Dealers across the country have ushered in new goals and intentions for their operations in this new year. Carter Myers Automotive has continued to evolve and expand across Virginia since 1902 and this year seems to be no different.
On today’s show we’re pleased to welcome Liza Borches, Carter Myers Automotive President and CEO, to give us some insight into Carter Myers agenda in this new year and we’ll also follow up on their deep dive into the customer experience.
Last November, Carter Myers acquired Miller Auto Group, adding four stores across Virginia and West Virginia. One of these stores is also the first Toyota franchise for CMA. Borches believes that, in order for her dealership group to remain competitive, it needs to keep expanding. Aggressive industry consolidation from groups like Lithia could soon make small operations antiquated.
CMA has also been keenly aware of the price mark-ups happening in the industry. Some vehicles have been adjusted $10,000 or even $15,000 above MSRP. Borches says she understands both sides of the debate. However, she and the CMA team have made a commitment to not mark up their vehicles. Borches explains that she is focused on building long-term relationships with customers, rather than taking advantage of short-term profitability. She adds that if OEMs start to become distrustful of their franchise dealers, then they might pursue direct-to-customer sales more seriously.
In fact, relationship-building is a vital component of the CMA culture and overall customer experience. Engaging and informative messaging with customers along with offering pre-ordering services and fixed-ops agility is the recipe for success at one of the country’s top dealer groups.
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