Since I have both domestic and foreign autos in my family fleet of automobiles, I feel comfortable in making comparisons between the two. When I have turned to the dealerships for support, I have been fortunate in having mostly good experiences. It wasn’t that long ago that I told the story of “BMW dealer’s vehicle “porter” turns into frontline salesperson”.
With the press going on about Chrysler, and their reduced performance in sales and production quality, it’s no wonder their dealers may seem a bit skittish with a headline like “Dealers Anxious as Chrysler Stays Mum on Car Plan”. From my vantage point, it doesn’t seem fair.
With three Jeeps having gone through our garage doors, and two left in service, I don’t see changes in brand anytime soon. We reluctantly parted with the Wrangler, but the Cherokee and Grand Cherokee continue to perform well. The Cherokee has over 150,000 miles on it, and is still running strong. The Grand Cherokee is a little over half that much and I don’t regret any maintenance costs with it.
I have always felt comfortable about my local Jeep dealer relationship, especially with the parts department. Regular readers know that I like to tackle a few repair jobs along the way. Although the location is the same, the name has changed; the receptionist now greets incoming callers with, “Welcome to the all new Leith Chrysler Jeep”.
The parts department continues to deliver helpful and patient service, along with a willingness to offer some advice. This morning was another good example as I commiserated with one of the parts staff who shared my fondness for the ’96 Cherokee; he told me the story of running one of his Jeeps for nearly 300,000 miles.
It’s this level of service and satisfaction that keeps customers coming back; and not just for parts. Good customer service in the parts department can carry forward when it comes time to purchase a new car.
Having experienced Chrysler’s past troubles in the early 70s - I was selling steel in Michigan back then to many of the auto plants – I have confidence that if they put their minds to it, they can turn it around again. But, they need to treat their dealers well. After all, that is the customer-facing arm of the company.
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