Viper Wizard
Enthusiast
Thank You Denny! Chrysler has doubled my operating cost with them in last 5/6 years!! My salary HAS NOT doubled!!
The Chrysler dealership that I own has been in my family for 45 years. Therefore, I speak from experience and I am sure the Viper Wizard will ditto what I say here.
The bottom line is, with the new ownership and management, Chrysler Motors LLC, and its dealers might be on the road to recovery, but we all have a long way to go. Jim Press is a positive individual and in time he can turn this company around.
- As for the training from the manufacturer ~ The dealer pays that. I mean the schooling, the travel, which is normally held 3 hours away (one way) from my dealership, the lodging, food and fuel for my employee. I pay for that. More times than not, I supply the employee with a vehicle for the trip. Then you have to consider my loss of that employee's time while away from the dealership. And by the way, their pay goes on.
- As for the promotional materials ~ The dealer pays for those as well...every single banner, brochure, sign, poster, etc. The signs that hang out front, be it, "5 Star", "Chrysler", "Dodge", "Jeep", whatever the case may be, we are accessed a monthly fee for those as well. As for the maintenance of those signs, Chrysler sends a company around to change light bulbs, clean them, etc. , however, those times are few and far between. The big sign in front of my dealership still has "Plymouth" on it. Plymouth has been gone from their line for seven years. What does that tell you?
- As for the dealer link system - That system is now via the internet and the dealer pays a monthly fee for that. If the link goes down due to technical problems on Chrysler's behalf, we can't order parts, do warranty claims, order cars, receive customer rebates, etc. Who gets angry when they can't get a part ordered and takes it out on ME ? Mr. customer!
- The dealer is shipped special tools on a monthly basis from Miller Tools that the dealer is obligated to pay for. Nine times out of ten, some of those tools will never be used.
- When a new model is produced that model usually requires its own set of tools. Take for instance the "Chrysler Crossfire", if a dealer chooses not to purchase the special tools at $10,000.00, they can not order that new model. That also brings me to the "Chrysler Pacifica", special tools were required for that vehicle as well and now both the Crossfire and the Pacifica will no longer be made.
Let it be known that I am not a disgruntled dealer, however, I do get annoyed when someone makes statements about something that they don't deal with on a daily basis and they obviously know little about.
And by the way, if you are interested in purchasing a small dealership in rural Pennsylvania, send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you!!!
Thank You Denny! Chrysler has doubled my operating cost with them in last 5/6 years!! My salary HAS NOT doubled!!
Chuck, with the following you have it seems to me that you don't need the dealership. Sounds like you could have a real profitable Viper repair business for years to come with WAY less headaches. Might have to cut back a little, I don't know??. Gett'n rid of my 30yr headache April 1st. (sold It) Time to retire, do something else. April fools to the next repair Guru. LOL