Marin’s newest dealership makes the customer experience its top priority
South County of Marin, the new Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram and Fiat dealership, is open and striving for success. It has the same commitment to excellence owner Bob Mann has brought to automotive landscape for more than 20 years.
Mann believes success breeds success. He’s patterned the South County Marin location after the long-honored South County Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram and Fiat dealership he owns in Gilroy.
“We decided the keep the same theme with South County,” said Mann of the new location in Marin. “Like in Gilroy, the new dealership is in the southern corner of Marin County.”
Mann is excited about the new dealership. While long-time customers from throughout Northern California may continue to visit the original location, the South of Marin dealership will offer the same brands and the same superior shopping experience. But for many Bay Area customers, their favorite vehicles will now be available at a far more convenient location.
It’s all good news for brand loyalists and potential new customers since Mann’s reputation has served him well. The South County of Gilroy dealership has been the world’s No. 1 seller of the Dodge Challenger Hellcat. It’s also the industry’s top Hybrid seller in its segment with the increasing popularity of the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid.
With other top-selling vehicles, Mann’s dealership success by numbers is impressive. In addition to its status as the top volume dealer in Northern California, South County Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram and Fiat is the second-largest dealership in California and No. 8 in the United States.
And there’s no reason why South County Marin won’t have the same volume success. It’s already made a name for itself as the recipient of the Customer First Award for Excellence for 2018.
The award, initiated by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in 2015, is presented to dealers who have achieved the highest level of customer experience in the five areas of performance measures, process validation, employee survey, training certification and faculty certification. The criteria include professional, clean and comfortable facilities to customer experience and teamwork to continuous learning and improving customer skills among employees.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, the seventh-largest automaker in the world based on total annual vehicle sales, created the Customer First Award for Excellence with its dealer partners and J.D. Power. The goal is to improve customer satisfaction with Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram and FIAT dealerships in the United States.
Like in its counterpart, South County of Marin is devoted to helping and serving its customers at the dealership or online. It believes the cars and trucks it offers are the highest quality and ideal for myriad lifestyles.
“Our stores are built on infrastructure, meaning our employees are our people,” said Mann. “If our employees are not happy, they are not going to service the customer whether it’s sales, service or parts. We mandate that our employees are 100 percent in with us on the deal.”
South County of Marin will soon debut an app in which customers can directly interact with an on-site technician. The app, which Mann likes to describe as a “24-hour tow service that gives customers peace of mind,” is currently in its experimental stages with customers in the South County location.
The new dealership will follow the same principles that have led to Mann’s sterling industry reputation. South County Marin has a knowledgeable staff with strong communication skills. The new dealership also has what it takes in many other areas. It’s a clean, modern, easy-to-navigate facility and the vehicles are priced with fairness in mind. Mann is adamant his employees understand customers come first.
“It’s not just about the owner making money,“Mann said. “It’s about the customers being satisfied.”