Welcome To West Herr New York

In the post about my horrific customer service experience at Joe Cecconi’s Chrysler Complex, a reader left a comment…

While we haven’t met or done business, I’d be happy to supply you (no charge) with a spare key and program it for your vehicle. Yes they have a chip inside and are expensive but you shouldn’t have to be going through this. Contact our Chrysler Service Director, Steve Heary at 667-1700.

There is no catch in this , I’d just like to work hard to earn you as a customer. As a 4 time recipient of the Better Business Bureau Torch award for ethics, we strive very hard to do whatever it takes in the community to help owners no matter where they purchased.

Please mention to Steve that I referred you to him.

Kindest Regards,

Brad Coon
Director of Parts and Service
West Herr Automotive Group

Later that evening, I received a follow up email from Mr. Coon who again asked that I contact his service director. He was apologetic for the treatment I had received at another dealership and hoped that I wouldn’t let one experience with this dealer sour me on the Chrysler brand.

I followed up with a phone call to Steve Heary yesterday and I was immediately overwhelmed by his politeness and willingness to help. He asked me for my Vehicle Identification Number and informed me that I would have a key waiting if I came by West Herr Dodge in Orchard Park the next day. Upon arrival, Mr. Heary greeted me with a handshake and a smile and provided me with a spare key for the Jeep. He had ordered a simple spare key without the lock/unlock/panic fob and I was absolutely satisfied with that as a second key. However, Steve was not.

He wondered if I needed a third key in order for the remote starter to work and put a call into Custom Radio in Amherst to confirm. The tech at Custom Radio informed him that I only needed two keys for the starter to work, but Steve decided to give me an additional lock/unlock key fob to go along with the grey spare key he had provided earlier. I told him it was unnecessary and that a second key of any sort was more than enough to rectify the situation, but he went the extra mile.

Steve apologized for the entire mess of a situation, never uttered a word about the Cecconi dealership, and focused on the level of service provided at his dealership. Very professional, extremely polite, and a very proud West Herr employee.

I was blown away by the outreach and the friendliness of everyone at West Herr, it’s amazing what a little politeness can accomplish in this day and age.

We live in a time when companies which sell commodity assets rely on their brand as their true asset, not the commodities they sell. The brand is a sum total of your corporate reputation and the way you treat your customers. Clearly, a dealership like Joe Cecconi’s Chrysler Complex is not concerned with their brand identity and feel that cars are the product.

West Herr gets it. They understand that there are several dealers for each brand of vehicle in the region and each offers similar pricing and similar products with similar configurations. The difference and the key to growth is to invest in your brand and the level of customer service which you provide. There is an old saying that a “brand is a promise”.  It is a promise to deliver to the corporate standard and to meet the expectations of old and new customers alike. West Herr did that today, they delivered on their brand and exceeded the expectations of this new customer.

Yes, today West Herr won themselves a customer for life. Since they sell virtually every brand under the sun, whatever car I am looking for will be purchased at one of their dealerships. Because they deliver on the promise of their brand and they get it.

So, welcome to West Herr New York.