When it comes to your vehicles, the decision you make about which dealership to use is crucial. A quality Indianapolis Ford dealer will take care of its customers, offering them great experiences in both the showroom and the service garage. While many people happen upon great dealerships by accident, we can offer some advice on finding the best.
Do a Little Research on Your Indianapolis Ford Dealer Options
When buying a car, or looking for a dealership to handle your service issues, knowledge is power. For this reason, doing some research about the dealerships available in Indianapolis before you hit the lot to test drive cars is important. Here are a few tips about researching the car you’re interested in, and the dealership as well.
- Never go to the lot without information. Data about cars, both new and used, is available online for your review. Check sites like Consumer Reports, Edmunds, and AutoTrader to get specific information and pricing ranges. For new cars, you can price out the vehicle you are interested in, including all options. With used vehicles, dependability factors are a big point to consider.
- Likewise, you can find out which dealerships have good Consumer Service Index (CSI) scores with the manufacturer’s they represent. Though dealerships are independently owned, the Ford Motor Company wants them to treat all customers well, and CSI is how they judge and reward exceptional service. An Indianapolis Ford dealer with a great CSI score will advertise that fact, and it should be one of your questions for sales people even before you go to the dealership.
- While we mentioned calling first, that exercise can be one of the most telling. Once you know what you want and how much you are willing to pay, call up three or four of the dealerships and see how they handle your phone call. Are they pushy and over-aggressive? Move on. Uninterested and lazy? Another reason to call someone else. Continue until you find a sales professional that knows his or her business while treating you respectfully.
Check out the Indianapolis Ford Dealer Departments
Now that you’ve researched the vehicle and the sales professionals, also be sure to make some inquiries about other departments in the dealership.
- The finance department will handle your purchase and to arrange financing, if you have not already handled that with your bank. They will also give you information about GAP insurance, service contracts, and maintenance agreements.
- The service department is important because you will bring your vehicle to them for routine maintenance to keep it running well. Also, you will talk to them if your car won’t start one evening at work and it needs to be towed. So, building a good relationship with them from the start is to everyone’s benefit.
Buying a car is a major purchase, so it is well worth the time and effort spent choosing an Indianapolis Ford dealer. You can save yourself time, money and lots of hassle by following our advice.
