Sconda

Scotts Make Cover of Dealer Magazine

The Scott family made a splash this month as Andy Scott, co-owner of Scott Cars Inc. in Allentown, Pa and his son Douglas P. Scott, marketing manager for Scott Honda and Scott Select in West Chester, Pa were selected as the cover story for the March edition of the nationally distributed Dealer Magazine.

“I met Cliff Banks, the former Editorial Director for Dealer Communications, at their Digital Dealer Conference last fall,” Doug told Sconda.  “I pitched a story idea to him about my father being the third Scott to win the Time Quality Dealer of the Year Award for Pennsylvania and he ran with it.  The article eventually morphed into a piece about a father and son duo, which was quite an honor for me.”

Over the course of a couple interviews, newly appointed Editor, Maureen Condon, of Dealer Magazine and Digital Dealer Magazine was able to relay our story through a very detailed Question and Answer style article which beings on page 26 of the March issue that will land on the desks of over 55,000 members of the automobile dealer industry this month.

“It was a real pleasure interviewing the Scotts for this piece,” Maureen said.  “I’m thrilled to be with Dealer Magazine now and I love the idea of giving exposure to the great people and families in this business all over the country.”

This article was an example of the fourth generation in the business giving a tip of the cap to the third generation, for their years of dedication to the family craft.

“My dad has put nearly four decades of hard work into this business and I thought it was time someone do some bragging on his behalf,” Doug says.  “He has run his business right, treated his employees with the utmost respect and gone above and beyond for his customers from day one, so I was very happy that Dealer Magazine saw fit to give him some kudos for his hard work.”

An interesting fact about the photo on the inside of the magazine; in the background of that picture is a photo of Raymond P. Scott Sr., sitting at his desk, as his son, Parry Scott stands by during a photo shoot in 1949.  Fifty-two years later the photograph appearing on page 26 of the magazine was taken with four generations of Scotts appearing.  Ironically the new photo was taken at the desk of Jeff Scott, Andy’s 2nd oldest son and the most recent member of the Scott family to join the team.

cover photo by: Bridgett Scott

 

And the Winner of the 1st Scott Chili Cook-Off Is...

With the tease of warm weather blown away over the weekend and a wintry mix in the forecast, things remained hot and spicy in the conference room of Scott Honda, as 10 crock pots simmered to perfection, waiting for their chance to be crowned king of the 1st Annual Chili Cook-Off.

Factions of folks were seen forming all over the dealership today, whispering about who they thought had the best chili and in order to ensure the fairness and accuracy of the contest, Internet Salesperson Sean Larry, used his lunch break to guard the voter box, guaranteeing that no one was able to vote twice in the anonymous event.

"I'm here, volunteering as a member of the Party Planning Committee," Sean told Sconda Blog, with his arms crossed sitting next to the box.  "The integrity of this cook-off depends on the honesty with which it is run," he said with a smile.

Little squares of bread, plates, tiny sample cups, spoons and bottles of water lined the room, as scores of Scondateers streamed into the conference room, with some of them taking the contest very seriously.

"I worked in the restaurant industry for a long time, so I am going to take my time, cleanse my palate between tastes and make sure that I know the distinct differences between all 10 of these recipes," remarked Ed Pollock, who sampled the chili in between customers on this busy Presidents Day at Scott Honda.

At 2 p.m. the voting ended and the counting of all 69 votes began behind closed doors.  Then, like the drama teacher posting the lead role on the bulletin board, a crowd gathered around event organizer Sara Pyfer as she entered the kitchen.

With scotch tape in one had and the results in the other, she slid between onlookers and taped the results confidently on the wall in the kitchen.  The cheering could be heard from down the hallway as Tina Moriarty, Scott Honda's Inventory Manager emerged victorious.

"I'm very excited to win," she told Sconda Blog exclusively.  "This is a recipe I have had for 11 years, it's called 'Judd's Chili' and the first time I made it was for my brides maids on the night we made my wedding invitations."

The note card in front of her winning chili read, "this is not an overly spicy chili, but there is a little heat in the background.  The beans have been replaced with black olives to retain the texture of the beans, without the after effect, if you know what I mean!!!"

Yes I believe we do know what you mean and we thank you, wink, wink.

The first runner up, losing by only one vote, was disappointed Finance Manager, Tom Dainora and in third place was Parts Driver, Clint Rupert.

Today's event by the Party Planning Committee was born out of a desire to get the dealership and it's employees together for something fun and easy and the participation was great.

"I'm excited that today went well," said Sara.  "I had a lot of people come to me today with ideas for other cook-offs and bake-offs.  So I hope we can really turn this into a fun monthly event."

Check out our Facebook page tomorrow for Tina's winning recipe (she left the recipe at home, which is like winning an Oscar and forgetting your list of people to thank).

Andy Scott Becomes 3rd Scott to Win PA Dealer of the Year

Welcome to Sconda’s first Q & A, and what a fitting topic, this weekend Andy Scott will receive the Time Quality Dealer of the Year Award for the entire state of Pennsylvania and is a nominee for the national award.  Pennsylvania is chock full of new car dealers, so we are proud to highlight this honor given to Andy by the Pennsylvania Automobile Association (PAA).  He will be recognized this Saturday at the National Automobile Dealers Association’s (NADA) annual convention in San Fransisco, Ca.  The most remarkable aspect surrounding this award is that Andy’s Father and Uncle have both been recipients, making him the 3rd Scott to win this most prestigious honor.

The Dealer of the Year award is given to new-car dealers “who exhibit exceptional performance in their dealerships, combined with distinguished community service; creates a positive public relations forum for all new-car dealers; and provides a representative spokesperson for Dealer of the Year.”

Q:  What does it mean to you to win an award won by both your father and your uncle?

A:  It is both humbling and gratifying to win this award. I had two great mentors in my father, Parry Scott and my uncle Craig Scott. I learned my “people managing” skills primarily from my Dad and I gained insight into marketing and business management from both my father and my uncle. It’s pretty amazing that all three of us have been recognized for excellence in the automobile industry. It certainly says a lot about the “Scott way” of doing business.

Q:  How has your membership with PAA done to help you as a dealer over the years?

A:  PAA is one of the leading automotive trade associations in the United States.  They represent new car dealers in the state in almost every way, including developing strong franchise agreements with our manufacturers and advocating for a fair political voice in Harrisburg and Washington. I have been a board member since 2002 and on the executive committee since 2008. Needless to say, the last two years have been extremely challenging with the economic upheaval along with the bankruptcies of GM and Chrysler. Being heavily involved with PAA has given me great insight into the critical issues affecting the car business.

Q:  When you started in the industry nearly 40 years ago did you ever think you would be where you are right now?

A:  I am entering my 39th year in the car business. In my younger days I was totally obsessed with cars. I would always beg my Dad to bring home the latest 70′s supercar for me to try out. When I began working in my father’s dealership I had no way of knowing that I would one day own a dealership. It has been a very rewarding and challenging career. I really love the “people” part of the business. Every customer has a set of expectations that we have to try to fulfill. Fulfilling those needs on a consistent basis is what makes a dealership successful. Satisfied and engaged employees are also paramount to our success. Happy employees make happy customers. My philosophy is very much “teamwork oriented”. I believe in empowering our employees and our people want to be held accountable, so as long as they sense that they are valued and appreciated, most will give you everything they have.

Q:  How has your involvement with local charities, youth athletics and other non-profits helped you manage your business and your people?

A:  I learned at an early age the importance of giving back to the community. My parents were always involved in charitable causes.  My philosophy has always been to be invested in our community, both financially and from a volunteer perspective. To me, the private sector needs to help to provide a “safety net” for those less fortunate. I also think, that, when you give unconditionally, you get back “ten fold”. Our dealership has a great reputation for “giving back” to our community. It is a philosophy that is part of our dealership culture.

Q:  What was the most challenging time during your career as an owner?

A:  We have weathered numerous recessions in my business lifetime, however, this last two years have provided my  biggest challenge. From September of 2008 to June of this year we endured the loss of two franchises (Chrysler and Hummer) which caused us to reduce our workforce by about 20%. Very difficult circumstances, to say the least. The good news is that we survived, retooled a bit and are now poised to start growing again. 2010 has been significantly better than 2008 and 2009. Things are getting better and we look forward to steady improvement in the next few years.

Q:  What has been the most rewarding part of your job in the automobile industry?

A:  Building long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with both customers and employees has been the highlight for me. From the great people who I have had the pleasure of working side by side with to the wonderful customer base that we have been fortunate enough to serve. I also have to mention my business partner Richard Salezze. Richard and I have worked together for over 30 years and he has been invaluable partner in helping to shape our vision and our culture. We compliment each other really well and it shows. He is a major reason that we have enjoyed such great success.

Q:  What changes do you see coming in the industry and will they help or hurt?

A:   This past recession has reduced the number of dealers and franchises. That means that the best dealers survived. All credible forecasts see strong growth over the next five years. That means to me that the future is very bright. With new technology along with improvements in quality and fuel economy, exciting new products are hitting the showrooms every month. It’s a great time to be in the car business, for sure.

Andy has five franchises in Allentown, Pa: Chevrolet, Saab, Mazda, Volvo, Cadillac and a pre-owned location called the Scott Lot.  Visit them at www.ScottCars.com.  Andy will also be featured in March issue of Dealer Magazine, one of the most reputable magazines in the industry.

Beloved Scott Salesman Remembered by Co-Workers

It was a sad weekend for the Scott Honda family as one of our own, Frank J. Barone, 60, lost his battle with various illnesses, passing away quietly on Friday evening, with his family by his side at Keystone Hospice in Wyndmoor, Pa.

Frank arrived at Scott Honda over four years ago and quickly became a valued and loved member of our team.  His soft spoken nature, like-able personality and great work ethic helped him fit right in.

Car loads of his friends and co-workers from Scott Honda made the trip out to Ambler, Pa for his wake over the weekend and his funeral service at Anton B. Urban Funeral Home on Monday.

"Frank was a kind, gentle soul with a great sense of humor," says David Greaves, general sales manager.  "He was a good friend to his co-workers and always a team player.  He'll be missed by all of us."

The same sentiments could be overheard in all corners of the dealership as news spread last week that his condition was worsening.  Greaves sent out a text message last Friday evening to many of his dealership friends, that read, "Please say a prayer for our friend Frank Barone who is about to pass away in hospice."

After retiring from Amaroso Bakery as a driver salesman for 27 years, Frank decided to try his hand selling cars.  Early in his car selling days, after having a tough negotiation with a customer, Frank came back into the sales office and remarked, "This ain't like selling bread."  The phrase became a famous line, repeated by many of the sales managers and over time the quote sounded more and more like a line out of Good Fellas.

Frank is survived by his devoted son Zachary and loving brothers James and Richard and his wife Ruth.

Frank's brother, James Barone, 66, of Hatfield, Pa couldn't say enough about how Scott Honda helped Frank along as he dealt with his health issues.

"Scott Honda was tremendous," Jim said.  "I can't tell you how grateful I am to you guys.  To me it's not just a business there, it's a family.  I can't thank you guys enough."

We'll let Frank's own words complete this remembrance.  On his Facebook page, in the "About Me" section he aptly said of himself  "I consider my self a good person, easy going, pleasant to be around and not bad on the eyes."

You will be missed Frank, but never forgotten by your second family here at Scott Honda.

Scott Sees Great Possibilities for QR Codes

As with most technology trends, this one started in Japan a decade ago, has been popular in Europe for years and is just now catching on in some major metro areas in the United States.  No, I'm not talking about those tiny cubicle style hotel rooms for the highly stressed business person on the go.  I'm talking about Quick Response Codes, aka QR Codes.

These small, black and white codes can be scanned by smart phones with QR Readers.  Once scanned there are a few places the codes can take you.  The most popular destination is the immediate hyperlinking to a mobile website, but other options include contact information, such as a digital business card, or even directions to specific location.

So how can you get in on the QR fun?  It's simple...just go to the app store on your phone and download any one (or two) of the many free QR Scanners available.  Some Android phones are already coming equipped with these scanners right out of the box and it is widely assumed that all smart phones will follow suit in years to come.

"What's great about QR Codes is that they allow for an interactive experience from what was generally a stagnant object, like a newspaper ad, yard sign or direct mail piece," says Douglas P. Scott, Marketing Manger for Scott Honda and Scott Select.  "I see endless possibilities for these codes as long as they are embraced by the American public like they have been in Asia and Europe."

Scott Honda is expected to be the first ever dealer to use a QR Code in the Philadelphia Auto Show Buyer's Guide.  The full page color ad is walk through the rich history of the Scott family's 80+ year history in the automobile business.  So the code, placed in the lower left corner of the ad directs people to the history section of the dealership's blog for even more interesting photos and stories dating back to the 1920's.

Currently in the entry way and customer waiting areas of Scott Honda are "Sconda Mobile Links" (pictured above) which allows customers to first learn about QR Codes and then links them to our mobile website, as well as our social media pages, where they can learn more about the dealership and even find special gifts and discounts.

"By using web page shortening software, like bit.ly.com, the QR codes become trackable, so now you can know how many people are looking at each individual code," Scott told Sconda Blog.  "My hopes are that this 'new' technology can be used to improve dealerships ability communicate effectively and efficiently, thus enhancing the customer experience."

Scott Honda, Proud Participant in the Holiday Extravaganza 2010

Guest Blogger – Jennifer Worthington Lower (pictured above)

As a contributor to Chester County Moms and a member of the Scott Honda team (a proud sponsor of the Chester County Moms) I was thrilled to be able to attend the Holiday Extravaganza 2010 last Thursday.  The event, also a Toys for Tots drive, was held at the Downingtown Country Club and in addition to being an incredible night out for moms, it was also a wonderful and rewarding event to contribute to.  The Marines in attendance were actually getting choked up when they told us the total number of toys collected and how many lives would be touched this holiday season.

Here are the numbers:

9,500: families in Chester County that will be touched by Toys for Tots this year

450: Children in the Chester County area that will receive toys from this year’s Holiday Extravaganza

150: guests that attended Holiday Extravaganza

1,363: toys collected for Toys for Tots at this event (that’s two truck loads and an additional trailer if you need a size reference)

51: largest number of toys donated by a single person

13: number of sponsors raffling off prizes

According to Toys For Tots, the Holiday Extravaganza 2010 was the top Toys for Tots drop site in the state of Pennsylvania to date!

Here’s how the event worked:  Moms brought toys for the toy drive in exchange for ten raffle tickets per donation.  Those tickets were to be placed in the running for great prizes offered by the sponsors.  Scott Honda offered a 3 pack of DVD’s, a music package including instruments from Makin’ Music, a Samsung portable DVD player, a professional detail package and (drum roll, please…) a Toy Story 3 edition Power Wheels Lil’ Quad.  The items were raffled off to all the lucky winners and then we all got to eat delicious h'ordeuvres catered by Downingtown Country Club and desserts made by The Masters Baker (yum).

The evening was also plugged in to the world of Twitter, with various moms and attendees tweeting all night long about the great event using the hashtag #HE10 so others could follow along.  Tweets like this from @JCSLuv520, “Thanks @ChescoMoms for an amazing event for a great cause – Toys For Tots! Keep doing what you guys do, it’s awesome!” could be read all night.

 At the end of the night all attendees walked away with a “bag of swag” including awesome coupons and certificates, shampoos and conditioner from Calista Grande and lots of little goodies that all moms can appreciate.  There was also a fantastic “Oprah Moment” when it was announced that we would all be receiving a Tassimo coffee maker when we left! 

The night was spectacular and it was all for a good cause.  Can you get any better than that?  I am honored to be one the moms that contributes weekly to the blog and to be part of a team like Scott Honda that considers an organization like Chester County Moms and the charitable work they do valuable to our community.

Read the post Holiday Extravaganza 2010  wrap-up by the Chester County Moms.

Scott Honda: A+ Better Business Rating

For over 21 years Scott Honda has been an accredited member of the nationally recognized Better Business Bureau (BBB) and as 2010 winds to a close we are proud to announce that we continue to hold the highest rating possible, an A+.

A standard by which all well respected businesses rate themselves, the BBB has been active in the Mid-Atlantic since the 1920's.  Their mission is "to promote and foster the highest ethical relationship between business and the public through voluntary self-regulation, consumer and business education, and service excellence."

"Our Better Business rating has always been important to us, even before online reviews were commonplace," says Vice President Duke Scott.  "It is a very public way to hold yourself accountable for the customer service we provide every day."

According to their website, BBB Standards for Trust, that include "eight principles that summarize important elements of creating and maintaining trust in business. [Scott Honda] has affirmed to meet and abide by BBB Standards for Trust."

The eight BBB Standards are; build trust, advertise honestly, tell the truth, be transparent, honor promises, be responsive, safeguard privacy and embody integrity.

More than just buiness ratings the BBB is a real source for consumer protection, tips and services.  Check out their blog for great holiday information on things like 12 Holiday Scams to watch out for and ways to protect your identity at the ATM machine.

Scott Donates 200+ Coats to Area Children

Scott Honda was proud to be a part of another succesful coat drive organized by the Auto Dealers CARing for Kids Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Automobile Dealers Association of Greater Philadelphia. 

"While we all wish the need for such an essential everyday item didn't exist, the Foundation staff congratulates (it's participating auto dealers) for truly making a difference in your community," said Kevin Mazzucola, executive director of the Auto Dealers CARing for Kids Foundation, in a press release.  "To date, more than 56,000 brand new winter coats have been provided to children in the five-county area of Philadelphia via the Foundation's Driving Away the Cold efforts!"

In three years of participation Scott Honda has donated nearly 600 coats and this year alone 150 area car dealers donated over 20,000 in the Philadelphia area.

"Car dealers can get a bad reputation sometimes, but year after year it is car dealers who participate in great programs like Driving Away the Cold that are making a huge difference in communities all over the country," says Douglas P. Scott, marketing manager for Scott Honda.  "I was lucky enough to get to distribute coats to children at the West Chester YMCA this year and they were thrilled.  It was a great feeling."

Just as in years past, our 200 coats were given to the Maternal and Child Health Consortium of Chester County, an organization that has been helping the Chester County families that need it most for the past 15 years. 

"Thank you so much for supporting us again this year," said Courtney Coleman, Community Health and Volunteer Coordinator for MCHC.  "Scott Honda's generosity is greatly appreciated!"

Here are a few quotes passed along by some of the parents and children that received coats:

The Mother of Aryan, a 22-month-old said, “I felt really good when she (Family Health Advocate) gave me a coat for my son.”

Three-year-old Odaliss remarked “Thank you for my coat! It’s going to keep me very warm.”

Elizabeth,a 4-years-old was thrilled by the color. “Thank you for my purple coat, I love it! Purple is my favorite color!”

Picutred above are (left) Michelle Sanchez, Special Projects Assistant, your humble Sconda Blogger, Douglas P. Scott in the middle and to the right is Beatriz Polk, Business Manager for MCHC.

Scott Adds Chat to Brand New Website

  
Scott Honda is proud to announce the installation of Live Chat to our recently update website.  ScottHonda.com 5.0 has been retooled and reloaded from top to bottom thanks to our friends at Dealer.com.  One of the newest features is chat, by Contact at Once and Scott Honda believes this will make the consumers car buying experience even more pleasant.

"We are excited by the potential of chat," says Vice President Duke Scott.  "Our hope is that it will open up a new window of communication with our customers, allowing people to find out vehicle availability and set appointments in the simplest way possible."

While live chat has been around for a while, Scott Honda wanted to make sure it was used in the most helpful and responsible manner possible.

"Chat is not new and we know that," says Internet Manager, Jason Reitlebach.  "It's been on the scene for a few years, but not all dealerships use it well.  We actually studied at a lot of dealer websites before we launched to make sure we didn't make some of the same mistake they do."

What Reitelbach wanted to avoid are annoying pop-ups or drop-ins that bombard the customer page after page.  Scott Honda set a two drop-in limit per hour for customers and added a 10 second pause on any page before the chat card drops.  A concerted effort was also made to make the look of of the buttons and chat cards look consistent with the rest of the website.

There is even a potential for live chat to help our Service Department as well.  If customers ask a service related question, the message will be forwarded to our reservationists department who will then help the customer.

"We're confident that live chat is truly going to help both the sales and service process," Duke told Sconda Blog.  "We are asking our customers to give us feedback on our process so we can make it as customer friendly as possible."

Scott Select Gets Some History on Its Walls

The all-new Scott Select got a great visual lift to it's showroom a couple weeks ago when 22 photos from the Scott families early days in the auto industry were retouched, enlarged and inserted into beautiful frames to be hung all around the dealership.

In the photo above are smaller prints used to help decide the location of the 24" x 36" prints to be hung on the clean, white walls that were just waiting to be adorned with black and white photos that dated back to the 1920's.

The idea was a take off on the Scott History Wall found in Scott Honda's customer waiting area that was very well received by customers and employees alike.

"I loved the way our history wall turned out," says Marketing Manager, Douglas P. Scott. "and I wanted to expand on it even further.  The blank canvas at Scott Select was the perfect place to do that."

Making the project even more interesting was a group of about 30, 8" x 10" photos that were accidentally found inside the back pocket of an old folder.  Seen for the first time in many years, the photos were classics from the late 1940's and 1950's that had been very well preserved.

"These were photos I never knew existed," says Scott, the first of the 4th generation of Scotts to try their hand in the family business.  "I know it sounds dorky, but it was like Christmas morning for me.  I really think there is a deep connection people make to beautiful photos from the past that is comforting to them.  It also reminds people that Scott Select is not a fly by night operation run by a CEO in D.C.  We are family owned and operated and have been since our first dealership in 1929, we are here to stay."

Each of the 22 photographs was scanned and meticulously retouched, undoing decades of dust, scratches and rusty paper clips.

"I can't wait to take my grandfather (Parry Scott) through Scott Select for the first time," Scott says.  "I try to imagine my grandchild doing something like this 50 years from now, with photos of me, my father and brother working together...it's amazing to think about."

Already we have had folks who grew up on the Main Line back in the 20's-80's that have come in and marveled at the prints.  One former customer recalled sneaky around the lot back in the 50's trying to get an early peek at one of the new models.

"I'm very happy with how this dealership has turned out esthetically," says Vice President, Duke Scott.  "Scott Select's showroom is clean, open, airy and now it has a touch of history that really adds validity to the history that is embodied in the sailboat that goes on the back of every car we sell."