Talk Story with an Advertiser: BMW of Hawaii
When customers first walk onto the 2.5-acre property of the BMW parking lot in Kailua-Kona, they are greeted by BMW staff who stay within sight and earshot to answer any questions, and are allowed to browse at their leisure.
“It’s very quiet here. It’s like a learning center,” says the sales administrator of BMW of Hawaii, Susan “Awa” Graffe.
Unlike other dealerships, BMW of Hawaii does not pressure their customers into a purchase.
“Our customers are the reason we continue to be in business. We consider our customers as friends for life and can only hope we pass that onto our new friends who visit our dealership,” says Susan as she shows me a silver pin, BMW of Hawaii’s latest award.
Opened in August, 2008, BMW of Hawaii has already won the Center of Excellence award in 2013 and 2014 for exceptional customer service commitment, an honor bestowed upon only the best BMW dealers in the United States.
When a customer does choose to make a purchase, BMW of Hawaii agents will take as long as the customer needs to walk completely around the vehicle to make sure the buyer know every aspect of the product. One hour, two hours, it doesn’t matter.
“You have to know every button, every light that comes on. [We] take time for you to know your own product. Until they’re comfortable, we will continue to show them,” says Susan.
This excellent customer service doesn’t stop once their customers leave the parking lot either.
Susan says, “Our sales people get calls constantly.” She continues. “If you ask for their cell number, you will get the sales manager’s cell, service manager’s, service assistant manager’s, and the parts’ manager’s so someone can help anytime.”
Customers from the Hilo side of the island are also well taken care of. “We drive two vehicles out there and leave one for the customer in Hilo to use while we service their vehicle back here,” says Susan.
It has always been this way at BMW. Before the dealership opened on Hawai‘i Island, Rocco Mahoney (now the service manager at BMW) repaired BMWs with the same attention he does today. Rocco worked out of an auto body garage, leasing one of the stalls, because he knew BMW needed him to service cars that were shipped on a barge from Honolulu.
BMW of Hawaii has an ultimate goal of sustainability. They are debuting the ultimate driving machine, an electric BMW. The building itself is also 100 percent solar and has charging service stations for the new electric vehicles.
BMW of Hawaii
74-5533 Loloku St, (Behind Target) Kailua–Kona
808.930.3400
BmwBigIsland.com
