Economy Honda Superstore
2135 Chapman Road Chattanooga, TN 37421Sales: 800-258-0992
- Service: 800-257-4798
- Parts: 800-257-4798
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Economy Honda Superstore News
Economy Honda Superstore's automotive expertise is a product of our sustained interest in industry trends and characteristics. We are privileged to share the latest news, promotions and events with you and hope the information will enhance your shopping experience. As you know, there are many new cars from which to choose, and we believe an informed customer is the best customer. let us know your thoughts and any news as well.
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
2010 Honda Insight Hybrid Makes World Debut at the North
American International Auto Show
DETROIT, Jan. 11, 2009 — The all-new 2010 Honda Insight
hybrid car made its world debut today at the North American International Auto
Show. Utilizing the latest generation of Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist™ (IMA®)
hybrid technology and new, more cost-efficient production methods, the 2010
Insight defines a new stage in the evolution of hybrid technology, providing
hybrid customers with a new level of affordability, fun-to-drive performance,
and a U.S. EPA city/highway fuel-economy rating of 40/43 miles per
gallon.
The 2010 Insight will be launched at Honda dealers throughout the United States in the beginning of April 2009 and will be priced below the Civic Hybrid.
"Honda hybrids have always offered great value, high fuel efficiency and a healthy dose of fun near the middle price range in the Honda lineup," said John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda. "With the introduction of the all-new Insight, we're opening up Honda's fun-to-drive, versatile and fuel-efficient hybrid technology to an entirely new group of buyers that previously may not have considered a hybrid because of either image or cost."
Evoking the advanced and aerodynamic five-door sedan design first deployed on the revolutionary FCX Clarity fuel cell car, the new Insight has a low center of gravity and a spacious five-passenger cabin, offering the kind of driving experience and roomy, versatile interior space that customers have come to expect from Honda.
To help Insight owners realize the full benefits of Honda hybrid technology, the Insight will feature a new interactive, driver-focused fuel economy enhancement technology named the Ecological Drive Assist System (Eco Assist™). Eco Assist combines multiple functions:
The Insight's IMA system incorporates a 10-kilowatt (13 hp) electric motor and a compact Intelligent Power Unit (IPU) — recapturing and storing kinetic energy from vehicle braking and deceleration and supplying additional power for acceleration when needed. Packaging of the ultra-compact IMA battery and IPU in the vehicle’s rear floor allows the enhanced utility of a 60/40 split and fold-down rear seat back.
The Insight's IMA system has the capability to operate exclusively on electric power in certain low- to mid-speed driving conditions. It also provides for cylinder deactivation within the gasoline engine during deceleration and for engine shutoff when the vehicle is stopped. With a 10.6-gallon fuel tank, the Insight delivers an estimated maximum driving range in excess of 400 miles.
Standard safety features on all Insights include dual-stage, dual-threshold front airbags; front-side airbags with a passenger-side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS); side curtain airbag system; anti-lock brakes with electronic brake distribution (EBD); driver- and front-passenger active head restraints and a front body designed to mitigate pedestrian injuries. All new Insights also feature Honda's Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure, which provides improved crash compatibility between vehicles of different size and ride height, enhancing protection for Insight occupants while reducing the potential for injury to occupants of the opposing vehicle in a frontal collision.
Additional standard features on all new Insights include 60/40 split and fold-down rear seatbacks; two-tier digital instrument panels; automatic climate control; power windows, mirrors and door locks; a tilting and telescoping steering wheel and a 160-watt AM/FM/CD audio system with MP3 audio playback, an auxiliary audio input jack and Speed-Sensitive Volume Control (SVC).
Insight EX models add alloy wheels, cruise control, 6-speaker audio system with USB audio interface, steering-wheel mounted paddle shifters, Honda Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®) and an available Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System™ with Voice Recognition.
Honda is a leader in developing cleaner, more fuel-efficient vehicle technologies, including the original Honda Insight, introduced as America's first mass-produced hybrid car in December 1999. American Honda has announced plans to increase its U.S. hybrid sales beyond the new Insight with the introduction of a third hybrid car, based on the Honda CR-Z concept vehicle, within the next couple of years. Honda is also a leader in the development of advanced alternatives to gasoline, including the zero-emission, hydrogen-powered Honda FCX Clarity fuel cell car, the world’s most advanced production automobile.
# # #
For more information and downloadable high-resolution images of the Insight Concept and other Honda vehicles, including the Civic Hybrid, please visit www.hondanews.com. Consumer information is available at www.honda.com.
The 2010 Insight will be launched at Honda dealers throughout the United States in the beginning of April 2009 and will be priced below the Civic Hybrid.
"Honda hybrids have always offered great value, high fuel efficiency and a healthy dose of fun near the middle price range in the Honda lineup," said John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda. "With the introduction of the all-new Insight, we're opening up Honda's fun-to-drive, versatile and fuel-efficient hybrid technology to an entirely new group of buyers that previously may not have considered a hybrid because of either image or cost."
Evoking the advanced and aerodynamic five-door sedan design first deployed on the revolutionary FCX Clarity fuel cell car, the new Insight has a low center of gravity and a spacious five-passenger cabin, offering the kind of driving experience and roomy, versatile interior space that customers have come to expect from Honda.
To help Insight owners realize the full benefits of Honda hybrid technology, the Insight will feature a new interactive, driver-focused fuel economy enhancement technology named the Ecological Drive Assist System (Eco Assist™). Eco Assist combines multiple functions:
- A driver-activated ECON mode that optimizes control of the continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), engine and related powertrain components to further improve vehicle fuel efficiency;
- a driver feedback function that uses an innovative speedometer display with changing background colors to provide real-time guidance to the driver on achieving higher fuel efficiency; and
- a unique fuel-economy scoring function using a plant-leaf graphic to provide feedback to the driver on current-trip driving efficiency and lifetime fuel-efficient driving performance.
The Insight's IMA system incorporates a 10-kilowatt (13 hp) electric motor and a compact Intelligent Power Unit (IPU) — recapturing and storing kinetic energy from vehicle braking and deceleration and supplying additional power for acceleration when needed. Packaging of the ultra-compact IMA battery and IPU in the vehicle’s rear floor allows the enhanced utility of a 60/40 split and fold-down rear seat back.
The Insight's IMA system has the capability to operate exclusively on electric power in certain low- to mid-speed driving conditions. It also provides for cylinder deactivation within the gasoline engine during deceleration and for engine shutoff when the vehicle is stopped. With a 10.6-gallon fuel tank, the Insight delivers an estimated maximum driving range in excess of 400 miles.
Standard safety features on all Insights include dual-stage, dual-threshold front airbags; front-side airbags with a passenger-side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS); side curtain airbag system; anti-lock brakes with electronic brake distribution (EBD); driver- and front-passenger active head restraints and a front body designed to mitigate pedestrian injuries. All new Insights also feature Honda's Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure, which provides improved crash compatibility between vehicles of different size and ride height, enhancing protection for Insight occupants while reducing the potential for injury to occupants of the opposing vehicle in a frontal collision.
Additional standard features on all new Insights include 60/40 split and fold-down rear seatbacks; two-tier digital instrument panels; automatic climate control; power windows, mirrors and door locks; a tilting and telescoping steering wheel and a 160-watt AM/FM/CD audio system with MP3 audio playback, an auxiliary audio input jack and Speed-Sensitive Volume Control (SVC).
Insight EX models add alloy wheels, cruise control, 6-speaker audio system with USB audio interface, steering-wheel mounted paddle shifters, Honda Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®) and an available Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System™ with Voice Recognition.
Honda is a leader in developing cleaner, more fuel-efficient vehicle technologies, including the original Honda Insight, introduced as America's first mass-produced hybrid car in December 1999. American Honda has announced plans to increase its U.S. hybrid sales beyond the new Insight with the introduction of a third hybrid car, based on the Honda CR-Z concept vehicle, within the next couple of years. Honda is also a leader in the development of advanced alternatives to gasoline, including the zero-emission, hydrogen-powered Honda FCX Clarity fuel cell car, the world’s most advanced production automobile.
For more information and downloadable high-resolution images of the Insight Concept and other Honda vehicles, including the Civic Hybrid, please visit www.hondanews.com. Consumer information is available at www.honda.com.
Website by Dealer.com
Economy Honda Superstore
2135 Chapman Road
Chattanooga,
TN
37421