APEX, N.C. -

In remarks during a celebratory presentation earlier this week for the opening of a Hendrick Automotive Group dealership in North Carolina, it was emphasized that success for a dealer isn’t just about selling a car. It’s about keeping a customer for the long haul.

And this sentiment was among the attributes Rick Hendrick honed in on when talking to Auto Remarketing about what helped the most successful dealers overcome and thrive through the recessionary period.

“The dealers that took care of their customers, that had good parts and service businesses; the guys that could count on a fixed operation with a fixed coverage in the 80s or 90s, versus guys that didn’t pay any attention to that, that just tried to sell the car and not follow the customer,” Hendrick said when asked what kind of dealers succeeded through the difficult times.

“We feel like we’re selling customers, and we’re giving them a car,” he continued. “We’re trying to keep them for life. So that’s a big difference.”

The celebration was for the debut of Hendrick Toyota Scion Apex in the Raleigh suburbs, with executives from Hendrick Automotive and Southeast Toyota Distributors, dealership staff, local dignitaries and more on hand for the event.

Auto Remarketing also caught up with Ed Sheehy, president of Southeast Toyota Distributors, who shared his thoughts on how the most successful Toyota dealers are getting the customer for life.

“This is a people business. It starts with how well you take care of people,” Sheehy said. “I think there are a lot of fancy measurements that car companies use — in fact, all companies use — to measure customer satisfaction.

“I think it’s difficult, but the concept is relatively simple,” he added. “If you take good care of a customer; if you do what you promise to do, if you do it in a timely way and at a fair price, customers will vote their satisfaction with their wallets.

“They’ll come back to your dealership, they’ll spend more money,” Sheehy added. “They’ll come to your service department, and ultimately they’ll buy another vehicle from you.”