So first and foremost: I did not buy from here nor have I used the service department. However, I…read moream strongly considering it based on my (one time) experience and here's why:
My partner and I are about to be in need of a new vehicle as my 2010 Toyota is starting to have issues that are more expensive than they're worth to fix. We still have life in it, though, so we're not in a hurry to take on a new car payment.
I had long assumed I'd just go with another Toyota Tundra, but I read an article in the Detroit Free Press (Go Lions! #DetroitVsEverybody) that reviewed the 2024 Jeep Wrangler EV Hybrid. It was an amazingly glowing review. While out and about one day, the subject came up and, having nothing else to do, we headed over to the dealership to see if they had one we could check out.
As it was, Roberson Motors had Wrangler Rubicon on-site that was a hybrid. It was a top of the line model with pretty much every feature, but the bones of it were what we wanted. Upon arrival, we were immediately approached by a young man who introduced himself as Hayden. He asked what our purpose for stopping by was and, when we told him, he led us directly to the 2024 Wrangler EV model that we were hoping to look at.
We took a brief walk around the vehicle and when I asked to do a test drive, he went inside and was back out within a couple of minutes with the keys. He tossed me the fob and said, "Knock yourself out."
I'm not reviewing the vehicle so I'll leave that out. However, my partner (who'd driven a few Jeeps in her life over some pretty rough roads) commented that the noise volume was much less than she remembered. She asked if we could extend the drive a bit and go on I-5 where we could really see what freeway noise was like. Hayden responded enthusiastically and we took off. The whole ride, my partner and I talked back and forth about various features and what we thought, but Hayden didn't interrupt or try to sell us on anything. He just hung out and answered any questions we had. Impressively, when he didn't know an answer, he told us right away he wasn't sure, then looked up the information before responding. I really appreciated that, quite a bit.
When we got back to the dealership, my partner excused herself momentarily and I hung back with Hayden. He asked where we were in our car search and I told him we were literally in the first day of considering our options. He asked my thoughts on the Jeep and, while I liked it, the trim level was significantly more than I really wanted (including the price). Hayden's response was to immediately go and look up if any other models were slated to come in, with fewer features. He came back almost immediately with several options and offered to text me the information when they arrived.
Now, I realize that this was one way to get my customer info on his phone, however he didn't try to do the ole "what will it take to get you into this car today..." kind of thing, nor did he try to talk up the ultra-features on the car on-site.
But here's what really stood out to us, and what will bring us back to Roberson Motors, and Hayden in particular, if we choose to go the Jeep route.
My partner had some questions on various features and models. Every question she asked, Hayden looked her directly in the eyes and answered them. He didn't talk to me, he didn't downplay, and he didn't talk superficial features only. So many times my partner, who is small and very feminine, will try to talk to salespeople and she'll get the "little lady" treatment. This has happened at gun stores, archery rangers, car dealerships, health clubs, gyms, everywhere.
Hayden answered her, not me, and was thorough and complete with the answers to her questions.
Later I sent Hayden a quick text, thanking him for his time and asking him to keep me informed when the new models get in. He responded fairly quickly and that was that; I haven't had a sales call from him yet and it's been a few weeks now. He really seemed to respect that we were not in the mood to buy yet, but still took the time to answer all your questions for the time when we are. He also treated my partner like a customer, not an accessory, and that's more rare than some people would think.
I've noticed a lot of negative reviews for the service department, and I can't speak to that. I never use dealership service departments myself anyways; I have several good mechanics for whatever services I need that aren't dealer-related.
However, when we get more serious about car buying, and when we more actively compare Jeeps to the other vehicles we're interested in, I'll definitely be contacting Hayden and ask to set up a time to work with him.