Orange Coast FIAT

7/9/2012 7:59:32 PM  

Reason for Visit: Sales (New)

I recommend this dealer: Yes

Employee(s) Dealt With: Nathan Shaver, Ken Lynch, Levi Eck

My Review of Orange Coast FIAT:
The first time I visited the dealership I spoke with Nathan Shaver. He is a product specialist and was so friendly and very knowledgable about the cars. I liked that he obviously wasn't a pushy salesperson the way you would normally think of a car salesperson. After another trip to the dealer, and answering more questions, Nathan passed me on to the person who would deal with my trade-in and basically work out the details of the deal. His name is Ken Lynch. Like Nathan, Ken could not have been friendlier or more pleasant to deal with. I felt like he really had my best interest at heart, and that is not the usual feeling one associates with buying a new car! After hammering out the deal, I went to the finance dept and Levi Eck went over my loan. Levi, too, was very nice and helpful. He was definitely willing to answer any questions and was very patient in explaining my options. 

The one and only area I think that could have been improved is that there was one thing I needed follow-up on about the car itself and someone from the dealer was supposed to call me to follow up. So far, no follow-up has occurred in this regard. I've had a couple of nice messages to make sure I'm happy with the car,which I defintely am, but no one has handled the one minor issue.

rsnhb

6/29/2012 4:37:52 PM

Reason for Visit: Sales (New)

I recommend this dealer: Yes

Employee(s) Dealt With: Kenny & Ronnie in Sales, Patty in F&I, Mihai, Product Specialist

My Review of Orange Coast FIAT:
From the moment I walked in the door it was a POSITIVE experience. Kenny, Ronnie, Mihai and Patty all made me feel like family. The purchase of my new car was effortless and I felt everyone knew their roles well. The price was great! You guys ROCK!

mainediva

6/4/2012 5:29:59 PM

Reason for Visit: Sales (New)

I recommend this dealer: Yes

Employee(s) Dealt With: Ken and Ron lynch

My Review of Orange Coast FIAT:
Great positive experience buying new car. Girl that met us in lot was very personable and quickly introduced us to ken after test drive. The Ron finished up financing and all was pleasant quick and we drove away with our new vehicle

John Gemmill

5/31/2012 9:28:52 PM

Reason for Visit: Sales (New)

I recommend this dealer: Yes

Employee(s) Dealt With: Ken Lynch, Ronnie Bostek, Ryan McCulloch, and Brendan

My Review of Orange Coast FIAT:
When I arrived at OC Fiat, I had recently lost a car I truly loved in an auto accident. In addition, I had already spent a few very long and frustating days shopping for a vehicle. My overall car shopping experience was made more challenging due to the fact that I was seeking a vehicle with a 5 or 6 speed manual transmission, which offered good gas mileage, while still being fun to drive. At OC Fiat, both Ken and Ronnie spent several hours with me, understanding that this purchase was a major decision for me. Ryan also took time to speak with me asking what type of vehicle I was looking for and what my shopping experience had been like thus far. (Thanks much, Ryan, for your sincere kindness and consideration.)

When it comes to such a major purchase, I am so NOT a quick sale. I tend to have a lot of questions and I tend to want to understand every aspect of the process. Both of these statements / facts would be readily and whole-heartedly verified by both Ken and Ronnie! Yet, they both showed a great deal of patience with my questions and expressed a desire to make sure I fully understood and was satisfied with the decisions I was making, both in terms of automobile choice and financing options. 

While I had come into OC Fiat with my own financing already approved at a good rate, Ronnie was able to provide financing at an even more competitive rate than my credit union. A fact that my credit union verified when I went back to them (after purchase). They attempted to provide a better financing package for me and did lower their original rate offer. However, they finally admitted that the deal I received from OC Fiat was better than what they could offer both in terms of the rate and the length of the loan. (Thanks, Ronnie, for facilitating what my credit union informs me was an excellent deal! ...AND for calmly answering my 10,001 questions!)

I always recommend that any person who is preparing to make a major purchase first do their own research. I was raised to believe that we are each responsible for preparing ourselves to make good decisions, in part by knowing what questions to ask. I visited several dealerships where the representatives found my assertive approach and my numerous questions to be threatening. (My perception was that sometimes their irritation and defensiveness seemed to be compounded by the fact that I am female.) I can honestly say that I did NOT receive that impression from the professionals at OC Fiat. In fact, Ken who was the second person to interact with me could sense that I was frustrated (and, yes, somewhat on the defensive myself) as a result of my prior car shopping experiences. His consistently calm, considerate approach allowed me to give a fair, unbiased consideration, to what OC Fiat had to offer. (Thanks, Ken, for not letting my previous negative car shopping experience get the best of me!)

I cannot finish this review without mentioning Brendan. He was the first person I encountered at OC Fiat and as he attempted to assist me through the initial car selection process....in the manner that he had been trained, I was so completely resistant. Nevertheless, Brendan was a true professional. When he realized that I would not allow him to assist me in the manner he had so perfected, he calmly and politely escorted me to Ken, who assisted me further. However, it was then Brendan who consistently and with a positive attitude, brought out the vehicles I wanted to see and escorted me on the test drives. He also later followed me (and my rental car) home with my chosen OC Fiat vehicle. Thanks, Brendan, for everything. Your help was very much appreciated! (P.S. to the Management... The kid rocks! Get him some courtesy business cards!!)

Note: As spell check is not available, please forgive any typos. :)

karensb2010