In Conover, It Takes a Village To Succeed

Written by Gina Lindsey (O-N-E Staff Reporter)   

Thursday, 05 March 2009

One area used car dealership has found its niche during the economic slump. “We’re seeing a big increase in business,” said Bruce Roffey, co-manager of Village Motors. February was the best month of car sales in three years for the Conover dealership.

“We had a fabulous month,” he said. Roffey said the dealership typically averages about 40 cars sold per month. In February, it sold 63 cars.

While many other car dealerships are struggling to sell vehicles during this time of economic uncertainty, Roffey said Village Motors has become an exception. He said it’s thanks to a solid reputation in the community for selling cars they are willing to stand behind as quality vehicles.

Ultimately, he said finding success in the current market boils down to good customer service, which is all the more important during a recession. Roffey said he and co-manager Eddie Dwiggins strive to make themselves as accessible to the customers as possible.

“Right now, you have to be on top of your game,” he said. “There is no room for error.” And that means focusing efforts into marketing. Roffey said the business is taking advantage of all the marketing opportunities of the Internet, including sites like Facebook, MySpace and YouTube.

He spent part of Thursday afternoon working on posting a short video clip on the company’s Web site of a recent customer from Charlotte who bought a car from Village Motors. He said they post videos of all the customers who buy cars there and post them on YouTube as well. It’s just one way the business is trying to set itself apart from the competitors.

“You have to stay on the cutting edge,” he said. The Internet is a key marketing tool as the majority of car shopping has shifted online in the past few years, Roffey said.  The market for used cars is also strong right now, he said.

“More people are buying used cars because they are thinking about where their money is going,” Roffey said. He said new cars lose much of their value when they are driven off the lot, but used cars maintain a more steady value. Granted, that’s not to say the dealership has been unaffected by the economic downturn. Roffey said the dealership was on track for a new sales goal of 70 cars sold per month.

“Then everything changed with the economy,” he said. Now he’s satisfied with car sales in the 50 to 60 per month range. And they have had to work harder to keep sales up and get creative. Roffey said banking and financing has always been hard for the small independent dealer.

“We’re just fortunate we’ve built strong relationships,” he said, referring to financial institutions with which the business works.

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