Everyone has their favorite car manufacturer. At some point in everyone’s life, they find a car or brand they love and stick to it. Maybe it was a 2009 Chevy Malibu that sold someone on a model or a few different Silverado’s leased one after the other. Or was it that 2005 Chevy Equinox you learned to drive in and are now buying the latest model of? For those of us who love Chevy vehicles, we are bound to spend some time at a local dealership to find our next new (or used) model. But what is better, a Chevy dealership that focuses on that brand (maybe has a few other GM models on the lot) or a small, independent dealership?
When You’re a Die-Hard Buyer
You probably found a car that suited you really well for specific reasons. It could be the layout of the interior, the comfort of the seats, the driving experience itself, or any number of features that make you happy. For many, that means a Chevy. Once you fall in love with a brand, you know where to expect to find certain things like the windshield wiper switch or the high beams. You learn to trust the way the vehicle will accelerate or brake, and you know little things like how long you can drive when the “empty” signal lights for the gas tank.
Having that kind of relationship with a car will then naturally extend to the dealership that sold the vehicle to you. When you really love your ride, the dealership will often be happy to see you enjoying it.
Imagine how nice it is to hear a customer praise their vehicle when they talk about it, or to know that customer tells other people about the positive experience they have with a dealership or purchase. The positivity spreads, and that’s the pinnacle of any sales experience. Happy customers are the best for business, and dealerships often appreciate that more than you may know.
Let’s Talk Maintenance
Assuming you have already purchased your vehicle, and now you just need some regular maintenance performed. This maintenance could be anything from a simple oil change to a tire rotation, or maybe you need brake pads changed. Whatever it is, you need work done.
If you purchased a new Chevy model from a Chevy dealership, say a 2020 Chevy Malibu, during the first year of ownership the first maintenance visit is covered. This includes an oil and filter change, a multi-point vehicle inspection, and a tire rotation. You’re not going to find this option just anywhere.
Benefits of a Long-Standing Dealership
We are lucky to live in a time where we are able to see the brands and even the models that have seen the test of time. This even goes for car dealerships. You want to find the one that is backed by customer testimonials, awards, or that puts the customer before the sale. You also want to go to the dealership that loves cars like you do. Research is everything these days, make sure that when you are looking for a dealership to find a new model or one with a service center for your current car, they are there for the customer and the community.
We cannot underestimate how important it is to find a dealership committed to the community and to maintaining connections with its customers. It’s far too easy to find dealers that just want to make a sale and move on; it’s harder (but far from impossible) to find one that cares.
While the customer is the direct reason for the dealership to offer excellent service, good dealerships will often invest in local community services to benefit nonprofits, highways, or events. Investing in the local economy is part of every local dealership, even if they don’t directly donate to a cause. The employment opportunities offered by dealerships is an investment all on its own, especially when employees can have the security of benefits like health care coverage or retirements.
A dealership that has proven itself a mainstay of the community will also develop relationships with local businesses. Customers purchasing vehicles will benefit from the relationships a strong dealership will maintain with local or national financial institutions to ensure their customers can finance a vehicle they need. If your dealership has reached out to other local businesses or institutions, employees may be able to enjoy discounts at restaurants or stores, and sometimes dealerships can pass on these kinds of savings to customers.
Quality Expertise
Good sales personnel know that a little education goes a long way. When they take the time to teach you how to connect your smartphone to your vehicle’s audio or show you how to use the apps in your infotainment system, a customer is going to get the most out of a new vehicle. Good dealerships realize the importance of training their sales staff to help customers, and this often happens through association with a brand like Chevy. Sales are more likely to be a fun, enjoyable experience when the staff knows a customer may need to get comfortable with newer features that are unfamiliar to them. When you are researching which dealership to go to, check out what their current customers are saying about them. Look at online reviews and ask your friends or family if they’ve visited them.
Visit Your Local Car Dealership
When you purchase your car from a dealership backed by a particular car brand, you are given an extra level of assurance that you wouldn’t get elsewhere. If you purchase through a local garage or side of the road dealership with no more than 15 cars on the lot that is not associated with a manufacturer (or anyone but the owner), you won’t have the added protections a dealership can provide. This includes warranties that the manufacturer and dealership provide that can apply to new and Certified Pre-Owned models and even regular used models.
With a local garage or small, independent dealer, will you get a warranty that’s guaranteed? Will the warranty actually be honored when you need repairs? Such questions should be answered before any purchase of a vehicle. A Chevy dealership sells vehicles backed by factory/manufacturer warranties as well as their own in some cases. When it comes to repairs, you can expect to find them completed with OEM parts and not some generic part that wasn’t designed for your specific model. If something major goes wrong to no fault of your own, those parts are often covered by bumper-to-bumper or extended warranties that were included/available at the time of the vehicle’s purchase.
Not all dealerships are equal. Keep in mind that a good Chevy dealership will honor the warranties that are guaranteed for their vehicles, and those warranties can be fairly comprehensive. When you purchase your vehicle, make sure to read over everything that is covered by a warranty, you might find you have coverage of parts you wouldn’t normally expect. This is not always the case when you purchase elsewhere, especially with used vehicles.
Remember, most major car dealerships have the expertise and training to know the specifics for their particular brand. You will benefit from that expertise. If you’re ready to head out to buy a new vehicle, get out there and locate your local Chevy dealer to let their skills work for you.
