Click here to view more great reviews. http://on.fb.me/jc7u40
Friday, July 8, 2011
Biren Oberoi, thank you for sharing your experience. We are honored to have you as a customer.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Social media raising Ford's profile
Ford Motor Co.'s use of social media is creating greater awareness of new vehicles and proving to be money well spent, a marketing executive for the automaker said today.
Ford has tried to position itself in the forefront of social media with experiments such as the Fiesta Movement designed to create a buzz for the subcompact car before it went on sale in the United States and the use of Facebook to introduce new models such as the redesigned Ford Explorer.
The automaker has also used the adventures of a puppet named Doug to try to connect with consumers.
It can be hard to measure the return on investment of social media, Matt Van Dyke, Ford's director of Marketing Communications, said today in a live webchat.
But there is empirical evidence, said Van Dyke, who oversees all U.S. advertising for the Ford and Lincoln brands.
Ford was able to credit the Fiesta Movement, which picked people to test drive Fiestas around the world in 2009 and post their experiences and videos, for the growing awareness of the new car because the automaker had not yet begun mass media advertising.
"In that case, we were able to generate proven awareness, favorable opinion and consideration that we are able to assign dollar values to," he said.
The Fiesta Movement represented an investment of millions of dollars to bring over 100 vehicles from Europe as well as the production costs of the six-month project, but Van Dyke figures Ford generated five times as much exposure as a traditional advertising campaign. And by the time the car went on sale, many U.S. consumers were familiar with it. The car continues to post strong sales, selling more than 42,000 in the first half of the year.
The decision to unveil the new Explorer as part of a Facebook campaign rather than at an auto show also is considered a success. On the day of the Explorer reveal, Ford went from 7,000 visits on its Explorer home page to more than half a million.
Ford does not have a social media department; the automaker wants its use to be pervasive across the company.
The focus has been on using social media to generate buzz before a new vehicle hits the market.
"We need to broaden that approach," Van Dyke said. "For example, we are experimenting with user reviews of current customers on our Fusion vehicle homepage."
And the marketing executive will consider live chats with consumers months after a new car or truck has been on the market.
Additionally, at the front end of the process in vehicle development, "we think there's untapped potential in getting early feedback on features, style, design and more," he said. "Ultimately, the 3,000 moving parts will have to be assembled by our engineers."
And the automaker does not rule out the use of traditional print advertising. But Van Dyke sees print as having a strong supporting role within the marketing mix.
"The challenge for publishers is better and better integration, not "special advertising" sections," he said.
Ford Fairfield - Two Positive Reviews on DealerRater
Ford Fairfield would like to congratulate Mark and Justin for providing excellent customer service. Check out these positive reviews on DealerRater.
"Everything was as it was supposed to be. Used Costco Buying Program. Called in advance, talked with Justin twice; once before I looked locally and again the day before I drove down to pick up the F-150. Everything as agreed upon, including installing the bed liner before I arrived. Sales, appraisal, and other personnel were professional and friendly. On our way in two hours; pretty quick for a car buying experience. No hesitation recommending this program and dealer to anyone."
"Mark and Justin worked with me to tailor the deal for our needs. Justin went the extra mile to get the extra rebates that we qualified for. The aftermarket leather came out much better than I thought it would. Many thanks to Mark for his personal efforts in getting the leather package done on time. Great job guys!
Kevin"
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Ford Fairfield - Six Positive Reviews on DealerRater
Ford Fairfield would like to congratulate our staff for providing excellent customer service. Check out these positive reviews on DealerRater.
"I had worked with Rod & Jack before & they continue their good service at the dealership. All the people I worked with in buying my truck & having it serviced have been courteous & helpful"
"Just bought a Ford F150 on 05/07/11. GREAT service, not the typical pushy sells person. They went above and beyond to get the F150 that my husband and I wanted. The internet sells team work great together to make sure that they cover when one of the members are off. They don't just leave you waiting. They waived the dealer trade fee and worked with us to make sure that the payment was in the range that we had discussed. I will definitely recommend them to all family and friends that are looking to buy a new car or truck."
"Very helpful in locating the truck that was right for me- found it, gave me a GREAT deal on it, gave me the best number on my trade in truck, found me -by FAR- the best financing (they actually TRY to help you!) I didn't have to wait around forever, they did most of the work while I wasn't there! Thanks guys! Oh yeah- and they are DOG FRIENDLY, which is a big PLUS to me! :"
"The customer service was amazing. From the pricing to the delivery of the vehicle, all of my expectations were met. This was the most comfortable car purchase I've ever done."
"Jack Droast was very friendly and professional. He took the time to answer all my questions in a polite and thorough manner. He went into detail about the necessary service required. He did a price match so that I would have the best price and he was considerate of my time. It was nice doing business with him. I would come back as well as recommended him to others"
Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE“Friendly, no-pressure environment; enjoyed my conversations with the various folks; my initial point-of-contact at the dealership was very proactive and had my vehicles ready to go for a test drive in front of the dealership as soon as I got there. Management was willing to work with me on price, I had a trade-in, I wasn't too happy with the trade-in value I got for my excellent-condition trade-in car (especially since now they are advertising it for over $4,500 for what they paid me). The paperwork was excessive and could be more expeditious. The negotiations were long, but I never felt pressured into agreeing to something I didn't feel right about. Overall, a good experience, would have been great if: they gave me a higher price for my trade-in, adjusted their invoice price for the car.”
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
2011 Ford F-150: Still No. 1 after all these years
Behold! The top-selling vehicle in the U.S. is, again, the Ford F-150 pickup.
In fact, the F-150 has been the best-seller since way back in 1977, when Jimmy Carter was in the White House and France conducted its final execution by guillotine.
You see, Ford owners tend to be loyal to the blue oval, just as Chevy owners won’t even fish around a Ford lot. It’s a loyalty that other companies can only dream about, and most analysts think Ford will retain the title this year.
For the 2011 model year, Ford has introduced new engines: two turbocharged diesels and a 6.2 liter gas V-8, for those who need maximum towing capacity and cargo hauling.
The top-of-the-line diesel has bragging rights to 735 pound-feet of torque at 1,600 rpm. Ford says it’s good for 390 horsepower at 2,800 rpm. There are also new six-cylinder power plants in the lineup and the 5-liter V-8 that was installed in the test truck.
That V-8 produces 360 horsepower at 5,500 rpm with 380 pound-feet of torque at 4,250 rpm. It was tied to a six-speed automatic and the entire thing was rated at 14-19 miles per gallon of regular gas. I racked up 18.5 mpg in mostly country driving. In such a heavy vehicle, 5,105 pounds curb weight, the 5-liter would be my base engine if I ever intended to pull a trailer or haul heavy cargo. Maximum payload capacity was just over 2,000 pounds in the 6-foot bed.
Around town, you are aware that you are not driving a small vehicle. The handling is ponderous with very little feedback. Visibility was excellent to all corners, and there was a small TV camera view on the left half of the inside rear-view mirror to aid back-up moves. The test truck lacked a navigation system that might have moved the rear view to a larger viewing screen. Nor was there a satellite radio, two curiously missing items on a premium-priced truck.
Elsewhere inside, there was more than enough space to the rear for two or three adults and the amount of room for two in the front was absolutely limo-like. Step-up height was a bit much for some shorter-legged adults, since this was a 4X4, but it was offset by steps under the doors.
On the interstate, the truck was church-mouse quiet. In fact, I think it would beat some luxury cars in suppression of road and wind noise.
Big outside rear-view mirrors were a nice touch, as were the multiple adjustments for steering wheel and driver’s seat.
Ford turned the instrument panel into an easy-to-read device with white numbers on a black background. An information panel is part of it and will give the driver a variety of readouts. Mileage, trailer-towing details and offroad info are all there with the aid of the owner’s manual.
All in all, it is easy to get to like the F-150. It will make long trips with ease, and in the test trim would even look at home at the country club. Contractors and construction crews, even the boss man, won’t need most of the $4,760 in options on the test vehicle. Those who have the cash can purchase a large java before spending the good part of an afternoon building their new truck just the way they want by going over Ford’s very long list of options.
The bottom line on the test truck came to $40,130, and it would not be hard to exceed that figure adding sat radio and navi. The truck is comfy, spacious, will haul a lot, look good around town and swallow gas like it was New Year’s Champagne.
While Chevrolet and Dodge will put up a good fight, the majority has spoken, and the choice of Ford as No. 1 is a good one.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Neil Garrand, we would like to thank you for this stellar review.
"People were not 'pushy' there. They let us expound what we were looking for and provided feedback based on knowledge and experience to help us ease into a decision."
Click here to view more great reviews. http://on.fb.me/jc7u40
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)