ASK GARY: How is Jaffarian Rated in Customer Satisfaction?

Our number one focus is to provide exceptional service to our customers. This is a longstanding commitment – ever since my grandparents founded the Jaffarian Volvo Toyota dealership more than 70 years ago.  We want to make sure you are well informed about purchasing or leasing a vehicle and that maintaining your vehicle is a pleasant and hassle free experience.  To assist in that goal, we have ASK GARY sections throughout our dealership where common questions are answered and available for you to take a copy.  Additionally, to make sure that I am  available if you have a question or concern, there are  red phones throughout the dealership that are connected directly to my cell phone.  And as our ads say, I do answer it!  All you have to do is pick up one of these phones and you can speak with me directly about anything that’s on your mind.

To evaluate how we are rated in customer satisfaction, you can go to Google Places and search for Jaffarian Volvo Toyota where customers post reviews about their experience with us.  Another important site for customer satisfaction in the automobile industry is DealerRater.  On this site, customers can also post their reviews; I am proud to report that we have been recognized for our high customer satisfaction ratings by DealerRater.

Jaffarian has just been named a finalist in DealerRater’s national 2012 Dealer of the Year Award in the Volvo category.  This premier car dealer review website recognized us for outstanding customer service based on our customers’ reviews of their experiences at the dealership.

Thank you for helping us receive this recognition for our efforts! Please give me feedback on how we’re doing and how we can continue to make your experience as pleasant and easy as possible.

Happy driving,

- Gary

Why Buy A Car on President’s Day Weekend?

I get asked this question a lot this time of year. So, why should you buy a car this President’s Day Weekend (aka Washington’s Birthday weekend)?

First, a little history.  The first President’s Day Weekend sale happened almost a hundred years ago, when a Boston car dealer had an ‘open house’ on Washington’s Birthday to boost sales at his dealership on Commonwealth Avenue.

Over the years, all the retail stores have joined the President’s Day party featuring with their own promotions.  The third weekend in February remains the best time of the year to buy a car for the following reasons:

1. New models:  the new models are in the showroom.  Manufacturers and dealers are always willing to support their first sales push of the New Year featuring the latest models.   

2. Aggressive offers and programs.  Both Volvo and Toyota are promoting cash back and financing offers to support this big holiday weekend!  Volvo is promoting its Conquest Cash promotion offering an additional $1000 in addition to great offers on the 2012 Volvo S60 T5 and 2012 Volvo XC60.  Toyota is all over the airwaves featuring its CASH CASH CASH promotion offering cash incentives, 0% financing and great lease offerings including $169 per month for the 2012 Toyota Camry and great offers at our own dealership on the 2012 Highlander.

It is a great weekend to buy so stop in and see us over the holiday weekend and let us help you find the vehicle that’s right for you at a price you can afford. 

Be careful not to gloat with your family and friends when you secure a great deal this holiday weekend and they opted to wait!

Gary

Ask Gary: How did the Toys for Tots Donations Turn Out?

This year we were able to donate a truck load of toys to the Toys for Tots program thanks to the generosity and charity of the local community, our customers and our employees!

We want to thank everyone for their support.   By coming together to help those in need, we are making the holidays brighter for local children.

We wish you safe, warm, happy and healthy holidays surrounded by family and friends. For photos related to the Toys for Tots efforts, click here:  http://www.jaffarian.com/toys-for-tots.htm.

-          Gary

ASK GARY: What Was the Award Jaffarian Recently Received?

Haverhill Mayor James J. Fiorentini presented the Jaffarian family with the Recreation Department’s first annual Kevin Woodman Service to Youth Award, recognizing our ongoing commitment and support of youth athletic activities.  My family has a 60-year commitment to giving back, and we have a particular focus on sports programs for children and teens. This commitment started with my grandfather, who passed his passion on to my father, who passed it on to my brother Mark and me, and now we’re passing it on to my son, Gavin.

We’re particularly honored to receive this recognition in the memory of Kevin Woodman, who was a terrific, giving person and a tireless advocate and coach for the youth of this community.  In addition to serving as a Groveland police officer, he was a longtime director of Haverhill’s Junior Football League, where he coached children and teens for 10 years.  I admired his dedication and contributions and I was truly fortunate to consider him a close friend.

In his memory, let’s all work together to help our youth continue to enjoy the critical benefits of participating in athletics.  There are many opportunities to help –from volunteering, coaching as Kevin did, or donating equipment, money or services to help keep our youth involved and reaping the benefits of participating in sports – especially team sports.

During this season of giving, it was especially poignant to be recognized for my family’s efforts and to receive an award named in honor of a close friend.

Wishing you happy and safe holidays!

-          Gary

 

ASK GARY: How Are You Helping Families and Children This Holiday Season?

This year, as well as in years past, Jaffarian is participating in Toys for Tots, and we’d like to ask for your help.  Please stop by the showroom anytime between now and December 16 with unwrapped toys you would like to donate for children ages infant through 14.  All of the donated toys we collect will be distributed to local children in need through the Toys for Tots program. 

As a way to thank you for your generosity and for helping us to help the community, we will be conducting a random drawing for an iPad, which will be held on Dec. 16.  Please ask to be entered in the drawing when dropping off your donation.

Toys for Tots is part of our ongoing commitment to give back to the community – from  sponsoring athletic teams and clinics with professional athletes to helping lower high school athletic user fees through our recently launched GAME ON program.

Our Toys for Tots goal is to fill the vehicles in the showroom with mounds of toys for children this holiday season.  With your help, together we can brighten up the holidays for local children!

 Happy holidays!

-          Gary

How Can I Use the Kelley Blue Book to Buy a Car?

The Kelley Blue Book is a great reference tool compiling information from thousands of dealerships across the nation to determine estimated pricing for buying and selling new and pre-owned vehicles.  The Blue Book presents different types of pricing, and it’s helpful to know the difference between them:

For New Vehicles:

• Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price (MSRP): The selling price the manufacturer suggests for a new vehicle.
• The Dealer’s Cost:  The price the dealer pays the manufacturer for a new vehicle.
• Pricing for additional options

For Pre-Owned Vehicles:

• Retail Pricing: This is the price you might typically pay for the vehicle at a dealership.  It factors in dealership costs, such as preparing the vehicle for you, and any reconditioning or work that may need to be done on a pre-owned vehicle. 
• Trade-in Price: This is a typical price you might receive for trading in the make and model.
• Private Sale Price: This reflects the price you might receive for selling your vehicle to another individual privately.

These prices are estimates based on research on new vehicle sales across the country.  Pricing for pre-owned vehicles is based on an estimate of the depreciation of a particular make, model and year, extra options, mileage and the condition of the vehicle.   The Blue Book is meant to be used as a guide and actual prices may vary based on a variety of factors including supply and demand, mileage, options on the vehicle, condition of the vehicle (for pre-owned vehicles).

If you’re buying a pre-owned vehicle, make sure to review the vehicle’s history. Ask the dealer to give you the following:

• CARFAX Vehicle History Report — listing the number of owners, service intervals and accident history.
• A copy of the work order indicating any repairs that the dealer has made to the vehicle prior to putting it on the lot for sale.

At Jaffarian, we use our own Evidence Manual that contains copies of the above, along with any prior service history if the vehicle was serviced at Jaffarian.  If a vehicle for sale has had all its required maintenance performed by us, we market it with pedigree papers.

Use the Kelley Blue Book as a guide in the process.  At Jaffarian, we are here to assist you helping you make the best decision in buying a vehicle and/or trading in a vehicle.  We want to make sure you always drive away happy!

-Gary

ASK GARY: Is There a Shortage of New Toyota Vehicles?

No, the shortage is over.  I’m happy to report that production and distribution have bounced back to normal levels and we’re getting truckloads of new Toyotas every week.  We’re excited about all the 2012 models, including the new Camry.  If you are interested in a new vehicle, don’t be fooled by claims that there is a shortage.  We have plenty of new and pre-owned vehicles, so browse our inventory or come in to take a test drive.  We’d love to see you.

Happy driving!

-Gary

I Heard About GAME ON. What is It?

We have just launched GAME ON, a program to support high school athletic programs in 14 towns, and 8 school districts.  We are donating a portion of our profits to help ease the financial burden of user fees and help make high school athletics more affordable for teens and their families.

My family has been a part of the community for generations and we’ve always had a strong commitment to supporting athletic programs for children and teens.  We want to increase our involvement now to help families in these tough economic times.  In the GAME ON program, for every new or pre-owned vehicle bought or leased by a resident of a participating town, Jaffarian will donate $50 to the school’s athletics program. Friends and relatives who are outside of participating towns can indicate their affinity for one of the participating schools and the funds will be tracked accordingly.  

GAME ON is designed to help the high schools in the surrounding area where athletes and their families pay athletic user fees.  Through this program, we’re working closely with athletic directors to support high school sports in the following school communities: Amesbury High School, Andover High School, Haverhill High School, Masonomet Regional High School (serving the towns of Boxford, Middleton and Topsfield), Newburyport High School, North Andover High School, Pentucket Athletic Association (supporting high school athletics for Groveland, Merrimac and West Newbury), and Triton Regional High School (serving the towns of Newbury, Rowley and Salisbury).

Jaffarian developed marketing materials for each participating school and tracks all proceeds at the dealership.  By the end of August – just a couple of months since we started collecting the proceeds and before we began to really promote the program – we’ve already collected $5,000 in proceeds for the schools.  Check presentations for this ongoing program will be made to the athletic programs throughout the year starting this fall.

We at Jaffarian value the importance of sports in the lives of our youth – in promoting health and fitness and giving teens the opportunity to develop life-long, character-building skills such as team work, leadership, and discipline.  By working closely with athletic directors and members of the community, we can make these high school athletics programs more accessible to all students.

Together, let’s drive down the costs of participating in high school sports!

 

- Gary

 

 

ASK GARY: Should I Buy a New or Pre-Owned Vehicle?

The answer to this question is: it depends. There are several considerations to think about when deciding whether to buy new or pre-owned. Here are four questions that can help guide you through the decision-making process: 

• What model year and price point are you interested in?  If you’re interested in a newer model, then a pre-owned vehicle could cost you more in the long run, factoring in maintenance fees and the higher financing costs of pre-owned vehicles.  While new vehicles carry manufacturer warranties, pre-owned vehicles in Massachusetts are only covered for 90 days, and those in New Hampshire are sold “as is” without any warranty.  In contrast, for example, Volvo is currently offering a 5-year/50,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty on new vehicles covering all manufacturer-recommended maintenance and wear and tear items (e.g., brakes), with the exclusion of tires. That translates into thousands of dollars of savings for new vehicle owners, not to mention the peace of mind and reliability that new vehicles offer.  On the other hand, if you have a very limited budget and are looking for an older vehicle, then pre-owned would make the most sense.

• How much driving do you expect to do?  If you’re planning to drive a moderate amount – less than 12,000 miles per year – then leasing might be a good option.  In this situation, leasing often carries lower monthly rates than the monthly fees to finance a late-model (newer) vehicle – providing you with better cash flow.  In addition to cost considerations, if you’re putting in a lot of miles, then you’ll likely want the reliability of a new vehicle. 

• How long do you expect to own the vehicle? If you plan to drive a new vehicle for 10 years, then it’s more economical to buy a new vehicle.  If you plan to drive it for fewer years, you might consider a pre-owned vehicle – or depending on the model year and price you want to spend – you might want to lease a new vehicle every few years.

• Do you consider your vehicle more than just a mode of transportation?  Many people have an emotional attachment to their vehicle and see it as a way to express their interests and personality.  They get joy from driving a brand new vehicle with all the features they want.

So whether you opt for new or pre-owned – or you’re considering leasing instead of buying – it’s important to work with a dealer who will discuss all your options and help you find the vehicle that’s right for you.  If you’re buying pre-owned, be sure to review the vehicle history and safety record – something that we always provide you with at Jaffarian Volvo Toyota Scion.

Happy and safe driving!

-          Gary

ASK GARY: When Will More Toyota Vehicles Be Available?

Availability of Toyota vehicles has significantly bounced back since the earthquake hit Japan in March, and I’m happy to report that we will be back to our full inventory in August! Toyota production is now at 100% for cars – and about 90% for all Toyota vehicles in the U.S., including SUVs, trucks, hybrids, minivans, etc.  Also, the Toyota Prius, which is completely manufactured in Japan, is now back in production.

Despite the shortages, we at Jaffarian have worked hard to maintain inventory even during the lean month or two. If customers wanted something that we didn’t have in stock, we checked around and made sure that we got exactly them what they wanted.

August will not only be a great time to see a fully stocked Toyota inventory, but it’s also a particularly good month for getting deals. It’s typically a clearance month when dealerships try to make room for the new models that will be arriving in the fall. So if you’re in the market for a Toyota vehicle, this will be a good time to get it at a good price.

-          Gary