This is about buying a new Honda. I have no experience with the dealer in any other context or capacity.
My experience of buying a new car at Barber Honda was, in a word, outstanding.
That said, I should clarify that 90% of the experience was due not so much to the dealership as it was to the salesperson I dealt with, Mr. Joel Valdez. But I give credit to the dealership for having such a good guy on their team.
Most of my dealings with Barber and Joel occurred via the internet. I am in San Luis Obispo, and "went shopping" for a new CR-V Hybrid via email at ten Honda dealers between Clovis and Oxnard. Not only did I get the best price from Barber and Joel, but Joel was absolutely fantastic in our communications. He always answered my email questions immediately, always had or got the answers, never bs'ed me, never tried to sell me crap that I didn't want, never tried to talk me into an upgrade or a different model. We "talked" via email for over two weeks, and Joel was far and away the best person I dealt with from among those ten Honda dealers. It didn't hurt that he also offered the best price.
I decided to buy my new car from Barber after two weeks of communicating with other dealers and evaluating their offers. I told them at the beginning of the two weeks that I would buy from the dealer that offered the best deal. But by the end of the two weeks I had also decided to buy from the person who was the best communicator and the easiest to work with.
I told Joel that I wanted to drive the 140 miles from San Luis Obispo, sign the paperwork, and be out of there within an hour. We didn't quite make it, but were close. All the paperwork was ready and waiting for me, there were no surprises, no last-minute changes, everything was exactly as promised and expected. Joel gave me the keys and I drove home feeling great about the whole buying experience.
After I got home, I realized that I had made a mistake on the loan paperwork. I sent a message to Joel explaining MY mistake, not Barber's--actually, I had changed my mind about something. He said, "No problem, we'll Fedex you new documents to sign and fix everything." Which they did. This was MY mistake, not theirs, but they were great about solving all the problems quickly and efficiently.
So I can say without reservation that dealing with Joel and Barber was a pleasure. I would recommend them to anybody looking to buy a new Honda.
San Luis Obispo, California
May/June 2024 read more