Welcome to the 6th episode of our weekly podcast here at Miracle Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram! In this episode, we talk with Joe Smith in Commercial & Retail Sales at CDJR, where we discuss the Ram 1500.
Topics Discussed:
Transcript Opening John Haggard: 00:02 Welcome to the Miracle Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram podcast, where each week you’ll be able to learn the best ways to learn, purchase, or lease, maintain and accessorize, and really just how to sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible, when you’re ready to do so. I’m your host John Haggard and throughout each month right here we will have different team members join us from Miracle to bring you tips you can use. And by the way, we also post a transcript of each podcast. You can easily refer to it for information. If you want to go back and look without having to listen to the entire podcast, you can go right there and get the information that you were just listening to.
John Haggard: 00:38 On this podcast, we’re talking with Joe Smith, he’s in commercial and retail sales at Miracle Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram. Our topic today is the Ram 1500 and really what makes the Ram 1500 so different compared to all of the competitors. Hey Joe, welcome to the podcast.
Joe Smith: 00:55 Hey John. Thank you. It’s a pleasure.
How Did You Get Started in the Car Business John Haggard: 00:56 Well, glad to have you. And you know, we always like to know before somebody talks about what they’re doing. How did you get started in the car business? Did you grow up from age six washing cars and stuff or how did you get in?
Joe Smith: 01:07 Oh, well it’s kind of a funny story. I’m actually prior military and when I was coming back from a tour over in Japan, my dad recently moved around here in this area. I bought my first vehicle from here, kind of enjoyed the experience. And then few years later when I moved back here, while I was going to school, I saw that the dealership had an opening. Again, I enjoyed the experience here, so I figured I’d apply and at least try and see how I fit into the automotive industry here.
John Haggard: 01:32 Hey, by the way, thank you for your service.
Joe Smith: 01:34 Thank you. I appreciate that.
John Haggard: 01:35 What did you do when you were in the military?
Joe Smith: 01:37 I was a structural civil engineer for the Air Force.
What is Your Role in the Dealership John Haggard: 01:41 Gotcha. Gotcha. All right. And so tell us what your exact role is at the dealership. When we hear a commercial and retail sales that that seems to sort of explain itself, but is there anything else you do?
Joe Smith: 01:53 I do a little bit of everything here, so yes, you’re right. I do the commercial sales as well as retail. I also help do dealer trades for other salesman if we don’t have the exact vehicle here that the customers want ,and I have the ability to find them one and get it here in a timely manner to make sure they are fully satisfied. And I also help out with the backup finance department here as well.
What are the Top Three or Four Questions they You Get From Customers about the Ram 1500 John Haggard: 02:12 Okay, got it. What would you say today, Joe, are the top three or four questions that you get from people when they’re saying, “you know, I see a lot of truck ads on television and just trying to decide should I buy a Ram 1500 or should I buy another brand”? Seems like I see a Ram commercial, then I’ll see another commercial then another Ram commercials. Like everybody’s fighting it out.
Joe Smith: 02:31 Yes, definitely. There’s definitely a competitive market out there today. And top three. I would say that most people will always try to factor in there is going to be the towing capacities, cause I mean the trucks they’re going to be used for that and they want to make sure that the towing is going to be suitable for what they need. Then the next two things that I always get as well would be like your creature comforts… basically what kind of features have been added into the vehicle as well as safety features too.
What Makes the Ram 1500 Ride Different from it’s Competitors? John Haggard: 02:55 All right. And if you were going to say, speaking of that, what makes ride of the Ram 1500 really different from its competitors?
Joe Smith: 03:04 So what Ram has done that really separate themselves from the other competitors is that the Ram actually uses the five link independent coil springs. So it’s going to be an active independent there. All the other brands, they still use the leaf spring suspension. Now the Rams use that on the heavy duty trucks just for the higher towing capacity. But that independent coil spring plus there’s an exclusive air ride suspension that you can get as well. And no other truck brand has that out on the market. And those two things alone definitely separate the ride. And that’s kind of what contributed to making the Ram the motor trend truck of the year.
John Haggard: 03:39 Okay. So I think what you’re saying like in just super simple layman’s terms, that each shock is sort of its own suspension system. So just because the left front is moving, does it necessarily mean the right one is. Kind of what you’re saying there?
Joe Smith: 03:52 Correct. So when we do test drives here, we like to take customers over railroad tracks because normally in a normal truck with the leaf spring suspension, if you hit a bump, the whole truck’s gonna move once you go over on one side. But with independent it’s going to hit it as each wheel goes over it on its own. It’s not gonna just rock back and forth for you.
Ram 1500 Gas Mileage Compared to the Competitors? John Haggard: 04:11 Gotcha. Now you know, if you’re a truck lover, you are a truck lover. I mean that’s the way people are. And back in the old days, the gas mileage was really low. So what’s been done today? If you’re looking at the Ram competing with fuel ratings and towing capacity, you know, compared to the competitors out there.
Joe Smith: 04:27 So what Ram has done is they had actually adapted to their current 5.7 Hemi and they’ve actually got a mild hybrid system and it’s called the Hemi with eTorque capability. And what that’s going to actually add for you is the stop start feature, which a lot of vehicles have nowadays. And with that, that does actually save about 10% of your average fuel consumption while you’re driving using your vehicle. Plus with that eTorque system, it will actually give you a little bit better in the boosting on your fuel ratings with that feature. And what’s Nice with the eTorque technologies, it’s also incorporated with your towing technology as well. With the eTorque, you’ll actually get an additional 130 pounds of torque starting off the line. So most vehicles, you’ll start at zero if you’re pulling something, but with the eTorque right off the gate, you start with 130 pounds of torque. So it gets you off the line faster when you’re pulling the load.
What Features Has Ram Done to Compete in Today’s Technology? John Haggard: 05:19 Gotcha. Now what about if we go to the interior in terms of features that Ram has done to compete with technology that’s current today?
Joe Smith: 05:28 Well Ram has definitely taken the advantage on that. We do have the exclusive 12 inch touchscreen. It’s not standard on everything, but you can get that and that does give you a dual display if you want it to. So you can have your radio on the top, you can have your navigation on the bottom, you can move it around wherever you’d like to. But one thing that they also did to the Ram is they actually made the body style about four inches longer. So that’s going to allow for the back seats to recline back. Sort of like a mega cab would, just for that comfort for whoever’s riding in the back there as well.
John Haggard: 05:59 Yeah. You know, someone says, well, four inches doesn’t sound like a lot, but it really is when you look at your feet down, I suppose.
Joe Smith: 06:06 Oh it does. You’ve got plenty of leg room in the back. Plus you can lay it out. They did add in the panoramic sunroof now too. So if you’ve got that all the way open, everybody gets a good view of what’s above you. Another nice thing that they did add on that radio is they’ve upgraded to the fourth generation Uconnect, and what that’s going to give the customers is your Apple CarPlay, Android Auto. So say you did get one that didn’t have the navigation built in, you can plug your phone in and you can actually still use your navigation or the Waze app if you have that, and that will actually pop up on the screen for you as well.
What About Safety Technology? John Haggard: 06:37 Gotcha. Now what about safety technology? A lot of people want to know what are the new safety features?
Joe Smith: 06:43 So on the old body style, they didn’t really have much, but on the new one, they did definitely bring the Ram back to life there. So the Ram’s actually gonna have your blind spot monitoring now that they’ve put on these trucks for you. You can actually get the surround view camera on these things too. I love that feature. You could literally have the windows completely blacked out in a parking lot and as long as you have that camera on you can park comfortably without even hitting anything cause you’re getting that three 60 surround view camera there for ya. They’ve also added on your adaptive cruise control. You’ve got lane sense, departure, parallel and perpendicular park assist of the trucks nowadays pretty much can drive themselves. You just got to control the gear and the gas and the brake.
What are Ram’s top Competitors John Haggard: 07:26 Ha, that sounds fun. Who would you say are the top competitors to the Ram? I mean people come in and they say, well I’m looking into 1500 and I’m also looking at these other things. Who’s out there, where someone’s really trying to make a choice? Should I go this way or the Ram?
Joe Smith: 07:39 I know Ram’s definitely in the top three. I do know Ram has probably one of the highest rebates out on the market right now because they are being very aggressive with this new body style and they’re just trying to really take that leap to take the lead there.
What are the Top Changes in the Marketplace Today In Terms of Purchasing a Vehicle? (Buying vs Leasing) John Haggard: 07:51 Gotcha. What do you see in terms of changes in the marketplace today for people as they go about making a decision to buy or getting research? Should I buy, should I lease and which trucks should I get?
Joe Smith: 08:02 Well, what I like to do with my customers is I always sit down with them for a few minutes before actually starting the process, trying to understand their wants and needs. If they’re planning on keeping the vehicle for awhile, the retail financing would be the best option for them. But with today’s market, a lot of people typically want to get in something new every few years and that’s when I would also show them at lease as well. Cause that’s gonna allow you to continue to get into new vehicles with new features. Leasing nowadays is definitely taking the advantage. I mean, I think about more than 60% of the staff at our dealership here, they all lease. Ha.
John Haggard: 08:35 Somebody told me a story one time. If you’re going to buy something or you’re going to do something, ask the person who actually does it for a living. What do they have? You know, what do they do? So it’s that much about 60%.?
Joe Smith: 08:45 Yeah, I know all of the management here does and some of our salesmen here do as well.
What Differentiates Miracle CDJR and the Miracle Auto Group From it’s Competitors? John Haggard: 08:50 Gotcha. What would you tell people about Miracle Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in terms of why someone should buy from Miracle Auto Group? There are a lot of choices out there and everybody says, “Hey, we’re the best”.
Joe Smith: 09:00 You can always shop around and you’ll find a good deal here and there, but we are a business, but at the end of the day, we’re more so trying to establish a relationship with our customers too. So that’s why we did incorporate our VIP program here. So as long as you own the vehicle, you’ll actually have a lifetime powertrain coverage on it as well. And we’ve got a concierge service for the local community. So if you work or live within 15 miles, we’ll actually pick the vehicle up from you, do the maintenance, drop it back off to you. Plus we offer discounts through service. We’ve got an exclusive referral program. We’ll send you $250 each time that you send somebody to your salesman and they get a vehicle. It doesn’t even have to be new. They can get something for $5,000, and we’re still sending them a check.
John Haggard: 09:44 Wow.
Joe Smith: 09:45 Yeah.
Is There Anything That I Didn’t Ask You About the Ram 1500 Compared to Other Trucks? John Haggard: 09:46 Is there any question that I didn’t ask you that a lot of people ask when it comes to comparing? Let’s go back, say to the Ram 1500 to other trucks?
Joe Smith: 09:54 Not so much. I mean the biggest thing that people usually want to get on their trucks is they want to know what it can tow, how it performs and what kind of safety features that they’ve added in. Just to kind of separate it and make that decision a lot easier for them.
John Haggard: 10:07 So this is kind of the top one, two, three and if you get past that, now we’ll talk about which one.
Joe Smith: 10:12 Once you get past all that, it really comes down to trying to find that unique truck for you. I mean, do you want a certain color on the outside and the inside? Do you want the big screen? Do you want a bench seat? Do you want the Captain’s Chair up front? They’ve included a lot of options on these Rams. That’s why, with these, I always like to again sit down with my customers finding exactly what they are looking for, because there’s just so many options out there on these trucks now.
What Do You Like To Do On Your Time Off? John Haggard: 10:37 Gotcha. So Joe, what do you like to do on your time off? Do you have any hobbies, recreation, things you like that are fun for you?
Joe Smith: 10:44 Well, my time off, I’m mainly spending it with my daughter or I’m going to the gym or playing some golf here and there. I try and stay a little busy, but most of my time is spent here trying to make sure my customers are happy.
John Haggard: 10:56 So you, uh, tell me about that golf game.
Joe Smith: 10:59 I’ve been golfing for about 12 years now. I mean, I do pretty good. It’s always fun trying to, I’m left-handed too, it’s always fun to try and teach somebody when they’re right-handed… it’s a little challenging.
John Haggard: 11:10 I bet. Do you get to play once a week anyway?
Joe Smith: 11:13 I try my best to when I can, but most of the time I’m usually spending it with my daughter.
What Do You Do On The Commercial Side? John Haggard: 11:19 That’s great. That’s Joe Smith, everybody. He handles commercial and retail sales at Miracle Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep Ram. And by the way, we were talking a lot, you know about retail sales and so forth, but commercial? Can you tell the difference between commercial and retail? What do you do on the commercial side?
Joe Smith: 11:32 So in commercial, I mean, whether it’s a big business or small town business, we’re really being aggressive out here too cause we’ve had our commercial side running for almost two years now. So I mean we’re just trying to help out. So if you own a business, doesn’t have to actually go in the business name, but there are additional rebates and some other stuff that we can actually use for you to help save you some money. Plus, Ram has what’s called a business link, completely free to enroll. There’s no annual fees, but it does give you some added benefits through our service department as well.
Closing John Haggard: 12:04 All right, Joe Smith, everybody again handling commercial and retail sales at Miracle Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram. Join us again right here for other topics on the podcast throughout each month. Our goal to show you the best ways to learn, purchase, maintain and accessorize your new or preowned vehicle and how to sell your vehicle for the highest resealed value possible, when you’re ready to do it. And don’t forget, we’ve also posted a transcript of each podcast right here on the website. You can easily refer back to it for information that you’d like to have right there at your fingertips. I’m your host John Haggard, and we’ll see you next time.