Did you know it’s a good time to buy a car? And you can do the whole transaction from home? Leading Memphis auto dealer Roadshow BMW/MINI is offering everything from virtual car tours to single-person test drives. And when they’re not helping their customers buy and sell, they’re giving back to the community in a major way. The team has elicited their fleet of BMWs (and beautiful ones, might we add) to bring hundreds of meals to Memphis’ heroes at hospitals, fire stations and local grocery stores. We chatted with General Manager Karen Lombardo about how the auto community is giving back and why it’s a good time to buy. Here’s what she had to say.
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If someone is considering buying and/or selling, what are some factors to consider during this time?
Many dealerships still unexpectedly have 2019 model year vehicles in their inventory, and for us specifically, this is the last month we have the financial support to sell these units. So, we are incredibly motivated to put together good deals! Regarding selling, it’s a very strange and unprecedented time because we aren’t quite sure what used car values to rely on. So, we are trying to be as fair and transparent as possible while not sacrificing the sustainability of our business.
How are dealers and salespeople staying safe during the process?
At Roadshow BMW/MINI, we are sanitizing our inventory vehicles and keys before a customer test drives a vehicle they are interested in. In some cases, we are allowing test drives without our employees in the car with the prospective client to support social distancing. We are even offering “Safer at Home” purchases, which means clients can conduct the entire purchase transaction from home. We will bring the vehicle the client is interested in to their home, appraise their trade-in from their home and then bring all the paperwork to them to complete the transaction! Read more about this service here.
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Do hopeful car buyers have new virtual resources to use as they’re searching?
Yes. Our inventory listings on our website and our specials page are very informative. Credit applications can be submitted directly from our website now, too. We can have a FaceTime or Zoom call with a client to show them a vehicle or send photos or videos. Our sales team is equipped to handle an entire transaction with you over the phone or via email.
How have you seen the auto dealing community — and Roadshow BMW specifically — come together during this time?
We have been serving our community heroes through our Roadshow Gives Back program. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, sales traffic and test drives have slowed well below our normal pace. So, we have decided to wait until June to select a new Roadshow Gives Back partner. In April and May, we are repurposing the program to support the local heroes in our city. In partnership with Chef Kelly English’s Iris Restaurant Group as well as Tops Bar-B-Q, Roadshow BMW is supporting Memphis’ local heroes. We have delivered lunch more than 15 times to multiple hospitals, fire stations and Kroger stores. We love doing our part to celebrate the wonderful people in our community. We were also featured in a video the National Automobile Dealers Association made about community support:
Any new tips for buying or selling you can let our readers in on?
Ironically, it is a wonderful time to buy a car. We have the strongest programs we’ve ever seen from BMW available right now. Customers can combine 0.9% APR with up to $3,500 in rebates and no payment due for 90 days. I would love to hear from anyone who is in the market so I can guide you through the best purchase options available. Roadshow BMW is a proud member of the greater Memphis area community. We employ more than 100 Memphians. Above all, our employees and clients are what we care the most about.
Thank you, Karen, for chatting with us and letting us in on all this great information. Read Karen’s letters on the Roadshow BMW website here and email her at [email protected] if you’re ready to upgrade your car!
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