- Joined
- Jan 23, 2021
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- Location
- Indiana
- Current Ride
- 21 F350 King Ranch Tremor 7.3 - RedZilla - Rapid Red/Stone Gray
There's been numerous horror stories about bad dealer experiences posted and discussed ad nauseam on the forum. Let's face it, in the world of auto buying those are very common and real.
I wanted to start a thread where those of us with great experiences can share for the rest of us, and especially potential new buyers, so that as many as possible can try to also have one of the good experiences and stories to share.
This week I received a text message from the salesman that handled my order and purchase process exactly a year ago. His name is Craig Bowes and he's been a salesman at Pearson Ford in Zionsville, Indiana for nearly 20 years, and a friend of mine for nearly as long. This was my second purchase through Craig at Pearson in 17 years. He sent the text to let me know he remembered our transaction a year ago and wanted to wish me well and congratulate me on one year in the new truck. Nothing was said about any possible next purchase, just well wishes.
Ours was a perfect experience with Craig and Pearson, a single family owned dealership. Craig knew for several years that I was planning to make a new purchase but wanted to make sure the timing was right. A year before I ordered I went in and he let me test drive one of the new 7.3 super duties, not a Tremor as none were available. I then waited a little over a year to contact Craig, and when I did I told him I had made up my mind and had a build I wanted to order. He made an appointment for us to come in the following day. When we arrived we reconnected and had a great conversation. He asked how our son was doing and even wanted to talk dogs as he remembered me bringing ours with me when I went to the dealership years before.
Shortly we got down to business and Craig formally filled out the order information without any questions except for expressing an appreciation for the level of truck we were ordering. He knew we had big plans to RV travel and that the 350 KR Tremor would do great. It took about 20 minutes total to place the order including all X-plan pricing information and sending it through their system. I had a printout in hand with total cost out the door with a $500 deposit check, and an ETA of 12 weeks. After leaving the dealership Craig contacted me on about three occasions to give updates.
The eleventh week post order Craig contacted me a said the truck was built and would soon be in route. Two days later it was at the dealership. Granted we are only 1.5 hours north of the plant but the schedule was almost spot on with the original estimation. A few days later after they had time to detail and install the winch, we went in to finalize the paperwork and take delivery. Craig spent about an hour with us familiarizing us with the truck, getting us programmed into the systems on board and setting things up to our preferences. We drove the truck and made sure we were both comfortable with everything. The business manager provided us with information for all the choice "add-ons" but no pressure one way or the other to buy in. A few signatures and some copies provided and we were the proud owners of our dream retirement truck. Lastly Pictures were taken with a big bow on the hood with my wife and I before we headed home. A few days later I got a call from the owner wanting to make sure my experience was good and that I was satisfied with our purchase.
I know this is an exception to the car buying experience for most these days, but it still happens at the good dealerships with genuine folks working the sales order processes. I knew years ago they were a cut above most other dealerships I had dealt with in the past and was not disappointed this time around as well. It was worth driving past two closer dealerships to work with Pearson for this purchase.
Come on folks, jump in and share stories, names and great experiences. We all need a little positive in our lives these days.
I wanted to start a thread where those of us with great experiences can share for the rest of us, and especially potential new buyers, so that as many as possible can try to also have one of the good experiences and stories to share.
This week I received a text message from the salesman that handled my order and purchase process exactly a year ago. His name is Craig Bowes and he's been a salesman at Pearson Ford in Zionsville, Indiana for nearly 20 years, and a friend of mine for nearly as long. This was my second purchase through Craig at Pearson in 17 years. He sent the text to let me know he remembered our transaction a year ago and wanted to wish me well and congratulate me on one year in the new truck. Nothing was said about any possible next purchase, just well wishes.
Ours was a perfect experience with Craig and Pearson, a single family owned dealership. Craig knew for several years that I was planning to make a new purchase but wanted to make sure the timing was right. A year before I ordered I went in and he let me test drive one of the new 7.3 super duties, not a Tremor as none were available. I then waited a little over a year to contact Craig, and when I did I told him I had made up my mind and had a build I wanted to order. He made an appointment for us to come in the following day. When we arrived we reconnected and had a great conversation. He asked how our son was doing and even wanted to talk dogs as he remembered me bringing ours with me when I went to the dealership years before.
Shortly we got down to business and Craig formally filled out the order information without any questions except for expressing an appreciation for the level of truck we were ordering. He knew we had big plans to RV travel and that the 350 KR Tremor would do great. It took about 20 minutes total to place the order including all X-plan pricing information and sending it through their system. I had a printout in hand with total cost out the door with a $500 deposit check, and an ETA of 12 weeks. After leaving the dealership Craig contacted me on about three occasions to give updates.
The eleventh week post order Craig contacted me a said the truck was built and would soon be in route. Two days later it was at the dealership. Granted we are only 1.5 hours north of the plant but the schedule was almost spot on with the original estimation. A few days later after they had time to detail and install the winch, we went in to finalize the paperwork and take delivery. Craig spent about an hour with us familiarizing us with the truck, getting us programmed into the systems on board and setting things up to our preferences. We drove the truck and made sure we were both comfortable with everything. The business manager provided us with information for all the choice "add-ons" but no pressure one way or the other to buy in. A few signatures and some copies provided and we were the proud owners of our dream retirement truck. Lastly Pictures were taken with a big bow on the hood with my wife and I before we headed home. A few days later I got a call from the owner wanting to make sure my experience was good and that I was satisfied with our purchase.
I know this is an exception to the car buying experience for most these days, but it still happens at the good dealerships with genuine folks working the sales order processes. I knew years ago they were a cut above most other dealerships I had dealt with in the past and was not disappointed this time around as well. It was worth driving past two closer dealerships to work with Pearson for this purchase.
Come on folks, jump in and share stories, names and great experiences. We all need a little positive in our lives these days.
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