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dealership spotlight / marketing "We take customer service very seriously." Repeat and referral business comprise roughly a quarter of he auto group's annual sales. "Many of our customers are on their seventh or eighth car purchased from us," Suid said. "We have clients who have been trusting us with their vehicles for 20 years, and each month, we average 30 to 40 sales that are results of repeat or referral business." To ensure a superior buying experience that leads to critical repeats and referrals, management puts sales consultants through an inspection as rigorous as that of their vehicles. Each sales consultant goes through customer service training, culminating in a test that must be passed prior to working the floor. That training comes in handy in the rare case of working with a disappointed customer whose credit doesn't allow for the purchase of the high-end vehicle they seek. "If we do our due diligence with superior customer service and give them a memorable experience, we feel confident that we will stay top-of-mind (to the shopper) when combined with friendly, timely follow-ups." That attitude is something else which drives retention, Suid said. "Ultimately, treating the client as an equal and exceeding expectations in terms of communication, attitude and product quality are what drives our clients' loyalty." He said ownership will also occasionally invite customers to appreciation events that allow them to enjoy a cookout, fellowship and music courtesy of the dealership. Diversity The records in Florida Fine Cars' dealer management system are probably among the most diverse in the 26 Florida Fine Cars makes all of its customers VIPs with automatic enrollment in a maintenance plan that offers deep discounts on a variety of jobs sold in its service lane. country, in part because a large percentage of its customers are from outside the United States. The Miami area already has one of the most multi-cultural populations in the nation, with snow birds from the northern United States and Canada flocking to the inviting subtropical climate, but its renowned international flavor brings visitors and new residents from around the world as well. "South Florida itself is a big melting pot," Suid said. To complement the many cultures and languages of international buyers from every continent, Florida Fine Cars' 30-plus-person sales staff is as diverse as its customers. "Currently, our stales staff can speak over eight languages that I can think of: Russian, Spanish (a must with Florida's heavy Hispanic population), Creole and Farsi (a Persian language commonly spoken in Iran), to name a few." Haitian and Middle Eastern natives also comprise part of the sales team, led by sales managers Oscar Perez and Jorge Alonzo at Hollywood and General Manager Chase Sattler at Miami. Suid said it's difficult to put a finger on any one single reason for the international interest in Florida Fine Cars. He said website analytics show hits from all over the world. But the fact that Fort Lauderdale and Miami international airports are within a half hour of either store, the high density of foreign transplants to the region—Miami is often referred to as "The Gateway to the Americas"—and the auto group's proximity to four busy seaports, including the second largest in the nation, are also likely contributors to interest worldwide. Connections to the sales staff from their native countries is another possible source, Suid added. And for those who want to take their fine luxury car across the Atlantic or through the Panama Canal to the Pacific region, the dealership's proximity to Miami ports can make overseas transport relatively easy. The future bodes well According to NADA reporting in late 2012, this year should be another good year for pre-owned car dealers like Florida Fine Cars. Used-car prices are expected to remain high, thanks in part to the Great Recession that hit the automakers hard in 2009 with only 10.4 million new vehicles sold. Since car owners are holding on to their vehicles longer than ever, having been unwilling to finance a new ride in unstable economic times, the supply of cars available for resale on pre-owned lots is relatively low, thus increasing their value. While new-car sales have slowly continued to increase after bottoming out four years ago, Edmunds.com predicts that 15 million new cars and light trucks will go from the assembly line to driveways and garages in 2013. That's up just a few hundred thousand from predictions for 2012 made just before year's end. "It seems like when new-car sales go up, it hurts used car sales," Suid said. But together, the new-car totals predicted for a combined 2012 and 2013 fall short of replacing those aging vehicles still on the road, leaving the value of used automobiles high through the next 12 months. And for dealerships like Florida Fine Cars, preowned luxury vehicles should offer a sound opportunity for buyers who are looking to shed their aging cars and trade up, yet unwilling to risk long-term financing of a new car in a still shaky economy.