Larry’s Certified Service Corner – Engine Coolant and Approaching Summer Weather.

Coolant is something we don’t always think about in the Spring or Summer. Engine coolant is a vital part of keeping your engine cool in the heat of Summer driving. Normal operating temperatures of today’s engines run 210 degrees up to 228 degrees before the electric cooling fan turns on. It’s important that your coolant is in good running condition. Even with the new long life coolant that today’s vehicles use, you want to make sure that the PH levels are in specifications to ward off possible corrosion concerns and the unexpected overheating engine. You are always welcome to stop in anytime at Miller Chevrolet. We can check your coolant and advise you of any potential concerns. Enjoy the wonderful Spring we’re having. Until next time drive safe and buckle up.

Larry Larson Miller Chevrolet Service and Parts Director

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Enjoying The Vehicle Purchase Process – Miller Chevrolet

For years the Automotive Industry and dealerships have been labeled with a bad name as crooks with crooked business intentions. Customer perceptions are starting to change as more and more dealers are immersing themselves into the digital age. Transparency within the dealership and throughout the sales process is almost required to have a successful business model in today’s day and age.

At Miller Chevrolet our Product Specialists truly care that you find the vehicle that you desire as well as the vehicle that will fit your family and lifestyle. Product knowledge is key as well as taking the time to truly understand every customer’s unique situation and goal in the transaction. Every customer that walks in the door whether they are buying a $3,000 car for their high school child or the family that needs a nine passenger Suburban gets treated the same.

Our family friendly facility has many amenities to keep you comfortable while here servicing your vehicle or completing a purchase. A comfortable 50′s style diner atmosphere greets you as you first enter the lounge. There are plenty of seating options available from comfortable booths (we see people sleeping in them often) to high-top bar tables with stools and standard tables and chairs. Lunch items are available daily, as well as granola bars, cookies and muffins. We have a play area for the kids and a great assortment of magazines and car care material to read for the adults. For those not to into reading we have a great assortment of technology available to pass the time as well. Nine large LCD tv’s, free wifi, and just added we have Kindle Fires available at the Sales Desk to check out!

As you work through the sales process with your Product Specialist you will never be stuffed in a tiny office with your whole family, and will never be pressured to purchase a vehicle. Miller Chevrolet is not a one price store, but a market based price dealer. We offer competitive pricing on new and pre-owned vehicles, but still are open to entertaining other offers if you feel the desire to present us with your “best offer”. If you have a vehicle to trade we offer a true value on your trade, we never play the numbers game to make your vehicle look like it is worth more just to sell you another vehicle. We also use a tool from AutoTrader.com called Trade-In-Marketplace as a means for you, our customer, to do some research yourself and find out what your Guaranteed Minimum Trade Value is. If you don’t like our number ATC will write you a check for the vehicle at their trade in market place appraised value!

I am sure at other dealers you have been told “PASS” or “NO DEAL”. Here at Miller Chevrolet if we are unable to come to terms that are agreeable for both parties (a Win, Win  so to speak) we will never let you leave feeling as if we do not want your business. We will always let you know what we “can do” at that time to earn you as a customer for life.

Are you on the fence about your purchase or do you want another family member to look over the vehicle? We have a solution for that as well. Our staff here is open to extended test drives. We want to make sure the vehicle, payments, and your family are the perfect match. Take our vehicle either over-night or from a Saturday to a Monday just to make sure it is the proper fit.

Here is what our customer’s are saying about the experience at Miller Chevrolet:

My Review of Miller Chevrolet Inc:
The experience we had dealing with Mike Lewandowski and Miller Chevrolet was absolutely positive. Normally, I have my defenses up when I go vehicle shopping but it didn’t take long to feel at ease working with Mike and see he had our best interests in mind. Mike is very knowledgeable and he spent a great deal of time familiarizing us with our new vehicle. Mike and Miller Chev are a first class act. Gregg & Cindy Swanson

My Review of Miller Chevrolet Inc:
My 2002 Saturn ended up being a total loss from a rear-end accident. I then started looking for “new” cars. I had no idea what I wanted because all I had owned was Saturn. I went to Miller and was very impressed with their customer service and hospitality. They just wanted what was best for me. They didn’t try to put me in “any old car”. They wanted me to be in something that I loved. When I had searched around at other dealerships, none compared to Mike Lewandowski at Miller Chev. He was so helpful, and definitely NOT pushy like most car salesmen at other dealerships. I would definitely recommend Miller to anyone looking to buy a car because they are so very help full.

My Review of Miller Chevrolet Inc:
I found my 2012 Camaro through AutoTrader at this dealership and got in touch with Mike Bestgen. From the initial contact, Mike was refreshingly honest in our discussions, answered all of my questions and provided my “out the door” pricing without hesitation and the typical runaround! Once I agreed to purchase the vehicle, at a better than competitive price, the service I received from Mike was outstanding, including his picking me up at the airport (I’m from NYC) and driving me to the dealership. Miller Chevy’s showroom is the nicest I’ve ever been in and I visited at least 6 in my area. Everyone was very friendly and provided the best car buying experience I’ve ever had. I highly recommend Mike and the gang at Miller Chevy to anyone interested in buying a car!

Buying from Miller was a good experience the sales people were not pushy which I appreciated. We were able to negotiate a fair deal, and I was very pleased with the purchase of our new 2012 Traverse. The dealership is spotless and I felt very comfortable there. The staff and management at Miller Chevrolet are top notch, I would not hesitate to go back again.
Very positive experience! My wife and I bought our second vehicle here. We worked with Sean Ricksham in the sales department; and he did a great job of talking us through everything and making sure we were taken care of. The staff at Miller are a cut-above the sales and service people you would typically find in a dealership. They are friendly, down-to-earth, knowledgeable, and eager to answer questions. And their burgers are delicious. We’ll be back.

There are so many more listed at the following sites:

DealerRater

GOOGLEPlaces

We welcome you to visit today!

Luke Stoker | Advertising and Marketing Director | Miller Chevrolet @lmstoker | lukes@millerchev.com

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Larry’s Certified Service Corner- Transmission Fluid and Towing

Transmission fluid and Towing your Boat.

During the year your transmission fluid endures temperatures from below freezing to above 90 degrees. Those kind of temperatures are not normal driving conditions and will deplete the life of your vehicles transmission fluid. The last thing that anyone wants is trouble on the way to the lake. So before you hook your boat up for the first trip to the lake stop in at Miller Chevrolet’s service department and we will check your transmission fluid for you. On average you should change transmission fluid at 50,000 based on our climate here in Minnesota. Until next time have a great Spring, drive safe and buckle up.

 

Larry Larson Miller Chevrolet Service and Parts Director

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Customer Service and What it Means to Us. Avoid a WMOT at Any Cost

This past week I decided that it was time to start looking at new homes. I browsed the web and selected eight homes that I wanted to look at between Sunday and Monday. I emailed  each seller accordingly, letting them know that I was a busy individual and the hours I was available to see the respective property.  Out of the eight Agents/Owners I emailed, only four responded, out of those four that responded, not one of them contacted me within a couple of hours. In fact the first response I received was hours (like seven) later.

The email responses contained no useful information except a short letter that gave me their cell phone number and told me now to call them, even after I stated to “please contact me via email”.  Since this was important to me, I followed up with a phone call and scheduled three showings on Sunday and one on Monday evening. I let all the Agents/Owners know that I would need a 10-20 minute window of leeway, in case the previous showing took a little longer.  Much to my surprise the middle two appointments on Sunday were listings held by the same office. I thought that would make the day so much easier to get through and stay on track.  The next step in the process my FMOT or (First Moment of Truth), would prove this wrong.

I, myself, as you all know am in the Customer Service and Response Industry. You my customer, requests information from us here at Miller Chevrolet; we expect our employees to communicate with you through your desired line(s) of communication and in a timely manner (let’s just say I expect questions answered accurately and completely in a matter of minutes). This is how you build a customers trust in your company, let them know that you are aware of not wasting their time, as well as that you are truly listening to their needs.

So my Sunday starts off well with the first showing and it runs about fifteen minutes long, just as I suspected. I call the Agent for the second and third showings that I had scheduled, to let him know that I would be fifteen minutes late (keep in mind that I already told him to build some time in his day in-case this were to happen, not to mention we could run through one residence to make up the time if needed).  His response is something I hope our customers never hear come out of anyones mouth at Miller Chevrolet; and went something like this: “Well I just cannot wait that long.” So I replied: “We are looking at two houses today with you correct”? He stated: “Well we were going to but I have another appointment that I now have to get to and we will have to reschedule to another time that fits my schedule”. Quickly processing his last statement while en-route to the home he was going to show me, I thought about two things: 1. He never really listened to my needs up front, 2. He wanted me (the customer) to work around his schedule so that he could make money and had no concern to maintain my business. I replied to him: “I think that I will find another agent to assist me in my home search”. Astonishingly he replied: “That would be a great idea!”

WMOT= Worst Moment of Truth

I am also a big social media fan and believe that you spread good words about those that deserve my networks ear, as well as the opposite in letting everyone in my network know who to steer clear of as to not get mistreated.  Any dealing with a company or representative can turn into a WMOT. However, if you feel that one persons “Second Moment of Truth” is the next persons “First Moment of Truth”, and if it is positive that it spreads quickly; How fast does one persons WMOT spread?  What does that say about your company and the people that they employ and company morals as a whole?

In closing work hard to obtain positive reviews for your company and urge your customers to call out employees that deserve praise.  Use negative reviews to improve internal processes and truly listen to what your customers are saying.

If you are a Miller Chevrolet customer and ever feel the way I did this past weekend, feel free to contact me and let me know the situation and how I can remedy it for you.

Thank you again for reading and have a great sunny week!

Luke Stoker | Advertising and Marketing Director | Miller Chevrolet @lmstoker | lukes@millerchev.com

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Larry’s Certified Service Corner – Spring Alignment

Spring Time Front End Alignment ?

Why an alignment in the Spring ? Maybe you purchased tires for the Winter months or even bought a new car or truck ? Winter road conditions are typically rough with snow and ice creating pot holes and unwanted bumps. These conditions can knock your vehicle’s alignment settings out of specifications without you even knowing until its to late. Irregular tire wear could be costly.You want to protect your investment by having the alignment checked and adjusted if necessary at least once a year. With that in mind Spring is a great time to do just that. Miller Chevrolet can make an appointment for you or you can go on-line at millerchev.com and make one yourself. Hope to see you soon. Until next time drive safe and buckle up.

Larry Larson Miller Chevrolet Service and Parts Director

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Larry’s Certified Service Corner – Service Appointments

Service appointments.  We’ve talked about our Quick Lube Department with no appointment necessary first come first serve. Just drive in and we’ll get you done. Did you know that you can make an appointment for all the other service needs on your vehicle. Miller Chevrolet can make an appointment for you by phone, Web site (millerchev.com) on-line, soon to come on our mobile app or just drive in to schedule. Miller Chevrolet also offers FREE rental cars by appointment only should you need to leave your vehicle for service work. (We do too many oil changes a day to offer them for oil changes) So if you need to schedule an appointment for your vehicle there are many options available for you whether you want to wait in our comfortable lounge, or drop off and get a rental car, Miller Chevrolet strives to help you with all your service needs. Give us a call, visit our Web site, or just stop in. Visit our Web site today and check out the service specials. Until next time drive safe and buckle up.

 

Larry Larson Miller Chevrolet Service and Parts Director

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Miller Chevrolet in Rogers, MN Continues to Go Green

Earlier in the year here at Miller Chevrolet we started steps to make our facility more green. We already were recycling our waste oil and storing it until the colder months for heating purposes. All of our oil filters are recycled as well. Then in November we had all of lights on our lot replaced with eco-friendly, hi intensity florescent lights by Orion. Which was equal to removing 15 vehicles off of the road each year in energy pollution. This week we had another delivery of eco-friendly, hi intensity florescent lights by Orion for our Service Drive and shop areas. Electricians have been fast at work every evening after the service department has closed installing these fixtures. Our Techs are impressed with just how much more and better the light is to work on your vehicles. The first time I walked into the shop after the installation I felt I needed sunglasses it was so bright. Just another way Miller Chevrolet is preparing for the younger generation and helping to reduce our carbon footprint.

Environmental  Impact:

CO2 Removed                   19.2 Tons

Acres of Trees Planted     5.3

Gallons of Gas Saved        2,388.1

Come check out our new lighting the next time you need service on your vehicle. Buckle up and Happy Motoring!

Luke Stoker | Advertising and Marketing Director | Miller Chevrolet @lmstoker | lukes@millerchev.com

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Larry’s Certified Service Corner – Oil Change at Miller Chevrolet

I want to take a moment to say Thank you for the overwhelming response to our Quick Lube department. The opportunity that you give us to service your vehicle is much appreciated. Miller Chevrolet’s Quick Lube department strives to make your visit here a pleasurable experience. Realizing the wait time is long sometimes throughout the day. We try to make you as comfortable as possible by having an inviting lounge to sit in, with big screen T.V’s, WI-FI connection, and food for you to snack on while your here. We are always looking to improve our Quick Lube process to better serve you and the needs of your vehicle. So again I apologize for the long wait and Thank you for your support during visit here at Miller Chevrolet. Drive safe and buckle up.

Larry Larson Miller Chevrolet Service and Parts Director


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Larry’s Certified Service Corner- Oil Change Service and Wait Times

Oil Changes at Miller Chevrolet are first come first serve. Then why does it take up to two hours? I apologize for the wait time. Miller Chevrolet want to serve all of our customers as quick as possible. Let me start by saying we’ve grown a lot over the past four years. From 20 to 25 oil changes a day to 65 to 80 a day. We have put on more help and added additional stalls in our Q-lube department but some times throughout the day isn’t enough. What you don’t see when you drive in for an oil change is how many oil changes we currently have ahead of you. That’s because our Q-lube department is at the back of our store and you can’t see how many cars are parked there. Miller Chevrolet appreciates every customer that comes in. I would also encourage you to ask our Advisors how many oil changes do we currently have ahead of you so you can decide if the wait time fits your schedule. Until next time drive safe and buckle up.

Larry Larson Miller Chevrolet Service and Parts Director

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Miller Chevrolet Growth – Earning Customers for Life

You as our customer’s matter most! Here at Miller Chevrolet we have experienced such a great atmosphere of growth in the last few year! We have you our customer’s to thank for that. During all of this growth we have experienced some typical growing pains and consistently have to review and evaluate our process we have in place. In Service we have gone from an average of 60 customers per day to over 130 in 4 short years! If you visit us regularly you have noticed that it make take some time not only to make your way into the Service Drive but for an Advisor to assist you. To help with the congestion we have hired 2 dedicated Service Porters to help move traffic through the drive more effectively. We are also rolling out our mobile app in the next few weeks where you will be able to make general service appointments. As for quick lube we have gone from 2 service bays with two Quick Lube Techs to 4 dedicated bays with 7 dedicated techs. With the growth Quick Lube wait times have increased as well. Our goal is to get you in and out within and hour. We know that we are not at the point yet. With our growth we have had to stock more filters and oil on site.  For all GM makes and models we stock the filters and drain plugs if needed. Where the wait times get the monkey-wrench is non-GM vehicles. Typically we have to locate a filter locally from one of our suppliers and then get it here. This can delay the process 15-30mins and back the whole line of customers up. In today’s marketplace we understand that one of the three vehicles in your household may be a GM vehicle where the others may be non-GM vehicles. We welcome all makes and models however if you are driving a non-GM vehicle you may experience a longer wait time. While on the subject of wait times, you may arrive after the morning or lunch rush and drive right into the drive and be the only person there at the moment. We are trying to do a better job of letting you know that you may be the only person on our drive currently but there are 15 vehicles ahead of you out back waiting for oil service. Our previous model was to inform you of our current wait time and not let you  know how many vehicles are ahead of you.  Our new position is to let you know not only the wait time but how many customers are ahead of you. I will continue this blog series with new posts on different departments at Miller Chevrolet and how we will continue to serve you as our customer for life. -Stay Tuned and Thank You

Luke Stoker | Advertising and Marketing Director | Miller Chevrolet @lmstoker | lukes@millerchev.com

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