By Alisdair Suttie
A visit to a car dealership has always played a crucial part in the car-buying process, and still is, despite the rise of online car configurators and finance calculators. People now pay fewer visits to dealerships before making their purchase, but very few buy without walking into a dealership at least once. It’s all very well looking at your friend’s model, reading the expert and user reviews and doing your research online, but at some point you’ll want to get up close and personal with the actual car. Every customer wants to hear the door shut, to feel the paintwork, smell the interior. It’s the tactile part of a very expensive transaction, and dealers play the crucial role of introducing the car to the buyer. They stand at the coalface between the brand and the public, and it’s essential that they reflect the brand well. Honda’s dealers are well aware of the challenge and one in particular has more than risen to it.
Seventy years in the same place, selling and servicing cars, tells you Ewens of Cornhill must be doing something right. The dealership is in a quiet village in rural Aberdeenshire, close to Scotland’s Cairngorms National Park, and was judged the number one Honda dealer for Excellence in Aftersales in 2015.
A relaxing environment ensures customers feel comfortable and are never pressured into a decision.
‘It comes down to treating people with respect, and dealing with customers as we would like to be dealt with,’ says Alan Ewen. He’s the third generation of Ewens to run the family business and his son Paul now works on the service side, introducing a fourth generation to the company. Alongside Alan is his cousin Mike, who runs the immensely successful after-sales side of the business.
A warm welcome
The nature of Ewens of Cornhill means one of the family is always around. ‘We’re a family business, so a lot of customers expect us to be here,’ says Alan. ‘But I think new customers can get a surprise when they start chatting and realise they are speaking to the guys who own the place.’
This hands-on approach runs all the way from Alan, who is Dealer Principal, through each of the 26 staff. As you walk across the immaculately presented forecourt and into the spotless showroom, everyone has a smile and a welcoming word.
Alan is adamant that everyone who steps into the showroom should feel relaxed and not be pounced upon. ‘We’re not interested in a battle with customers,’ he says. ‘Buying a car can be very stressful, so we’re here to make it as simple and enjoyable as possible. We like to let customers settle into the showroom before introducing ourselves.
Alan Ewen knows many of his customers by first name and some even travel from as far as London.
‘Of course, we know a lot of our customers very well,’ he adds. ‘Many have been with us for 40 years or more and we even have one CR-V owner who drives up from London to have his car serviced with us.’
Loyalty is valued by all Honda dealers and they work hard to earn and keep it. Customers like to be able to speak to one member of staff and build up a relationship of trust, and staff will often respond to messages out of hours – the days of 9 to 5 are long gone.
Award-winning customer care
As the northern-most Honda dealer in the UK, Ewens of Cornhill deals with customers from a huge geographical area, including Wick and the Orkney Islands. Given the rugged beauty of northern Scotland, it’s no wonder the Honda CR-V is Ewens’ bestseller, with staff selling more than 450 new and used CR-Vs every year. As a result, Alan always likes to have at least 25 CR-Vs in stock.
Having so many cars available provides plenty of choice for customers – and these days a lot of people know what they want before they arrive at the showroom. ‘Some even work out the deal by email or over the phone, so all they do is come to collect the car,’ says Alan. ‘Our existing customers know the quality of our cars, so they know their new car will be exactly what they’ve asked for. But while we see fewer people in the showroom nowadays, sales have increased, as people use the internet to research their new car.’
All Honda dealers have embraced the online age with easy-to-navigate websites to make accessing information as simple as possible. And staff spend much more time communicating by email, text or even Twitter, as well as using a content management system to refresh information on their website.
Excellent servicing and afterales are essential parts of delivering the best possible customer care.
As customers have changed, Honda has adapted with them. ‘We see a great many more women buying cars for themselves now rather than just coming along with their partner,’ says Alan. ‘When couples come into the showroom, it’s often the woman making the final decision. My father might have struggled a little with this idea, but today it’s just normal.’
There’s also lots of good old-fashioned courtesy. ‘We know when many of our customers will be thinking of changing car, so we get in touch beforehand. It’s not just about selling a car but knowing who the customer is and taking an interest in them and their family,’ says Alan.
For this reason, he is scrupulous about keeping Ewens’ database up to date. It’s also why like many Honda dealers, Ewens is happy to contribute to local events and charities – because the people involved are customers and friends. ‘We’re part of the community and it’s important to put something back,’ says Alan.
It’s this family- and community-centred philosophy that has made Ewens of Cornhill such a success and an example of why Honda is known for its superb customer service.
