Huge Success

As I mentioned before we did this totally awesome building renovation.  And we are a very small town, so everyone in town knew what was going on, we wanted everyone to see the building... so, we decided to do a huge open house/wounded warrior project.  HUGE SUCCESS.  We had such a good time, raised a great amount of money, ate some good grilled food, and got to see some pretty phenomenal hot rods.  We even had a guitar signed by Charlie Daniels to be raffled off.  We did a motorcycle raffle and guess who won? you'll just have to see the picture (you'll get a kick out of it).  We also had a silent auction with prizes from  your favorite local stores including: Outdoor 76, Spa Siobhan, Shuler's Country Store, N&N Express Gas Card, Change of Style, Carolina Junction, Radio Shack, Macon Appliance Mart, Three Eagles Outfitters, SportZone, and Michael M. Rogers Gallery. 

You can see tons of pictures from the event including winner's from all the Giveaways by going here. 

But I just had to post a couple of my favorites:
Here is us with a check for all the money we raised $4,140 went to the wounded warrior project. 

And this is the WINNER of the Harley Davidson we gave away:  Zeb Mehaffey.

 

Kiersten Hedden won the guitar signed by Charlie Daniels which was so AWESOME because Kiersten is a writer/singer/musician herself! 

Out with the Old in with the New

I'm a little late on all these updates so I'm trying to catch up....I guess give you a year end wrap up.  So at the beginning of this year we began a HUGE project! remodeling the entire building.  Well it's finally finished.  It's been finished.  I've just been the bum who hasn't updated you because I've been a lazy blogger :( sorry guys! So I thought a before and after may be fun :)
These are all of the before pictures:

This is the newly renovated totally awesome best Chevrolet dealership ever photos:

I know right!!!? Total transformation! The inside is amazing too and as soon as we take down all of our Halloween decorations I'll be sure to post more pics.  All new furniture, tile, lighting, carpet, waiting area etc! It has a very sleek but still warm and inviting feel to it.... We LOVE it!

Updates on the Renovation

Just wanted to update everyone on how the renovations are going. As you can see we have created a commercial to let everyone around Macon County know exactly what exciting new things are going on here at Smoky Mountain Chevrolet. This being Jennifer's first commercial she was a little bit nervous, but did a great job! We are excited to premiere this commercial at Ruby Cinemas this weekend.


The tile has been completely ripped up. The cement has been ground down to a smooth surface. Soon we'll be prepared for all new tile to go down! The new ceiling tiles are also being taken out, the showroom is going to look so awesome! As you can also see from the pictures below, everything is also being repainted. The showroom will be a very clean, gorgeous, and elegant white! Feel free to check out the pictures below to see how things are coming along!

Loud office space leads to great results!

THE NEW YEAR BRINGS NEW THINGS! You always hear the stereotypical, "I'm going to completely change and reinvent myself this year" or "I'm going to lose thirty pounds this year" etc. etc. Well we're doing that here at Smoky Mountain Chevrolet! We're shedding pounds (well kinda) and changing our face (well sorta)....................

So there are BIG changes going on here at Smoky Mountain Chevrolet. We are undergoing an extensive remodel! What was once a quiet showroom is now noisy and loud. With the sounds of drills, saws, and screw drivers buzzing away, not to mention the bang, bang, banging of hammers the Advil/Tylenol bottle is in full rotation around here.


Over the next few months you will see a complete transformation, and it's been a long time coming. I'm personally looking forward to the new office furniture, well mainly just the new ergonomic chairs. Thanks Bob for saving my posture. The new waiting room will be furnished with all new leather furniture; you know those big fluffy kind of chairs that are so so so super comfy! New tile in the showroom! Did I mention we are tearing out the tower in the front? because we are. It's going to be a great thing! We are also having to completely redo the front of of the building as well. So no more of this:



Instead you'll see a big arch. Something really eye catching. We will also have a place designated especially for our customers to receive their new vehicle! No more standing out in the rain or snow! Everything about the dealership will be all about convenience and comfort for those that keep us in business, OUR CUSTOMERS!

Now, I guess I've always taken my office for granted. When I first started working here I was literally in the room where the vending machines are. Yes a room big enough to fit two coke machines and two snack machines. Then I moved up front into a sales office, still small but a little more cozy. Then I got a bigger office with huge windows! But we have added a new employee and because of the remodel, my office is no longer my office, it's our office, which is totally cool because now I have a roommate of sorts and the days go by much faster with someone to talk to. So, back to the office... because of the remodel I've had to not only scoot over to make room but I've had to take all my personal stuff down. My office walls used to be decorated with sports memorabilia (Roll Tide by the way), diplomas, family photos etc. You know all of those things that make your office feel more like a home, because let's face it the majority of us spend more time in our offices than our own bedrooms. And now we've got this:So like i said, a little cramped! But it's going to be awesome! Our customers will be so much more comfortable while having to wait on the vehicle in service. The delivery of the vehicles will be so much more pleasant. Employees will be happier because we will be more comfortable too. I'll definitely be sure to post after pictures when the remodel is complete. Be sure to come by and see how things are progressing when you get a spare second, we'd love to see all of you!

The People You Meet...

The most awesome thing about being a sales associate at a dealership, and I'm sure my co-workers would agree, are all of the people you get to meet! Dont' get me wrong, some customers are always more pleasant than others :) But every single person who picks up that phone, walks on the lot, or sends in that online inquiry is a person just like we are. Customers have a story, they have a family, they have somewhere they are going, or somewhere they have been; and 9 times out of ten it is always a joy to get to work with these people. I mean let's face it we aren't talking about the nonchalant run in's at the wal-mart or ingles cash register; these customers are making a HUGE purchase! These purchases are life changing, personal, and committed financial purchase decisions! These things take time and commitment not just from the customer but from the sales person as well. We have to get to know these people, know what they are wanting out of a vehicle, and know what they can afford. We have to know what their wants are vs. their needs! Sometimes we will work for people for up to three months before they make a decision, but once that decision is made there is always this feeling of pure awesomeness! Like you have found the lost treasure or something! That high you get when you feel like you have helped someone get exactly what they want, and they are happy! The smiling faces that you see when that new car gets cranked and they start to pull away for the first time.
In my experience, dealing with mostly online customers, I have had the joy of dealing with customer's from all over the place! I have sold a pre-owned Camaro all the way to Canada. I have even helped a soldier stationed in Afghanistan purchase a truck; and not just any truck, a truck that would be sitting there waiting on him to return home, something to look forward to. I'm not going to lie, that was a pretty awesome experience! And it's experiences like that one that make all the not so pleasant experiences worth while.
It may sound corny, but we don't just make sales here, we make friends. We aren't some humongous dealership in a huge city. We are a small hometown dealership, "where everybody knows your name"! And we like the thought of helping people get into the car they dream of.
So remember next time you go to make your car purchase, that you are dealing with a person too, a person just like you. A person that is more than happy to bend over backwards to make your purchase experience the most rewarding experience you have ever had.

Dare to Compare the Cruze for a Cruise?

We're at it again! Giving away great prizes and setting up opportunities for our customer's to get a hands on first look at the all New 2011 Chevrolet Cruze. How are we doing it? Simple. We are giving the public a chance to come in and test drive the New Chevrolet Cruze against it's competitors the Toyota Corolla and the Honda Civic. I mean let's face it, we could sit here all day long and tell you how much better the Cruze's gas mileage is, how much more room you have, how much safer it is, and not to mention how much better the structure and build is; but how will you know unless you can see for yourself? You won't! So we're asking you to come on in and drive the Cruze, sit it in, listen to the AMAZING sound system, try the smartphone apps out for yourself! You can do all of that right here at Smoky Mountain Chevrolet. And just to say thank you for coming in and participating in our promotion you can register to WIN a FREE CRUISE to the BAHAMAS!!! that's right a FREE CRUISE!

What do I think about the Cruze? Well, I am more of an SUV/Crossover fan myself but, the New Cruze brings a fresh, young, and fun feel back to driving. I am 23 years old and am loving the look of the New Cruze from the exterior to the stylish interior. The sound systems is phenomenal. Not only that but I can link it up with my smart phone; I can unlock my doors, remember where I parked, and even check my oil life, all from my smart phone, thanks to the new mychevrolet app. It's nice to know that Chevrolet is moving with the times and keeping the younger generation in mind.

If you haven't checked out the New Chevrolet Cruze, you should definitely do so. It's a fun driving experience. And if you feel like getting away from this cold weather you should definitely come test drive the New Cruze at our dealership! Because you could be the winner of that Bahamas Cruise!

$100 GIFTCARD GIVE-AWAYS!!!

Here at Smoky Mountain Chevrolet we love to interact with the community and we seize the opportunity to provide incentives any chance we get. Well the month of March is a great month to take advantage of the great give-aways we have going on here at the dealership.

The first give-away is a drawing for a free $100 Visa giftcard. The Franklin Press has recently been featuring a scavenger hunt in which we participated in. As an added bonus just for stopping by we have set up a registry and a drawing box for anyone who not only took part in the scavenger hunt, but simply stopped in the dealership. Registration is simple all we need is your: name, address, phone number, and email address; that's it! Consider yourself registered. The drawing will be held on March 29, 2010 so be sure and get registered before then!

We can't forget the kids! The second opportunity to win is for children ages 5-10. Throughout the month of March we are featuring a coloring contest for children. The prize is a $100 Visa Giftcard. Once again entering to win is very simple! Just have your child color the picture below and bring it by the dealership. You may also find the coloring page in the Franklin Press on March 3 and March 10 2010. The coloring pages will be judged by graphic artists at the Franklin Press, Kevin Yee and Melody Kirsten-Germain. All submissions must be made by March 26, 2010. The winner will be announced April 1, 2010. Kids remember to do your best! Your coloring skills will be put on display in our showroom.

** Limit one submission per child.

We are located at 71 Cat Creek Road Franklin, NC 28734. Anyone who would like to participate in either giveaway are more than welcome! If you are unable to print a standard size page of the coloring image below, please email me at smcsales@smnet.net and I will send one to you!