4 years ago
Yesterday my wife and I purchased our 20th vehicle...
Yesterday my wife and I purchased our 20th vehicle, a 2017 Honda Ridgeline from Gwinnett Place Honda in Duluth, GA. I have never written a review for a dealership, but our experience was so special that I wanted to take the time to acknowledge the team that made this the best car buying experience that we have ever had. We had made the decision to trade in our 2008 Jeep for a more versatile mid-size truck. We had been out of the auto market for 9 years, and knew that we had a lot to catch up on. I spent a couple of weeks researching vehicles, dealers and inventories, and started communicating directly with a handful of select dealers based on their in-stock vehicles and the number and quality of their online reviews. One of these dealers was Gwinnett Place Honda in Duluth, where we wanted to check out the 2017 Honda Ridgeline. So I contacted Zach Blanchard, one of the dealership s Internet sales representatives, and set up an appointment to check out the vehicle. In all my communications with Zach on email, phone and text, he was always responsive, courteous and helpful. When we arrived at the dealership for our session, Zach immediately met us. We did not have to go find him or ask for him he was outside waiting for us. We spent the next hour or so with Zach learning about the Ridgeline and test-driving it. Zach was just the right kind of professional you hope to get. He knew everything there was to know about the Ridgeline RTL-T and was clearly excited to share that knowledge and excitement with us. He walked us through all the new technologies and features that had been incorporated into the vehicle and patiently explained everything clearly to us. We were very impressed with his respectful approach, friendliness, enthusiasm for the products he was representing, complete professionalism, and above all, the fact that he did not pressure us at any point in our meeting.
We had no intention of purchasing a vehicle that day. But as we talked about the various levels of trim, options, capabilities and price points, it became clear that the vehicle he showed us was actually a near perfect fit for what we wanted, a great balance between features and cost. Zach worked the appraisal of our trade in, and worked with his management team to create a deal that was a win-win for all of us. Based on his work, we made the buy decision, then, we spent time with Angele Pacheco who walked us through all the additional options we could consider before handing us off to Marquis Taylor, the finance manager who finished the purchase process. These three made it as easy as buying any vehicle can ever be!
Buying a car can be a very daunting experience. It takes a lot of time even if you are prepared, and it matters how the dealership treats you during the lengthy process. Gwinnett Place Honda gets it! The showroom floor is spotless, the restrooms are clean, Starbuck s Coffee is provided free of charge, and customers are treated as guests. It s just a nice place to do business. So I will end where I began by stating that this 20th vehicle purchase was our best experience ever at any dealership, and that is a tribute to the management and the employees who work there. These days, customers are better prepared than ever, and they have more options to consider. Our business must be earned, and that is exactly what Zach and the Gwinnett Place Honda team did - they earned our trust and respect, and ultimately, our business. This is a five star dealership, and worth your consideration if you are ever in the market for a new quality vehicle! And if you go there, ask for Zach!