Our Featured Customer for October
Craig Pearson

One day last spring Craig wandered into our showroom and told us he wanted to buy a scooter.

He said he wanted a 50cc to use as a commuter to help save wear & tear on his car and cut down on fuel costs (at the time gas was $1.30/litre). We advised he get something bigger so he wouldn’t outgrow it as he gained experience.

Craig persisted, and he bought our last Kymco Vitality. Well, not only did Craig outgrow the Vitality in 2 months (he sold the Vitality and bought a B&W 150), he then sold the B&W, bought an older sport bike, sold that and moved up to a Kymco Venox 250. For a guy who just wanted to save a little gas money, Craig has become one of our most avid riders. Since spring of  ’08, Craig has piled up over 20000kms of riding! He often goes for rides just to enjoy a nice day. Craig regularly stops by to say hi. We enjoy his visits, and we always share a good many laughs when Craig is in the house. Craig has been with Lakeridge Health in Oshawa for 3 years. He is also a Hyundai owner, driving an “07 Elantra. Craig lives in Ajax, and stretches the riding season as far as he can. If you see a smiling guy on a gray Venox, it’s probably Craig. Ride on Craig, you are one of our true success stories.

Best Wishes Flo Houston!

I first met Flo in 2003. She came in to the showroom here when it was Pickering Village Hyundai. For many years Flo has lived in North York, but she preferred to do business out this way because she felt  people were nicer. She has been coming out here twice a year ever since to service her Elantra. I have always looked forward to Flo’s visits. She’d give me my hug and we’d share the lowdown on what was going on in each other’s little worlds. Now on the far side of 80 and having had a couple of small strokes, she can no longer look after her house, so she is moving to Grimsby to live with relatives. I made Flo promise to send me her new address so we can stay in touch. I hope to be sending Flo birthday cards for many years to come. Take care, Flo, we’re going to miss you around here.

Welcome to “The Back Page”Tips & Other Stuff

Do You Value Personal Service?

You have a problem with a widget you bought from ABC Company. Perhaps there is a defect in manufacture. Perhaps the operating instructions are unclear. Perhaps service is required and you are trying schedule an appointment. Whatever your need, all you want to do is talk to a live person who can address your concerns. That friendly recorded voice has informed you of hours of operation, fax number, mailing address, made at least one sales pitch, and suggested you try the website for 24/7 convenient service. You’ve danced through the maze of automated menu choices, made all the right selections, and finally you are transferred to the appropriate department. Of course, ABC Company is currently experiencing a higher than normal volume of calls, so you are again placed on hold, you are advised that your call is important to them, and you should stay on the line to maintain priority sequence. Is there anyone out there who has not had the pleasure of this experience? Likely not. The Age of Personal Service is dead, and the auto and powersports industries are no exception. We know of several local dealerships that employ so-called “Customer Care Centres” to administer their service departments. Not only are these people not employees of your dealership, they are not even located on the premises! How impersonal is that? That will never happen here. When you call Pickering Village Motors, a live person will always answer the phone, and a live person will always do their best to deal with whatever questions or concerns you might have. Isn’t that a refreshing old fashioned approach in an increasingly frustrating modern world? We like to think so.

Is the Lowest Price the Best Deal?

We all usually assume that the lowest price is the best deal. When comparing identical products that is often the case, although the reputation and service provided by the retailer should be considered. When buying a used car, however, the lowest price is often NOT the best deal. Over the years we’ve heard customers say many times “I’ve seen the exact same car advertised for $1000 less than yours”. The reality is, there is no such thing as identical used cars, even if they are the same year, make and model with the same mileage and features. Wear and tear is always different. More importantly, how well a used car is reconditioned varies more than you know. Parts can pass minimum safety standards but may need replacing in short order. If you buy another car for $1000 less but end up replacing the brake pads, rotors and tires in the next year, how much did you save? We are proud of the level of reconditioning we perform on our cars. That’s why everyone gets a copy of our repair orders itemizing exactly what we did to your car. We also provide full histories on our vehicles, so you know where it came from, number of owners, and whether it has ever been stolen or involved in an accident. Very few dealers provide the level of documentation we do, and fewer still are as extensive in their reconditioning as us. That being said, we are rarely the lowest price in town, but we are the best value. We strongly feel that when you buy from us you get a well prepared, thoroughly reconditioned car at a fair price that we are proud to stand behind. When you consider all the factors involved in buying a used car, is that not the better deal in the long run?

Why Winterize?

Winter is  hard on cars. Cold, salt, slush and slippery roads all add additional stress to your car’s operating systems. The last thing you need is to find a dead battery in the morning, or worse, at day’s end when you are the last person in the parking lot. Same goes for your cooling system. Weak coolant could cause your car to overheat, or worse, the coolant could freeze and damage your engine. Be sure this winter. Have your car winterized. Check with Mark for our winterization package. If you are considering winter tires and rims, Mark can set you up with a good package at an affordable price, and we can store your summer tires too!