Americans love their cars and I am an American. I’ve been buying a new car every few years since 1959. Now, that’s not easy to do since I am only 39 years old … my birth certificate has been around since 1937 but I age more slowly.
I’ve lived all over the country in that 51 year period since my first new car. I made a career in the Air Force for 25 years and traveled quite a bit. I moved to the Wichita area upon my retirement in 1980 and have been buying my cars and having them serviced by Davis Moore since 1989.
In the “old days”, and in other locations, it was a genuine hassle to buy a new car as the negotiations were pretty much a transparent game played by the salesman and sales manager. It was uncomfortable for the buyer, took way too long and generally left one with a bad taste and a desire to not have to go through that kind of baloney again.
Getting service for your new car back then was also a hassle and in 1977, I even had one dealer in Omaha, Nebraska refuse to honor the new vehicle warranty despite my heated discussion of the irrefutable and documented facts. That situation culminated in my pledge to never buy another car of that make … a period of 32 years and counting.
Then, in 1980, I came to Wichita and bought my first car from Davis-Moore Oldsmobile. I was amazed at the difference in the service department as opposed to the experiences I had in the past at other locations. Now, you have to understand I am a mechanic by training and have 50 years of experience. That’s another difficult feat for one who is only 39 years old. The people in the D-M Oldsmobile Service Department were knowledgeable, honest, prompt and helpful as well as being technically proficient. I’ve found that to be true of the Lincoln-Mercury Service Department as well. Vehicle warranties, there, are cheerfully handled. Customers are treated with respect. Repairs, when needed are accomplished in a timely and professional manner.
Well, recently I purchased a 2010 Lincoln MKS and I have never had such a pleasant experience at a dealership before. The salesman, Tim Bernard, was very accommodating, intelligent and helpful. His supervisor, Sales Manager, Bill Schmeidler, was equally accommodating and helpful. From beginning to end my sales experience was outstanding. I was offered extended use of the vehicle while I made up my mind. The agreed to price was fair and they placed a fair value on my trade-in. No hassle, no pressure, no mind games. The whole experience was aimed at providing me with the vehicle I wanted, with the features I wanted, at the price I considered fair.
This was my 4th Lincoln and I have become accustomed to superior quality in the design and workmanship of the Lincoln automobile. The 2010 MKS is a phenomenal car and I find myself demonstrating its various features to my friends, neighbors and relatives. The THX sound system has to be experienced to be believed and the built-in GPS, and hands free Sync Travel Information is a marvel of modern technology.
I’ve been traveling with GPS for 15 years now and this Lincoln system is virtually flawless. It instantaneously acquires the required satellites and the various points of interest are comprehensive. This car even parallel parks itself.
In short, the vehicle I bought – the 2010 Lincoln MKS – sells itself but the sales and service experience has to be experienced to be believed. Davis-Moore gets my business and will continue to in the future.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Dawson Grimsley’s community spirit. His fingerprints are on many worthwhile activities and projects throughout the county.
The feeling I get is that Grimsley and his employees don’t want to make a fortune off each customer. Rather, they want to have many satisfied customers and make an honest and reasonable income from each. More importantly, they want to make each customer feel like they have been treated well. I know I do.
Take it from me, the sale and service of new cars has come a long way in the past 51 years … the way Davis-Moore Lincoln-Mercury dealership handles its business is the way it should have been at other dealerships all along.
Don Kohl,
CMSgt USAF (Retired)
