Mega: an adjective meaning “of the highest level of rank, excellence, or importance.” Reaching that superlative has been the mission of Bert’s Mega Mall of Covina, CA for over 60 years. And they’ve worked their way toward that goal pretty successfully.
We asked Dallas Spencer, a Finance Director of Bert’s Mega Mall, about the dealership’s mega-ness and their secret to success (well, as much as he would tell us). On the state of Bert’s, Spencer said they “continue to be the strongest performer in the United States by holding many top performance titles with lots of manufacturers. We also continue to provide exemplary customer service and the ultimate showroom experience to every customer that walks in our doors.”
The ultimate showroom experience translates into the most awesome dealership you could probably ever see (it’s actually the world’s largest). Above the seemingly endless rows of Can-Am, Ducati, Husqvarna, Honda, Hyosung, Kawasaki, KTM, Kymco, Polaris, Sea-Doo, Suzuki, Triumph and Yamaha, you look up and see…a shark? Yup, that’s a shark. Hanging from the ceiling, a great white looms over the stock and stands guard with a life-sized Incredible Hulk, among other props. It’s a Hollywood-type experience you probably won’t find anywhere else.
Aside from their presentation, we want to get to the bottom of what makes Bert’s Mega Mall the country’s strongest powersports dealership, and one of Roadrunner’s regular top performers. Dallas Spencer gave us a look into a few key parts of their success.
Here’s how they do it:
Knowledgeable Staff
In order to give their customers their best, Bert’s builds a roster of superstars. According to Spencer, “We pride ourselves on having well trained experts that strive for customer satisfaction.” The more employees know, the more they’re able to help anyone who comes into the dealership. The last thing anyone wants is to get a customer question they can’t answer.
The staff is not only knowledgeable, but they cover all their bases. Through “an entire team that consists of professional sale members, finance experts, service technicians, and a knowledgeable parts and accessories staff to support our valued customers,” they’re able to provide “superior customer service,” said Spencer.
Now, Bert’s doesn’t only stay on top of things because their staff is large. The key to their collective success is having a team that can succeed without missing any details. You don’t need big, dedicated departments to have a knowledgeable staff that can get stuff done.
Commitment to Customers
The staff at Bert’s Mega Mall has one common goal: give their customers the best buying experience possible. From sales to financing, the team at Bert’s is with you the whole way. Dallas Spencer lays out their process like this:
“The sales person stays with their customer and builds rapport after filling out the credit application. The finance team runs the credit and gets the best possible loan for the customer before sending the salesman out on a pencil. Once the deal is wrapped up it goes in with our Finance Managers who handle contract signing. The customer is never left on their own without someone to help or ask questions.”
The key takeaway here is that the customer never feels an absence of service, even while the team is busy getting their funding in order. The commitment to customers and serving them to the fullest makes buyers feel good, because they feel treated right, and so they’ll leave the dealership happy. Even without dedicated finance and sales teams, any dealership can make a commitment to an immaculate sales experience. Dallas Spencer’s words of advice on sales and customer relationships: “Every customer interaction is a sale.” So make that interaction count.
Financing with Speed
The customer experience closes, usually, with financing. It’s important to keep the ball rolling with a smooth and quick process through your chosen lenders. When you have a customer waiting in the showroom for their credit application approval, every minute counts.
Roadrunner’s instant decisions are the first step of fast financing, so customers can leave with their new vehicle as soon as possible- “It’s a great option for us and is a simple rapid process for our customers,” said Spencer.
Being such a large and high volume dealership, the demands of Bert’s Mega Mall can’t wait on lenders. According to Spencer, “The process of moving applications along faster is very beneficial, especially with a dealer our size.” But, any dealership can appreciate a quick financing process that makes their business run smoother. Customers appreciate a quick closing too. Wouldn’t you be itching to try out your new ride?
How Roadrunner plays a part
Of the roughly 700 units sold monthly at Bert’s Mega Mall, nearly three quarters need financing. That’s a ton of volume, so it’s no wonder they appreciate funding speed. Roadrunner Financial is a lender that’s kept up with their demand.
Bert’s has been using Roadrunner’s Credit Builder program to drive incremental sales with customers who are working on building their credit. They also use Roadrunner’s Prime program to close deals quickly and smoothly for prime customers.
In fact, in the span of one month in 2019, their funded deals with Roadrunner quadrupled (and that number keeps rising). “We’ve been with Roadrunner since it very first started as a subprime only lender. There was certainly a learning curve for the finance managers moving away from paper contracts. But once we got the hang of it, the process became simpler and simpler,” said Spencer.
Roadrunner’s also had a positive effect on their process as a whole. Their financing after starting with Roadrunner “has definitely sped up…the ability to get fast automatic approvals on all kinds of credit without waiting for an underwriter is very helpful.” From simplifying the financing process to getting deals funded with speed, Roadrunner’s role in the world’s largest powersports dealership is going strong. Now all we need is a cool roadrunner to hang from the ceiling.
The above article is being provided for informational purposes only and shall not be considered any type of professional advice. Roadrunner Financial, Inc. (RF) does not warrant the accuracy of the information contained herein. Prior to utilizing RF as a lender, all dealerships are subject to underwriting approval by RF, in its sole discretion. No loans will be funded without a signed Dealer Agreement between the dealership and RF. All applicants for credit through RF are subject to credit approval. Other qualifications and restrictions may apply.
