Amityville, NY – April 25, 2017 - For Security Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram (DCJR) of Amityville, the number one DCJR dealership on Long Island, hitting numerous milestones has become 'just another part' of their day-to-day routine. With that said, when the folks at Security feel the need to highlight a specific achievement in particular, you know it has to be a big deal and in this case, it most certainly is.
Security Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram of Amityville Takes #1 In Customer Satisfaction for March 2017. Photo Credit: Chris Boyle
For the first time ever, Security DCJR has been voted as the #1 dealer in terms of Sales Satisfaction in the Northeast Sales Group by parent company Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, according to Client Relations Manager Natalie Jenkins.
“Every time a vehicle is purchased, the customer has the opportunity to go online and complete a survey to let us know if they're satisfied with their experience,” she said. “The survey doesn't just cover their satisfaction with the vehicle itself, but the overall experience, from the time they walk in the door until the time they drive away in their new car, including financing, service, and any follow-up assistance they may need.”
Security Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram of Amityville Takes #1 In Customer Satisfaction for March 2017. Photo Credit: Chris Boyle
The survey covers numerous categories, including overall customer satisfaction, dealer advocacy, if the customer would recommend the dealership to family and friends, how their sales person was, and more; all categories are graded on a scale from ‘1’ to ’10’, with ‘10’ being best.
Security Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram of Amityville Takes #1 In Customer Satisfaction for March 2017. Photo Credit: Chris Boyle
Competition in the Fiat Chrysler Northeast Sales Group for the coveted #1 in customer Sales Satisfaction award is fierce, as there are a total of 59 dealerships in that group. However, Jenkins noted that Security DCJR has always maintained the highest standards when it comes to treating and interacting with their customer base; this reward, she said, represents that the busy Amityville dealership’s approach to customer service, always highly regarded, is among the very best in the field.
“A lot of it has to do with listening to the customer, and trying to do the best that we can to make them satisfied with the vehicle they are purchasing,” she said. “Plus, we have a lot of follow-up and if they have questions after they leave, they may give us a call, and we're always there for them when it comes to that. It's the small little details that we pay attention to, and we always make sure we get right back to our customers so they never have to make a second or third phone call. We're always on top of it and getting back to them right away, and we're always listening to the customer.”
Security Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram of Amityville Takes #1 In Customer Satisfaction for March 2017. Photo Credit: Chris Boyle
Security DCJR’s attainment of this award is especially impressive given that they are a ‘Class E’ dealership, which is among the very highest of volume designations for a dealership. For example, in the month of March, 2017 – the time period for which they won the sales satisfaction award from Fiat Chrysler – Security DCJR sold 650 cars; an amazing number that certainly allows the possibility for at least one or two negative customer experiences to creep in.
Security Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram of Amityville Takes #1 In Customer Satisfaction for March 2017. Photo Credit: Chris Boyle
However, General Sales Manager John LaFrancesca noted that Security DCJR customer satisfaction scores for March 2017 were perfect; in other words, everyone that filled out a follow-up assigned the dealership a ‘10’ in and every category, and for a high-volume dealership, truly a noteworthy feat.
“The thing with Fiat Chrysler Auto is that they want customers to be completely satisfied... on a scale of 1 to 10, that's a 10,” LaFrancesca said. “We may have had a few people who were eights or nines, but we have a system in place with Natalie…she follows up with customers, and if there's anything that we didn't do completely perfect and with excellence, or something that we missed, we get them back in and address it. And that's how we got this award.”
Security Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram of Amityville Takes #1 In Customer Satisfaction for March 2017. Photo Credit: Chris Boyle
Maintaining a high standard of customer service is especially vital in this day and age, LaFrancesca noted, with the Internet providing people a way to make their voices heard far and wide on their experience with any given business in a way that's never been possible before.
“Right now, with all of these websites and searches and social media, we definitely want to make sure we do everything perfectly, because we find that we're getting business returned from that as well,” he said. “That's why when a customer comes through our doors, we always want to make sure they have a ‘10’ experience. 10 is the best, and to get all 10’s like we did for March…not to toot our own horn, but we're doing a pretty good job.”
Security Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram of Amityville Takes #1 In Customer Satisfaction for March 2017. Photo Credit: Chris Boyle
“The end result will be, hopefully, the Walter P. Chrysler award, which dealerships are given that exceed in volume, CSI, service, market retention, and more,” LaFrancesca added. “It's an annual award that's given out at the end of the year, and we’ve won two years in a row... we're hoping to go for the hat-trick this year and win it again.”
Security Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram of Amityville Takes #1 In Customer Satisfaction for March 2017. Photo Credit: Chris Boyle
At any given time, Security DCJR has approximately 1500 cars in inventory, spread out between their Amityville dealership and three other lots, giving them arguably the largest selection of cars out of any dealership on Long Island. With that selection and the dealership’s strict adherence to customer service – not to mention an ever-present goal to constantly improve each and every day – Jenkins noted that winning the March 2017 Northeast Dealership Sales Satisfaction award is a nice payoff for all of the Security DCJR team’s collective hard work.
“It's wonderful, but you could always be better, and I'm always looking for ways to improve and new things to implement to improve the customer service experience. But this award is certainly a big accomplishment, because you get to see that your hard work pays off,” she said. “Plus, you get a great sense of accomplishment because you know your customers are happy; that you've done a great job, so it's a win-win situation all around. And now the goal is to capture this title yet again, and that's a very reachable goal.”