Back in March, when the COVID news broke, like many, we were
not certain of what the very next day would bring. News articles, facts, science and medical explanations all seemed to contradict themselves. At first, all we could do at Hewlett VW was
disinfect everywhere over and over - which we did. Once we learned this would last more than
just a few weeks, we stepped up our processes. We purchased many hospital-grade
products and added staff that does nothing all day except clean, disinfect and
supply all departments with masks, gloves and any other needed supplies.
The actual car buying process switched to a more “touchless” process. We have added a retail digital
tool to our website that allows customers to do everything from start to finish
including getting a trade appraisal and reviewing their finance options. Once the customer decides how they want the
transaction/delivery handled, they can choose to have all the paperwork printed
prior to arrival or have the vehicle delivered to them. Of course, many people are simply coming in
like normal; we just require masks for both staff and customers.
While the buying process itself was manageable, what was not
for us was the factories shutting down making inventory very limited. Volkswagen Credit offering 0% for 72 months
accelerated the depletion of our inventory which in turn made the used car
market VERY hot.
The factories have now come back on-line and are producing
but that also required all of their global suppliers to come back to work as
well. It seems to be moving now. Volkswagen’s two biggest factories in North
America are both producing and shipping vehicles so we should get back to
normal inventory levels very soon.
As for service here at the dealership, we’ve integrated some
very stringent cleaning and disinfecting practices being that the customer area
is smaller than the showroom. We have
marked off areas, are practicing social distancing and your service experience
is pretty much “touchless”. We even come
out to your car on the service drive to minimize any gatherings since our write
up area is so small.
All in all, while COVID has not been convenient for anyone,
with a few added processes and procedures, business at Hewlett VW seems to be
working fine. Sales and service are
operating at full capacity, the deals on vehicles are really good and everyone
seems to be working around what may be the “new norm”.
We look forward to hearing from you if you have sales or
service needs, we’re here full time and would love to help.
John Chauvin – GM, Hewlett Volkswagen, LP
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