC) dealer relations manager. "We're supportive of them because they're supportive of us." That dedication has led Economy Honda to win eight consecutive Council of Excellence (COE) awards. It's one of only five dealerships to win the honor so many times.
A Five-Star Experience
Excellence is part of the dealership's business model. "We
have what we call a 'VIP customer process.' Ninety-nine percent of our customers come from the Internet. So when they contact us online or on the phone, we have an agent who
sets up VIP appointments," Choate says. The appointment lives up to its billing. "I'm looking to treat my customers as if they've come to a five-star restaurant or hotel," Choate says. "We're going to know their name before they've arrived, and give them a Wow experience." When these customers arrive at the dealership, they find VIP parking waiting for them. They're greeted by their appointed sales associate, who introduces them to the sales manager.
"We always greet them and thank them for coming in. That
way, when it comes time to present numbers, they're not
getting the numbers from the man behind the glass. They're
getting them from someone they've met." If the customer has come to see a specific vehicle, it's thoroughly cleaned, parked, and waiting just outside the showroom door with the heat or air-conditioning running to suit the weather conditions.
Succeeding with Honda Certified Used-car buyers get the same VIP treatment. Nearly 600 of the used vehicles sold at Economy Honda in 2009 were Honda Certified. The dealership obtains many of its used vehicles from the Vehicle Inter-Dealer Purchase System (VIPS), which gives Honda dealers a way to bid competitively for end-of-term vehicles and complete the transaction without having to leave their dealerships.
"We certify every car that is certifiable. As a dealer, it's crazy
not to," Choate says. "With a Honda Certified Used Car, the
customer will be coming back to me for service and warranty
work."
Honda Care Builds Service Loyalty
Another way to bring customers back is by offering them
Honda Care® Vehicle Service Contracts (VSCs). "We make
sure we present customers with the opportunity to buy
Honda Care and show them the Service Payment Plan (SPP)
option. We make the customer understand the benefits.
$20-$30 per month is not a lot of money to spend if you're
looking at a $1,000 repair down the road." Honda Care is
offered to both new and Honda Certified Used Car customers
and about 45 percent purchase it. Most customers who purchase Honda Care return to the selling dealerships for service. "We sell them the first car, but the service department sells them their second, third, and fourth
cars," Choate says. "I get tons of compliments from our customers about our service." The dealership has made Honda Care a consistent part of its customer-loyalty process. "They've always been one of my most successful dealerships in selling Honda Care," Karstens says. "They utilize a menu process to ensure that it's offered every time, and they don't try to mark up the price. If you overcharge, you will not be successful in selling the product." A People Business
Although Economy Honda has a very detailed process playbook, Choate feels that his dedicated employees are the true secret to its success.
"I give all the credit to the associates in the dealership,"
Choate says. "We focus a lot on our associates' satisfaction.
Customers can tell if people are unhappy and stressed, or
happy and confident. They really appreciate coming back to
buy another car and doing business with the same salesperson and the same manager." With the VIP treatment they experience at Economy Honda Superstore
top
Five-Star Treatment Chattanooga dealershi p makes Honda Fi nancial Services (HFS) part of its VIP process.
The sales team at Economy Honda Superstore in Chattanooga,Tennessee, has one overriding goal. "We always try to deliver the Wow factor," General Manager Corey Choate says. When you take a look at the dealership's processes and the results they deliver, Wow! is a natural reaction. Economy Honda typically sees a closing rate of over 40 percent from its fine-tuned appointment selling process. Those are great results for any dealer, particularly with 50-60 "VIP appointments" on a typical Saturday.
Multiple Award Winner
"HFS is a huge part of our success," Choate says. "With every
new car and every Honda Certified Used Car, we give HFS first look at financing the vehicle, no matter what."
Economy Honda: from left to right: Brett Karstens, Dealer Relations Manager, Denise Dickson, Finance Manager, Jeremy Holsomback, Finance Director, Steve Hadden, Finance Manager, Corey Choate, General Manager, Jeff L. Williams, Regional Manager, Monta Burney, Sales Manager, and Jeremy Newberry, Sales Manager
"Their management has always been 100 percent supportive ofus. We appreciate being their first choice," says Brett Karstens, American Honda Finance Corporation (AHFC) dealer relations manager. "We're supportive of them because they're supportive of us." That dedication has led Economy Honda to win eight consecutive Council of Excellence (COE) awards. It's one of only five dealerships to win the honor so many times.
A Five-Star Experience
Excellence is part of the dealership's business model. "We
have what we call a 'VIP customer process.' Ninety-nine percent of our customers come from the Internet. So when they contact us online or on the phone, we have an agent who
sets up VIP appointments," Choate says. The appointment lives up to its billing. "I'm looking to treat my customers as if they've come to a five-star restaurant or hotel," Choate says. "We're going to know their name before they've arrived, and give them a Wow experience." When these customers arrive at the dealership, they find VIP parking waiting for them. They're greeted by their appointed sales associate, who introduces them to the sales manager.
"We always greet them and thank them for coming in. That
way, when it comes time to present numbers, they're not
getting the numbers from the man behind the glass. They're
getting them from someone they've met." If the customer has come to see a specific vehicle, it's thoroughly cleaned, parked, and waiting just outside the showroom door with the heat or air-conditioning running to suit the weather conditions.
Succeeding with Honda Certified Used-car buyers get the same VIP treatment. Nearly 600 of the used vehicles sold at Economy Honda in 2009 were Honda Certified. The dealership obtains many of its used vehicles from the Vehicle Inter-Dealer Purchase System (VIPS), which gives Honda dealers a way to bid competitively for end-of-term vehicles and complete the transaction without having to leave their dealerships.
"We certify every car that is certifiable. As a dealer, it's crazy
not to," Choate says. "With a Honda Certified Used Car, the
customer will be coming back to me for service and warranty
work."
Honda Care Builds Service Loyalty
Another way to bring customers back is by offering them
Honda Care® Vehicle Service Contracts (VSCs). "We make
sure we present customers with the opportunity to buy
Honda Care and show them the Service Payment Plan (SPP)
option. We make the customer understand the benefits.
$20-$30 per month is not a lot of money to spend if you're
looking at a $1,000 repair down the road." Honda Care is
offered to both new and Honda Certified Used Car customers
and about 45 percent purchase it. Most customers who purchase Honda Care return to the selling dealerships for service. "We sell them the first car, but the service department sells them their second, third, and fourth
cars," Choate says. "I get tons of compliments from our customers about our service." The dealership has made Honda Care a consistent part of its customer-loyalty process. "They've always been one of my most successful dealerships in selling Honda Care," Karstens says. "They utilize a menu process to ensure that it's offered every time, and they don't try to mark up the price. If you overcharge, you will not be successful in selling the product." A People Business
Although Economy Honda has a very detailed process playbook, Choate feels that his dedicated employees are the true secret to its success.
"I give all the credit to the associates in the dealership,"
Choate says. "We focus a lot on our associates' satisfaction.
Customers can tell if people are unhappy and stressed, or
happy and confident. They really appreciate coming back to
buy another car and doing business with the same salesperson and the same manager." With the VIP treatment they experience at Economy Honda Superstore