Kiefer Mazda

Reviews 3

EV

Evan M. Haney

I bought a new car from Kiefer Mazda today. Heres what I think people should know. I worked with one salesman. He was smart, direct, polite, and both flexible and generous with his time. There were no pressure tactics or spurious claims dressed up in jargon. Instead, he explained technical specifications and features that I didnt understand in terms that were clear and relevant. I appreciate salesmen who let the merits of their product speak for itself. Mazda makes awesome cars, and he conveyed this fact with confidence and precision. He accompanied me on a test drive and didnt push it toward a premature conclusion. In fact, he invited me to test drive the car a second time on my next visit to the dealership, though I declined the invitation because the first test drive was all I needed to make up my mind. Generally, the sales process was efficient, informative, and fun from start to finish. I didnt interact much with other staff members except for casual remarks here and there, but everyone was friendly and helpful. Good salesmen and an inviting corporate culture always reflect competent management. Mr. Habib, the General Manager at Kiefer, handled pricing and financing of my car. I was prepared to fence for a good deal when I first requested an e-quote on the car I wanted, but that proved unnecessary when Mr. Habib responded to my request almost immediately with a quote that was 5K under market value after rebate and dealer discount. Price negotiation was thus a moot point before I even set foot in the dealership. Moreover, I had already worked out financing terms with my credit union, but Mr. Habib said he thought he could beat the proposed interest rate, which he did by ¾ of a percent with a single loan application. Some dealers will shop your credit report all over town and halfway to the moon in order to find the best rate just to increase the odds of closing a sale, and such a clumsy approach can do serious damage to your credit score. In contrast, Mr. Habib saved me a good deal of money in interest payments on top of a great sale price with a light footprint on my credit report. He obviously knows how to work the numbers to the advantage of his customers, so Kiefer is a good place to buy even if your financial situation isnt in perfect order. His manner is gracious, not intimidating, and that sets the tone for the whole staff, so you feel welcome in the dealership and fully at liberty to ask questions or seek assistance. Ive noticed that other Kiefer reviews specifically mention Mr. Habibs competence and courtesy as well, which were evident in all aspects of a well-run operation. As for the transaction itself, I happened to start the process on a busy Saturday afternoon, but I was still done in about an hour, and the car was ready to drive before I had finished the paperwork. Bottom line, Kiefer makes it easy. You can get a good deal on an awesome car with little effort. That was my experience. Im sure that Mr. Habib and his staff have many loyal customers. Ill update this review once Ive had experience with the service department.

SO

Sodindo Banana

Scumbaggery. (I should note, before proceeding, that these people leap upon comments made about them more than any entity Ive reviewed in my life. A bit of an obsession with public image, wouldnt you say? People are entitled to their own views based on personal experiences without having the overtly desperate Public Relations Squad swoop in with their all-too predictable last-word spin) So I get a flyer in the mail today, with a quaint lotto-like attachment: flip up the little panels to see if youve won! Of course, *all* of these flyers are winners... depending on your definition of the term. You see, there are four prizes: three big cash jackpots, and then a great many $5 gift cards for a certain mega-chain store (it starts with a "W"). In other words, if you get the flyer, you get the card. So whats The Catch? The Catch is that youre supposed to show up at the dealership to claim your prize. Starting to smell fishy? Starting to suspect that theyre not giving away gift cards out of the kindness of their hearts? Oh, it gets better. Part two of The Catch is that you have to call a number on the flyer... as it turns out, to schedule an appointment time to claim your prize. And if that little tidbit doesnt set off alarm bells, then Ive got a cozy condo in Fallujah to sell you. It went as follows: I called the number, got some despondent woman who immediately said "I dont know what your prize is" (!) "and youll need to schedule a specific time to come in". Really? To pick up a $5 gift card? The explanation was that "they couldnt have thousands of people showing up at the same time", as though handling a simple line of people would be super difficult. Let me simplify this process, translating from b---s--- to reality (not least because my dad was running this scam back in the 60s; its not exactly rocket science): - A company uses a misleading technique to get you in the door (a "you may have won" mailer in which literally everyone is a "winner") - You have to go to a specific place at a special time to get your "winnings" - Once there, its an hour of some commission-driven sleazebag trying to buddy-buddy you into buying a car you dont want/need (if you were there for a car, you wouldnt have needed a sketchy & insincere flyer in the mail), followed generally by the "hard sell" guy, a salesman brought in to close the deal in a decidedly rougher manner than the first guys overabundance of social lube All for a $5 gift card. What kind of above-board business engages in this kind of practice? The kind thatll have some guy pounce on this review ASAP... rest assured. ;) P.S. None of this should be surprising from an organization that runs TV ads claiming to be near downtown Eugene. Which - as you know if youve lived here for more than a day - is utter crap

LO

Lori Shott

Update: My license plates did not arrive and when calling the dmv they started plates were sent to dealer 2 months ago. I called kiefer and the receptionist had no concern for my issues and would not let me talk to a manager. My trip permit expires and she said she "forgot" to notify me my plates came. She said I still had 30 days after it expires, which is NOT correct. She was short with me and said "I dont see what your issue is, I will put them in the mail tomorrow" I bet an officer will totally understand. Or perhaps kiefer wants to pay my ticket waiting for my plates. ................. First of all, I would like to say that I LOVED buying a car with Ashley. She let me look the way I wanted to, and was not high pressure. She was willing to find out anything she did not know, and was patient with my indecisiveness. I also very much appreciated the help and service I received from Derrick (sp?), a sales manager. I was buying from out of town, and he was EXTREMELY helpful in getting information to me over the phone so that I did not waste hours of driving in. The areas that could have improved, were the other sales managers coming in to pressure myself and my sales agent during the deal. I went in to definitely buy a car, and made it clear, and was enjoying Ashley, but the others that came in were not as professional as they should be to Ashley in front of me, and often butted in and were pushy. I felt like we were in a fish bowl being stalked. The car needed to be detailed before I left, and I felt like that could have been started sooner, to not be such a rushed job. I also had to gas it up myself, and felt that could have been taken care of, and without me prompting. Also, after driving 2+ hrs home I got a call that the engine needed a check up, since they had limited time with it the day I purchased. Again, starting sooner while I was doing paperwork, would have fixed this, and I did not enjoy making a special trip back. Again, I was told they would gas it and on the phone I was offered lunch if I came. I had to ask for the gas twice, fill it myself, and lunch was still neglected after I pointed it out. I purchased a CX-5, and have been happy with it to this point. Service replaced a warrenty item, and that was a good experience. Overall, it was a fairly good experience, and I cant say enough about Derrick and Ashley, but there are some definate areas they could tighten things up to give that top notch service we expect.