Podcast Episode 3: A Salesperson's View on Mazda

Amy 00:01

Hi, it's Amy Riley. I'm here at Puente Hills Mazda. I'm with Andrew. Andrew, why don't you tell us about yourself?

Andrew 00:09

I'm one of the sales associates here. I've been with our specific company for coming on four years now, next month. So it's been some time.

Amy 00:17

Long time?

Andrew 00:18

Yeah. I love working with these guys. It's been a while. It's a good relationship between us. Been with Mazda for three years, and I came from one of our Nissan stores. So big difference in brands, definitely. A lot of exciting stuff with Mazda. We've seen a big transition over the last couple years with cars itself. Just how they've been changing and how they've been evolving, and really becoming what they were talking about three years ago. So it's really interesting to see the brand mature, almost. In a sense, when you look at their older cars - like me, I have a 2016 version - just how far the MAZDA3's come in the last two years, and how far the MAZDA6 has just come in the last year, with their brand new redesign for 2018. And it's exciting to see what's going to be coming up the next couple years, specifically with the '19s. Mazda's one of those brands where they listen to their customers. And when they listen to them and they reproduce what they're being asked, it's a really nice thing on our end. Like, for example--

Amy 01:21

Definitely. [laughter]

Andrew 01:22

The 2019 Miatas-- The biggest problem with the Miata was everyone kept on saying, "Well, it's low on horsepower. It's low on this. It's low on that." So Mazda actually bumped up the horsepower, and that's something that's coming out in the 2019 models. We actually just got our first RF versions of them, and those have a 26 horsepower increase, a three foot-pound torque increase. They now have backup cameras; they're standard in all of our vehicles. The safety's phenomenal on all of them, which is awesome. I think every single one of our vehicles are an IIHS Top Safety pick, which you don't see that in every brand.

Amy 01:53

That's incredible. Yeah.

Andrew 01:54

So we're all about safety, but foremost, we're all about fun. So with Mazda itself, our whole kind of ethos is creating joy and exhilaration while driving. So in our cars, when you drive them, you feel that. I'm sure-- You drove one earlier, right?

Amy 02:07

Uh-huh. Yep. [laughter]

Andrew 02:09

You can feel a lot of what's going on, but not uncomfortably. It's a blast to drive. But then once you really get into our upgraded models, like the Grand Tourings, or if you're lucky enough, the Signatures, that's when you really start to feel what they call an alternative to luxury. So you feel like you're driving a Lexus, a Mercedes, an Audi, but you don't have the price tag associated with it, which is what's nice. That's what really separates us from the other brands. The quality of materials, how they go and manufacture the car itself. 95% of our cars are still made and manufactured in Japan. So it's cool to see stuff like that. In regards to what's coming up as well, we have a lot of big changes coming in the models. So obviously we just came out with our2018 MAZDA6 earlier this year, so we don't know what changes are going to be coming in that. We also haven't ordered our 2019 CX-5s just yet. But in regards to the CX-9s, I know we're finally getting the ventilated seats that everyone keeps asking for. [laughter] So we'll have front-ventilated seats in the Grand Touring Trims as well as a 360-degree view camera. The Apple Play and the Android Auto are finally coming. That's super exciting, because now--

Amy 03:19

That's huge. [laughter]

Andrew 03:20

Yes. I've had a lot of people ask me about that. So it's so nice to finally be able to say, "Yes, it's here. It's coming. We have it." So it's nice to be able to say that. Those specifically are going to be first introduced in the new 2019 CX-9 that's coming out in the next couple weeks, I believe. It should finally be landing at dealerships. And then just following all the models from there on out, whichever ones are coming in. The MAZDA6s are supposed to start getting them in September, the ones built in September. So slowly but surely, it's going to get into the brand and kind of spread through. So we're excited about it. Still waiting to hear on the retrograde, but other than that, everything is following suit. So that's pretty cool stuff.

Amy 04:03

That's great. So I think you mentioned the MAZDA6 was quite a bit different in 2018. Is that correct?

Andrew 04:08

Yes. The whole car got redesigned for the model of the year of 2018. So it's a brand new car for this year.

Amy 04:16

Okay. Yeah. Okay. So what's great about the MAZDA6?

Andrew 04:22

A lot of things. [laughter] So what's cool is we have our flagship cars which we call the Signature Trims. So on theCX-9, we have the Signature, on the MAZDA6 we have the Signature. Because those are our flagship cars. The big bad boys of our brand. So with the CX-9 and the MAZDA6, you'll see certain key features to them that are specific to the Signature models. For example, on the MAZDA6, you're going to have Nappa Leather, which is a much higher quality leather than normal. It wears better; it smells better; it feels better. Everything about it's just nicer and more luxurious. You also have a microfiber suede kind of throughout the car. And the dash trims-- you'll have a senwood trim. And it's a real wood; it's not that lacquer. So it's true blocks, carved from one solid piece. And there's just really intricate little notes you'll see throughout. So if you look where the door handle is - and any good sales associate should be able to show you this - if you look at the door handles of the MAZDA6, you'll notice on the actual door itself, it almost looks like a cutting knife. And it's a nod to the Japanese knife makers. Just like with the CX-9. We're all about the details.

Amy 05:27

Yeah. I love that.

Andrew 05:27

It's really minor stuff. So it's cool to be able to see that. And again, how they incorporate it in, it's so subtle. If you didn't have somebody tell you, you wouldn't really even know it's there.

Amy 05:36

Yeah. Wow. That way you do appreciate when someone tells you. [laughter]

Andrew 05:40

Exactly. And everything about them - especially with the Signature models - are all based on the heritage of both Japan and the brand itself. So for example, you have the color of the Nappa on the Signature MAZDA6 called the Chestnut. So the reason they chose that color for the leather is because they went to the Japanese temples and-- Same with the senwood. They chose the senwood for the same reason. And they looked at the coloration of the wood on the old Japanese temples. So when it's the little, minor things like that, that's where we really, again, separate ourselves from the norm. On the CX-9 we have the Auburn Leather. Same thing. So when you look throughout the CX-9, you'll see the contrast between light and cool. You have the aluminum throughout. You have the Auburn to bring the warmth. You have the aluminum, the blacks, and-- to bring the coolness down. It's all about balance and harmony, and they use different actual materials to balance everything out. So it's an interesting brand to work for.

Amy 06:40

Yeah, it sounds incredible. [laughter] So with what'll be happening in the store or coming up. Anything exciting? Anything new going on?

Andrew 06:51

So with our store specifically here at Puente Hills Mazda, we're supposed to be starting a redesign in the next few months, I believe. So the whole store's going to get changed over and remodeled, which I'm incredibly excited about.

Amy 07:03

That's huge.

Andrew 07:04

So they're going to be expanding it in certain areas. We're going to have an all-new service drive. We're going to have an all-new showroom. Everything's changing over. So it's going to be much cleaner. We're going to get rid of the crazy colors and it's going to go into their form of cleanliness and basically, simplicity with Mazda. So Mazda's all about minimalism, and that's what they're going to be transitioning all their stores to. So we're going to be one of the flagship stores now. Which is going to be awesome for us.

Amy 07:33

That's incredible.

Andrew 07:33

But as well, to be able to share that with Mazda, that's great. So we're excited about that. So a lot of new things are going to come with that, and suit more vehicles, more selection. We're going to be adding on some staff, I believe is what the hope is. So we're going to try and get more professionals in here. And our whole company ethos with our dealer group specifically. We have our own set of morals and ethics, and our whole thing is trying to change people's opinion about the car business one deal at a time. We like to make family, not just sell a car. So in that, again, it's exciting to see the store change over because-- not just changing with Mazda, but being able to change with ourselves. So yeah, it's exciting.

Amy 08:17

Yeah, so you say that's going to start in the next few months? It's by next year?

Andrew 08:22

Hopefully. I don't-- I'm not--

Amy 08:23

You're not a hundred percent sure. [laughter]

Andrew 08:24

I'm not one of the first people to know. I'm one of the last people. So that's just what was told to me, so.

Amy 08:29

Alright. Yeah. Well, that sounds very exciting. So tell us a little bit about-- You know, Mazda's kind of known for the technology. Tell us a little bit about what-- Somebody that doesn't know anything can expect.

Andrew 08:41

How much time do we got? [laughter]

Amy 08:45

Take your time.

Andrew 08:47

So I could go on for hours, literally, talking about the technology. So in a nutshell, what's unique about Mazda. How they design, develop and engineer their cars is what they call the Challenger spirit. So with that-- Everybody remembers the rotary engine. It's the most unconventional way to power a vehicle. But we're the only brand that's successfully powered cars - multiple - with the rotary engine. We don't manufacture it anymore. There is word that it might, might not come back out with a new and improved one. But for now, we all use just piston engines. What everyone's used to. But what's cool about what we currently use is called our SkyActiv technology. So Mazda and Ford used to be in a partnership. It was from the 80s to 2011, which is when they finally split ways. And when they split ways, they said, "Well, we're going to redesign all of our cars. Well, where should it start? The sky. Look to the sky." So that's where they got the term SkyActiv.

Andrew 09:44

But with that, it's an engine, transmission, and chassis technologies. With the engine specifically, they made it more efficient, more powerful, lower emissions. We're actually, in EPA, rated number one for both carbon emissions as well as average fuel economy. And that's throughout all of our vehicles. We're pretty green in that sense, which is great. And then in addition, you're getting more power out of the car, more fun, and it's a cleaner-burning engine. So more fuel economy and better emissions overall. With our transmissions, we use the six-speed automatics because we like to encompass the driving experience. Again, you drove one earlier. How are the shifts? You can barely feel them.

Amy 10:21

Right, exactly.

Andrew 10:21

But you got engaged to the car. And that's what I like to stick with, that they use only a six-speed automatic instead of the eights and the nines and all the crazy stuff that you see now. Because it's smoother, it's less complicated, and it creates for more reliability in the long run. But it also really gets you immersed into the drive, and you can really feel more of what's going on in the car. Like you know how your car's going to react. It's not going to gear-hunt when you floor it. It'll shift down a gear or two, and you have your power. And then the last thing, with the chassis. It's made up of high-strength tensile steel. So it's stronger and lighter weight, which means better safety, better fuel economy, helps with the stability and rigidity of the car. Which again, all goes into the driving experience. So as you can see, there's a common thread there. All about the driving experience.

Amy 11:04

It's all about the driving experience with Mazda. I got it. [laughter] Yeah. Okay. So you said you've been working with Mazda. In this store for three years?

Andrew 11:17

Yes. I've been with the same owner-group for four years since I started into the car business, and we bought this store three years ago. And I've been with them basically since they took over the store.

Amy 11:25

Okay. So what are some of the best changes you've seen throughout that time. I know you've told me what's coming, but, like, you know--

Andrew 11:36

From our store taking over this specific dealership, like our owner-group?

Amy 11:39

Yeah.

Andrew 11:40

So with us-- There's a reason I work for these guys. They're good people, first and foremost, which is hard to find in this industry. Secondly, they treat you like family, as an employee. You're like family. I've seen a lot of incredible stories. Won't go too into detail with that because we're running out of time. But since we've taken over this store-- The last owner was actually about to turn in the keys back to Mazda, and they were going to shut down the store entirely. But we ended up buying it off of them. They were doing anywhere from 40 to 50 new cars a month, and now we tripled that output. So we're doing anywhere from 120 to 160, 170 new a month. That's just new vehicles. So what we've taken from them is one of the worst-performing stores in the US, and we've since become one of the top stores in the US. So much so, I think we've put up a 200% increase the first year we were here. And that was such a shock to the Mazda world that we actually had the president of Mazda - not just North America, but of Mazda corporate from Japan - fly over to see what we were doing.

Amy 12:47

Wow. That's incredible, yeah.

Andrew 12:49

That speaks volumes about what our management can do and how we treat clients. And that's what we're all about, is the experience. We're all about providing service and being top-tier in our services that we provide. So for example, I know personally, I can say I've went to people's houses just to help them set up the garage door openers. I actually just went to one of our local clients the other day. Just little things like that. We like to try and go above and beyond, and really do whatever we can to provide the best possible experience and, again, treat people like family and friends. Not just like a number. Because that's what it all comes down to, is we're about serving a community and being good to our local clientele. But also, being one of the more aggressive dealerships in sales. So it's kind of the best of both worlds.

Amy 13:35

Yeah. That sounds great. So you mentioned-- I've got to get back to it. Oh yeah. You mentioned you might be looking to add some staff. What kind of person do you think would make the ideal staff member here? Obviously somebody that's going to treat customers like family. But what else do you think?

Andrew 13:52

For me, when I started in this business, it was very different, culturally. So now, with how things have been, the best person for this-- And I always tell people you have to be a little crazy to do this job, because you work insane hours. The pay really isn't that great to be honest. But at the same time, you work so much and it's more so for the satisfaction, knowing what you're doing. So you have to want-- You have to have a huge drive, first and foremost. Self-starter, all the typical things you hear. But with this specifically, I always tell people you have to have the patience of a saint, but you also have to have the grit of a bulldog and the determination of Hercules. So you kind of have to be [crosstalk].

Amy 14:36

You have the perfect answer. [laughter]

Andrew 14:38

It's not easy, by any means. And I've seen a lot of people get burnt out. You have to get into this business for the right reasons. If you're in it for all the money, it's not going to last you long. If you get into the wrong perception, you're not going to last that long. So whenever I'm talking to somebody that's thinking about joining not just our group but the auto industry in general, I tell it to them flat out. Be ready to work more hours than you've ever thought you could even do, and be ready to constantly be tired. But for our group, the expectations are so high, that's where it really sets us apart, is not only do you have to have all those characteristics, but you also have to be ethically responsible. We've actually hired people and then let people go because we saw how they were acting.

Andrew 15:25

And so when you look at things like that, that just goes to show our owners and our owner-group doesn't tolerate unethical behavior. If they see it, they immediately cut the problem out. If they see things that they're not happy with, i.e. how people are getting handled, how people are getting treated, you're not going to last very long with our group. So if you want to work for us, a proven track record of good service, obviously a will and determination to learn-- That's one of the bigger things. It doesn't matter if you have experience in the auto industry or not. I didn't, and I've been with us for four years. A lot of people that join us don't, and we actually kind of like it that way. Just because you don't have the bad training that's happened. We like to train new, fresh people. And it usually goes well. So that's kind of our standpoint on it.

Amy 16:14

Sounds great. Well, thanks so much for joining ustoday on the podcast, and good luck with all the changes going on. We can't wait to see them.

Andrew 16:21

Absolutely. Me too. Thank you.