For this week’s episode of Miracle Ford podcast, host John Haggard talks to Jim Galvin, Miracle Ford’s General Manager, about the company’s altruistic efforts. This 15-minute chat covers:

Jim’s Humble Beginnings at Miracle FordBreast Cancer Awareness MonthThe Company’s Support for the Susan G Komen’s OrganizationFord’s “Drive for your School” Program“Galvin Cares”, The Company’s Christmas Program“Best Buddies” ProgramThe Story Behind Miracle Ford’s “Gong”The Miracle Auto GroupMiracle Ford’s Future PlansHow to Connect with Jim Galvin

Transcript

John Haggard 0:02 Welcome to the Miracle Ford podcast where throughout the month you’ll be able to learn the best ways to purchase, lease, service and maintain, accessorize, and sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible when you’re ready to do it. You’ll also find out about new technology on new vehicles. I’m your host, John Haggard and throughout each month right here, we’ll have different team members join us from Miracle Ford to bring you tips you can use. You’ll also see a transcript of each podcast so you can easily refer back to it something maybe you heard want to get it at your fingertips, not have to listen to the entire podcast again. It’s all typewritten, right there for you. Today we’re visiting again with Jim Galvin. He’s the general manager of Miracle Ford in Gallatin. Today’s topic is what Miracle Ford does off the field so to speak as a community advocate and partner. So hey, Jim, welcome to the podcast.

Jim Galvin 0:53 John, good afternoon. Great to be back.

John Haggard 0:56 Well, glad to have you back. You know, since we spoke last we learned how you started out in the car business. I think back in 1984 you were washing cars for your dad if I recall properly working your way up through college at MTSU and that you got to then work in each department at Miracle Ford. I think you said you were a service advisor, then over to the parts counter, over to the used car sales department, to sales manager, to GSM – general sales manager, and now to general manager as well as part owner. Did I get all that right?

Jim Galvin 1:28 ou got all that right. It seemed like yesterday believe it or not. Time flies.

John Haggard 1:32 It does! I counted that up about well, maybe over 33 years, I guess that you have been doing this?

Jim Galvin 1:41 It’s amazing, it really is. The car business has been good to me and my family and our community and I just can’t thank it enough.

John Haggard 1:48 Well, it you know, time really does fly, there’s no question about it. You know, as we know that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. And Miracle Ford’s been involved in helping increase awareness of this disease really for some time now. Tell us, there are a lot of charities out there, a lot of individuals and companies that a company like Miracle Ford could support. How did you or how did Miracle Ford become involved with breast cancer?

Jim Galvin 2:11 It got started probably about 15 years ago, we partner with Ford Motor Company, and they were really big with Susan G. Komen. And we all know with Susan G. Komen is the world’s largest non-profit breast cancer organization. You know, funded breast cancer research by providing real-time health, for those that really need it because of this bad disease. And we decided, you know what, we want to partner with Ford Motor Company, and we wanted to go a little bit more extra. So we and Ford Motor Company came out with a program, which was a great program. It was called and it still called today is the Ford Warriors in Pink. And what that means, and what our mission is, is to dedicate helping those that are touched by breast cancer through actions, support, inspire, empower, things that we co

Welcome to the 11th episode of the Miracle Ford Podcast! This week we speak with Jim Odell, the Used Car Manager at Miracle Ford! Jim has been with Miracle for over 26 years! This is a great episode where we get to know Jim very well, his background, hobbies and his passion… Used Cars. This is a great episode that is jam packed full of information that you DO NOT want to miss. Enjoy!

Topics Discussed:

Jim’s BackgroundGrowing up in New JerseyHis Music BackgroundHow he met his wifeCollegeWhat Makes Miracle DifferentHow to maximize the value of your car before trading inThe Miracle Ford “Gong”Using online appraisal toolsPreserving the Paint JobAutomatic car washes

Transcript

John Haggard 0:02

Welcome to the Miracle Ford podcast where throughout each month, you’ll be able to learn the best ways to purchase, lease, service and maintain, also accessorize, and sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible when you’re ready to do it. You’ll also find out about new technology on new vehicles. I’m your host, John Haggard, and throughout each month right here, we’ll have different team members join us from Miracle Ford to bring you tips you can use. Now you will also see a transcript of every podcast so that you can easily refer to it I find sometimes people want to get additional information and say what was that that he said? And you can see it right there at your fingertips.

Today’s topic is how to maximize the value of your trade-in. And on this podcast we have with us, Jim Odell. He’s the Used Car Sales Manager at Miracle Ford in Gallatin. Hey, Jim, welcome to the podcast.

Jim Odell 0:54

Thank you, John, great to be here.

John Haggard 0:55

Well, you know, when somebody is ready to trade in a vehicle, Jim, there are a lot of things you should know on how to maximize the trade-in value. I mean, everybody wants to, you know, get the most amount of money. Why not? But before we dive into those specifics, tell us a little bit about your background. Did you grow up in Gallatin, Jim?

Jim Odell 1:13

No, I’ve been here in the Tennessee area for about 26 years now. I actually grew up outside of New York City in northern New Jersey.

John Haggard 1:25

Wow. Okay, so we’ll call you a local but you do not have that New Jersey accent?

Jim Odell 1:30

No, no, you know, my, my mom was real strict about No, you can’t sound like you’re from Brooklyn or Bronx or whatever. And so she made sure that we spoke just the regular English without too much of an accent.

John Haggard 1:46

There you go. Well, what a great mom, what a great mom. So you went to high school there, I guess, right?

Jim Odell 1:51

Yeah, I went to high school in northern New Jersey, in a town called Franklin Lakes. The High School was called Ramapo. It’s a comprised part of Franklin Lakes and part of Wyckoff, New Jersey and great place to go to school. Still have some friends from there.

John Haggard 2:08

All right. And just to try to get a picture of the map for folks that don’t know exactly where that is, I guess if you were going to say, how many miles south of New York City – Center City, would that be where you were where you grew up?

Jim Odell 2:20

Well, we were basically just west of New York City. So if, if you kind of picture Manhattan Island, kind of the upper part of Manhattan Island where the George Washington bridges if you go over the George Washington Bridge, and you had west by about 30 miles, that’s where I grew up in, Wyckoff, New Jersey.

John Haggard 2:42

Okay, so did you head into New York City as you were growing up?

Jim Odell 2:46

We did. Yeah. Sometimes with sometimes without my parents consent, but yeah.

John Haggard 2:54

So when you were in high school, and in the northern New Jersey area, what was the most one thing you did while in school?

Jim Od

Welcome to the 10th episode of the Miracle Ford Podcast! This week we speak with Wayne Hill, the Parts Manager at Miracle Ford! In this episode, Wayne shares some great information about:

His Background and HobbiesWhat Get’s Him Up Each MorningWhat Makes Miracle DifferentHis Role at MiracleThe Parts DepartmentAccessorizing Your vehicleWarranties

Transcript

Intro

John Haggard: 00:02 Welcome to the Miracle Ford Podcast where, throughout the month, you will be able to learn the best ways to purchase, lease, service and maintain and also accessorize and sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible when you’re ready to do it. And you’ll also find out about new technology on new vehicles. I’m your host John Haggard, and throughout each month right here we’ll have different team members join us from Miracle Ford to bring you tips you can use. You’ll also see a transcript of each podcast so that you can easily refer to it for information to have right there at your fingertips. Today’s topic is accessorizing your Ford Vehicle and on the podcast we have with us Wayne Hill. He’s the Parts Manager at Miracle Ford. Hey Wayne, welcome to the podcast.

Wayne Hill: 00:45 Well, thank you!

Tell Us About Your Background

John Haggard: 00:46 You know, there are a lot of cool things you can do these days to accessorize a Ford vehicle. But before we dive in to the accessories available for people who are either new to the area or may not have met you before, tell us a little bit about your background. Did you grow up in Gallatin?

Wayne Hill: 01:03 My background is I grew up in east Nashville. I’ve lived here pretty much my whole life. I’ve been in the car industry since 1980. Arts department the whole time, a little bit in service. A lot of car experience and pretty much this is what I’ve always done.

John Haggard: 01:18 So since 1980. So you grew up in east Nashville. Where did you go to high school?

Wayne Hill: 01:23 I went to East High and Stratford.

John Haggard: 01:26 Wow. East High. That was the biggest one, wasn’t it? I mean it’s always been such a big school.

Wayne Hill: 01:31 Yes, it is. It was a big school. A lot of people there.

John Haggard: 01:35 Do you remember how big was your graduating class?

Wayne Hill: 01:38 I graduated from Stratford. I transferred in my senior year over to Stratford. There was about 800 in our graduating class.

John Haggard: 01:47 Wow. What was the most fun thing you did while in high school? Was there a particular hobby or a trade or anything that you were doing?

Wayne Hill: 01:55 I played baseball from my freshman year on up to high school.

John Haggard: 02:01 Did you ever have aspirations, Wayne, of thinking you’ll maybe go pro on this?

Wayne Hill: 02:06 Well, I’d love to. But in reality I was not the superstars.

John Haggard: 02:11 All right. I understand it. I didn’t have much sports in my background either. I know how you feel. Would you say that was the most fun thing you did while in high school?

Wayne Hill: 02:20 Oh yes. That and friends. You know, hanging out with friends.

John Haggard: 02:23 So since you’ve lived in this area all your life, you must have family near where you are?

Wayne Hill: 02:28 Yes. My parents live next door to me. My sister lives about a mile away. I’ve got two fantastic children and five grandchildren.

How Did You Get Into The Car Business?

John Haggard: 02:38 Wow. So anybody else in the car business in your family?

Wayne Hill: 02:41 No, it’s just me.

John Haggard: 02:43 Ju

This week we have a special guest on our podcast, Kim Baker, CEO of the Gallatin Chamber of Commerce! Kim, who is from Florida, has lived in Sumner County since high school.

In this episode, Kim shares:

Details about how she ended up in GallatinInteresting facts about her life story (including the fact that she was dead once!)How she came to be the CEO of the Gallatin Chamber of CommerceWhat the Chamber of Commerce does in and around GallatinUpcoming events in GallatinAnd much more!

This is an episode that you DO NOT want to miss! Enjoy, and be sure to share this episode wherever you can!

Transcription

John Haggard: [00:02] Welcome to the Miracle Ford Special Edition podcast where we also interview community leaders on topics that are of interest to the Gallatin area as a whole. And today we’re excited to have Kim Baker on the podcast. Kim is the Chief Executive Officer of the Gallatin Chamber of Commerce. Hey Kim, welcome to the podcast.

Kim Baker: [00:20] Hey, good morning. It’s great to be here. Thanks for having me.

John Haggard: [00:23] Well thanks for taking the time out. I know you’ve got a lot of things to do there. As CEO we thought it would be fun before we dive in onto what’s going on in Gallatin these days, from the Chamber’s perspective, for people who are new to the area or maybe people just don’t know you, tell us a little bit about your background. Did you grow up in Gallatin?

Kim Baker: [00:42] I did not grow up here. I’ve been here all of my adult life. I finished high school here. I’m a graduate of Gallatin High School. I also spent some time at JP2, and College Heights. But I’m a Green Wave at heart for sure. I moved here in 2000 from south Florida. My Dad’s job brought us here. He was a civil engineer always followed the projects and the dollars. So we landed in Gallatin, Tennessee.

John Haggard: [01:06] Wow. In south Florida. You know, most people, if they’re going to go somewhere, they may go from here to there, but rarely from Florida to here. People say I love Florida. So anyway, the job that your dad had got you here.

Kim Baker: [01:17] Yes. And you know, it was a culture shock coming from south Florida to Gallatin, Tennessee 15 years ago. I say 15. It’s actually been 19 now. But it was quite a shock, especially being a teenager moving here. But you know, we love it here.

John Haggard: [01:33] Yeah. So when you were in high school, Gallatin High School, was there anything you did there that was especially fun? Some people are cheerleaders, other people are, you know, all these various projects, Future Farmers of America, all kinds of things. Did you do anything like that in high school?

Kim Baker: [01:48] Well, I did do different things in high school. I think some of my favorite things I did, I was on the bowling team, not at Gallatin, but at JP2. I was on the bowling team. I went to States twice. So actually lettered in bowling.

John Haggard: [02:00] Wow.

Kim Baker: [02:00] That tells you a lot about my athletic abilities, I think. But hey, I did, I did. I got the, I got the letter, I got the pins and that was quite an accomplishment to do that two years in a row. I also participated in model UN model, United Nations and one of my advisors for that. He actually had roots in Arkansas. So most folks that participate in the model UN they stay within their state or within their region. We actually traveled outside the state, so I got to go compete in Arkansas. So that was neat. So I built a network there outside of Tennessee. So that was a lot of fun. I was really involved in arts, visual arts. Took a lot of AP art classes, painting, drawing, things like that.

John Haggard: [02:40] Yeah. Yeah. And so when you

Welcome to the 8th episode of the Miracle Ford Podcast! This week we speak with Jim Morgan, the Finance Manager at Miracle Ford. Jim is from Nashville and has been with Miracle since 2002. This is a great episode, so be sure to sit back, relax, and enjoy!

Topics Discussed:

Jim’s backgroundWhat is the job of a Finance ManagerHow getting great loan rates are still possible with low or challenged creditA deep dive into the 2020 Ford ExpeditionWhat makes Miracle different

Transcript

John Haggard: 00:03 Welcome to the Miracle Ford podcast where each week you will be able to learn the best ways to purchase lease service and maintain, accessorize and sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible when you’re ready to do it. And you’ll also find out about new technology on new vehicles. I’m your host John Haggard and throughout each month, right here we’ll have different team members join us from Miracle Ford to bring you tips you can use. You will also see a transcript of each podcast so that you can easily refer to it for information to have at your fingertips.

John Haggard: 00:35 Today’s topic is the new 2020 Ford Explorer and what’s changed since the original Explorer was released and also some financing information for those who are looking on best ways, quickest ways, fastest ways to get financed. On the podcast we have with us, Jim Morgan, he’s the Finance Manager at Miracle Ford. Hey Jim, welcome to the podcast.

Jim Morgan: 00:56 Hey John, thank you for having me.

John Haggard: 00:58 Glad to, glad to have you along. You know, people always want to know who’s behind the curtain, who’s behind the voice, who is this guy? So tell us a little bit about you, your background. Where did you grow up, Jim?

Jim Morgan: 01:09 Well, I grew up here in Nashville. I’ve been here all my life. Started in the car business in 1993 after several years working in the hospitality industry.

John Haggard: 01:19 Okay. So what were you doing in hospitality?

Jim Morgan: 01:21 I managed hotels and restaurants.

John Haggard: 01:24 Okay. Well such a big switch from that to automotive. How did you get into automotive? How did you bridge that gap?

Jim Morgan: 01:31 It’s about the same. It’s the same kind of the business. You’re still dealing with people. So that’s, that’s basically how I was able to move into it.

John Haggard: 01:40 And then how did you wind up at Miracle Ford

Jim Morgan: 01:43 In 2002 I went to work for Tim Galvin, at Miracle Chrysler as Finance Manager. Been with them ever since.

John Haggard: 01:52 All right. So and then since 2002 so that would make it about, what, 17 going on 18 years.

Jim Morgan: 01:57 That’s correct.

John Haggard: 02:00 Gotcha. All right. So as Finance Manager, people understand, okay, well he manages finance, but what exactly is your role at Miracle Ford in terms of Finance Manager? What can you do for someone who’s coming in to try to get financed?

Jim Morgan: 02:14 Well, we are going to offer the best programs that we have available for our customers, especially the customers that may feel like that they have the credit issues that maybe keep them from buying a car. Credit scores aren’t what they used to be. I mean there are many cases where you see some lower scores. It’s still git, very good rates. I had one over the weekend, I get as low as 1.9% so you have to be able to look at it in the big picture in order to structure a deal to make it work for both the customer and the bank.

John Haggard: 02:47 Well you know the old perception is, well if you have a low credit score, the

Welcome to the 7th episode of our weekly podcast here at Miracle Ford! In this episode, we talk with Robert Fleites, the Parts and Service Director at Miracle Auto Group.

Topics Discussed:

Robert’s BackstoryTechnology in the Service DepartmentSolutions in accessorizing your vehicleWarrantiesThe Miracle VIP Advantage ProgramWhat makes Miracle DifferentTop questions that people ask in the Service and Parts department

Transcript

John Haggard: 00:02 Welcome to the Miracle Ford podcast where each week you will be able to learn the best ways to purchase lease service and maintain, accessorize and sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible, when you’re ready to do it. I’m your host John Haggard and throughout each month right here we’ll have different team members join us from Miracle to bring you tips you can use. And by the way, we will also post a transcript of each podcast so you can easily refer to it for information that you would like to have right there at your fingertips without having to go back and forth and spend a lot of time researching what it was you just heard on this podcast.

John Haggard: 00:35 We’re talking with Robert Fleites. He’s the Parts and Service Director at Miracle Ford. Hey Robert, welcome to the podcast.

Robert Fleites: 00:42 How are you doing John?

John Haggard: 00:43 I am doing well. Appreciate your being with us today. You know, a lot of people always want to know, well, who’s the guy behind the curtain or who’s the woman behind the curtain, the person that they say they’re the Parts and Service Director. Tell us a little bit about you, where you grew up.

Robert Fleites: 00:57 I grew up in south Florida, Miami, Fort Lauderdale area, and then my last 13 years that I was in Florida, I was in the Melbourne area.

John Haggard: 01:05 All right. And you know, Florida is known for alligators. Do you ever see any, any ever come to the dealership?

Robert Fleites: 01:12 If there’s a body of water. There’s a chance there’s a gator.

John Haggard: 01:15 That’s what they say. That’s exactly what they say. Don’t ever walk by a body of water without looking out, right. Oh yeah, there you go. So tell us, how did you get started, Robert, in the automotive service and repair business?

Robert Fleites: 01:26 Well, when I finished high school, I was in the farming business. My Dad was in the cattle business, and that was going away, the way Florida is growing so fast. And I said, well, I either got to go to college or I got to learn a trade. And I went to the Fort Asset Program and I did two and a half years there. I got an associates in Automotive and started off as Technician became Service Advisor, Service Manager and now I’m a Parts and Service Director.

John Haggard: 01:50 Alright. And you said your dad was in the cattle business in Florida, is that right? Wow. So you did, you grew up on a farm or at least doing that type of thing?

Robert Fleites: 01:58 Yeah, had the best of both worlds. A country and city.

John Haggard: 02:02 When people say Parts and Service Director, we can kind of figure that out. But if there’s something different you do or what’s really behind, what does that mean? Parts and Service Director?

Robert Fleites: 02:12 Well, I oversee the finances on parts and service departments. And then I set the goals and, and monitor, you know, everything that’s going in and out or out of the department.

John Haggard: 02:23 We hear a lot about new technology today. One of the reasons they trade for new vehicle or whatever it is because the technology changing very quickly. What about in the service department? Is there much changed there? Is i

Welcome to Episode #6 of our weekly podcast here at Miracle Ford! In this episode, we talk with Jeremy Brandt, a Sales Manager at Miracle Ford, as he discusses the amazing 2019 Ford F-150.

Topics Discussed:

Jeremy’s origins and how he got into the car businessFrequently Asked Questions about buying a new truckAwards of the F-150High Technology Features of the F-150Safety Features of the F-150Other Great Features of the F-150Buying Vs LeasingWhy Buy From Miracle FordMiracle VIP ProgramJeremy’s HobbiesFinal Advice For Truck Shoppers

Transcript

Opening

John Haggard: 00:02 Welcome to the Miracle Ford podcast where you will be able to learn about the best ways to purchase, or lease, maintain and accessorize your vehicles and how to sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible, when you’re ready to. Also facts about various vehicles to help you make the right vehicle choice for you, especially in the high technology area. I’m your host John Haggard and throughout each month, right here we’ll have different team members join us from Miracle Ford to bring you the tips that you can use. And by the way, we always post a transcript of each podcast so you can easily refer to it for information that you would like to have right there at your fingertips without having to go back and search on the podcast.

John Haggard: 00:41 Today we’re talking to Jeremy Brandt, he’s the Sales Manager at Miracle Ford in Gallatin. Hey Jeremy, welcome to the podcast

Jeremy Brandt: 00:48 Hey John. Good morning. Thank you.

Tell Us a Little About Your Background

John Haggard: 00:49 You Bet. Glad to have you here and before we get started, we always like to find out how does somebody get into the car business? Tell us a little bit about you, your background.

Jeremy Brandt: 00:58 Well, I guess it’s a long story, but, I was doing construction way back when. I had just recently graduated college and, and of course I am from Illinois. So, in the middle of January I was out working on a roof. And some friends of mine kind of coaxed me into coming out and work in the finance department at a local car dealership in Illinois.

John Haggard: 01:21 Wow. Okay. So you went from roofs to an inside air conditioned job in finance?

Jeremy Brandt: 01:28 I did. I did. It was quite a challenge. It was quite a change, and it wasn’t something that I thought I was going to be good at, I guess, so to speak. And I was always more of a construction type guy and we were working on a house that I had just built in Illinois. Of course it was cold out and it was snowing and so I actually, at at the time got to go inside and work where it was warm.

John Haggard: 01:51 There you go.

Jeremy Brandt: 01:51 So, yeah, especially the Illinois area, it can be very cool. Very cool. Very cold there.

How Did You End Up At Miracle Ford

John Haggard: 01:57 Yeah. So how long have you been in the car business now?

Jeremy Brandt: 02:01 22 years. This is my 22nd year.

John Haggard: 02:04 22 years?

Jeremy Brandt: 02:06 Yeah.

John Haggard: 02:06 Wow. So now tell us how you wound up coming to Miracle Ford in Gallatin.

Jeremy Brandt: 02:11 We really liked Tennessee and thought it’d be good for us to raise our family, and so we ended up down here.

John Haggard: 02:18 How long have you been at Miracle Ford Now?

Jeremy Brandt: 02:20 I’ve been here for right at a year and a half.

What is Your Role At The Dealership

John Haggard: 02:23 Okay. And so now what is your exact role at the dealership in terms of what you specifically do?

Jeremy Brandt: 02:28 I’m one of the sales managers. Wha

Welcome to Episode #5 of our weekly podcast here at Miracle Ford! In this episode, we talk with Amy Bryant, the Business Development Manager at Miracle Ford.

Topics Discussed:

How Amy got into the businessWhat is the BDC (Business Development Center) and what is their roleWhat are the most Frequently Asked Questions that customers haveWorking with customers who have challenged creditHow the Internet has changed the marketplace, and why it is a good thingWhat makes Miracle differentWhat Amy does outside of work

Transcript

Opening

John Haggard: 00:02 Welcome to the Miracle Ford podcast where each week you will be able to learn the best ways to purchase or lease, maintain and accessorize and how to sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible, when you’re ready to do it. I’m your host John Haggard and throughout each month right here, as you probably already know, if you’ve been listening, we’ll have different team members join us from Miracle to bring you tips that you can actually use, and answer questions that you probably have in your mind already. And by the way, we will also post a transcript of each podcast so you can easily refer to it. The idea there is if you hear something you want to get the information, not have to listen to everything all over again, just go right to the script and your information is right there. On this podcast we’re talking to Amy Bryant and she’s the Business Development Manager at Miracle Ford in Gallatin. Hey Amy, welcome to the podcast.

Amy Bryant: 00:49 Hi John. How are you doing?

How Did You Get Into The Car Business

John Haggard: 00:51 I’m doing good. Doing good. You know, people always want to know, well, who is the person behind the voice? Who is the person behind the face? So it’s always interesting to know. Amy, how did you get started in the car business?

Amy Bryant: 01:04 Well, John, I have to say back in 2013 I was actually a recruiter and one of my clients suggested that I try the car business… that I would possibly be good at it. I have loved it every day since then.

John Haggard: 01:18 You say a recruiter, what did, who did you use to recruit for? What type of folks were you looking for?

Amy Bryant: 01:23 I was actually a recruiter in the accounting arena, so I worked for Robert Half for many years and that is actually how I even got in the car business. It just kind of fell in my lap and I’ve loved it.

John Haggard: 01:33 Wow, okay. So people who needed anything at all to do with accounting, you would call on companies and say, “Hey, if you’ve got a need for bookkeeping or a chief financial officer, we’ve got folks”, that type of thing.

Amy Bryant: 01:44 That’s correct. Everything from a CFO all the way down to just a data entry.

John Haggard: 01:49 Okay. Okay. So how long have you been doing cars and vehicles?

Amy Bryant: 01:52 Since April of 2013

John Haggard: 01:54 April of 2013. All right. And so now how about Miracle Ford? How did you wind up at Miracle Ford?

Amy Bryant: 02:01 It’s kind of funny. I actually came to have lunch with one of my coworkers that I have worked with for probably six out of my eight years here in the business and I met him at Miracle Ford. He told me what a great dealership this was. I came to have lunch and the rest is history. I just celebrated my one year anniversary here and look forward to many more years here.

John Haggard: 02:24 That sounds fun. That’s how it works. Sometimes it’s all about relationships and who you know and who you get to know. When you hear that title, Business Development Manager, it sounds like a big deal and I’m sure it is, but what does that r

Welcome to Episode #4 of our weekly podcast here at Miracle Ford! In this episode, we talk with Marty Denson, the Body Shop Manager at Miracle Ford.

Topics Discussed:

How Marty got into the Body Shop businessThe types of vehicles the Body Shop ServicesDealing with warrantiesDealing with insurance, and Tennessee’s “Right to Choose”Technology in the body shopHow to care for your vehicle’s paint jobMarty’s passions outside of work

Transcript

Opening

John Haggard: 00:03 Welcome to the Miracle Ford podcast where each week you’ll be able to learn the best ways to purchase or lease, maintain, accessorize and how to sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible, when you’re ready. I’m your host John Haggard and throughout each month right here, different team members join us from Miracle to bring you tips you can use. And by the way, we will also post a transcript of each podcast so you can easily refer to it. There may be some information you heard and you said you want to go back and review that and we’ll have it right here at your fingertips. On the podcast today we’re talking about body shop repair and when there’s been an accident or other damage to a vehicle and what some of the misunderstandings are out there, what your rights are and really what separates Miracle Ford from other body shops. Today on the podcast we have Marty Denson, the body shop manager for Miracle Ford. Hey Marty, welcome to the podcast.

How Did You Get Into the Body Shop Business?

Marty Denson: 00:51 Well thank you John. I appreciate it. Good to be here.

John Haggard: 00:53 Well, glad to have you. You know, people always say, “well how did you get in the body shop business”? There are a whole lot of careers you could have gotten involved in. How did you get started?

Marty Denson: 01:03 Well, actually I used to work in the car rental business and I just got to know a lot of people that were in the body shop side of it, cause that was a lot of the people that we rented cars to. So, got to make friends with a lot of other managers and next thing you know, one of them offered me a job and I got over on this side and have enjoyed it ever since.

John Haggard: 01:23 So how many years ago was that?

Marty Denson: 01:25 That was about 25 years ago.

John Haggard: 01:28 25 years ago. So you do have some gray hair, don’t you?

Marty Denson: 01:31 Oh Yeah, ha. Quite a bit.

What Types of Vehicles Do you Service, and What Dealerships Do You Work With?

John Haggard: 01:34 Ha. We know the body shop is actually located at Miracle Ford, so people would think, well, they work on Fords. Nothing else. Is that the case or do you work on other models?

Marty Denson: 01:44 No, actually we work on a little bit of every saying, we also own a Chrysler, Dodge Jeep store. We work on a lot of those and we do all the work for the Toyota store here in town. And we work on GM’s, even the foreign cars. So yeah, we work on just about everything.

John Haggard: 02:02 Right. And the Ram too as well, right?

Marty Denson: 02:04 Oh yeah. Oh yeah, we do lots of Rams.

The Body Shop’s Limited Lifetime Warranty

John Haggard: 02:06 All right. And then how about, people always say, “well, if you work on all those many different models, how does the warranty work these days”?

Marty Denson: 02:13 We give a limited lifetime warranty on everything that we do. We always feel like that’s the best way to make sure your customers feel good about letting you do the repair. So, we do offer a lifetime limited warranty.

John Haggard: 02:26 All right. And so like when you say limited warranty, so they’ve got to at least maint

Welcome to Episode #3 of our weekly podcast here at Miracle Ford! In this episode, we talk with Sales and Leasing Consultant, Charlie Piper of Miracle Ford. Charlie is a native of Gallatin and has been with Miracle for close to 6 years. Charlie shares a bit about himself, and he discusses why buying online is most likely not the best option for most customers. Charlie also discusses buying a vehicle with poor credit. This is a great episode, so sit back and enjoy!

Transcript

John Haggard: 00:02 Welcome to the Miracle Ford podcast, where each week you’ll be able to learn the best ways to purchase or lease, maintain, accessorize, and how to sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible, when you’re ready to do so. I’m your host, John Haggard and throughout each month, right here, different team members join us from Miracle to bring you tips that you can use. And by the way, we will also post a transcript of each podcast. That way you can easily refer to it for information. Maybe something you heard in the podcast, and you wanted to understand it a little bit better. So you’ll have it right there at your fingertips. On this podcast today we’re talking about different ways to own or lease a vehicle, what’s new about the process these days compared to the past, and really what separates Miracle Ford from the others. And we’re proud to have on the podcast, Charlie Piper. He’s the Sales and Leasing consultant at Miracle Ford. Hey Charlie, welcome to the podcast.

Charlie Piper: 00:57 Hey John.

John Haggard: 00:58 What have you been up to this past week?

Charlie Piper: 01:00 Well, we’ve been selling cars and keeping busy. That’s what we like to do here at Miracle Ford. Ha.

John Haggard: 01:07 Well that sounds like a good plan to me. And you know, before we actually get into what you can teach us today, a lot of people always want to know, “well, I’m listening to this person”, who are they? Where did they grow up and how did they wind up in the car business? Tell us a little bit about yourself Charlie.

Charlie Piper: 01:24 Well, John, I was born and raised right here in Gallatin, graduated from Gallatin High School in 2005. I love a lot of outdoor activities and relaxing and binge watching TV shows. But you know, I really love selling cars.

John Haggard: 01:40 Well, and when you’re outside, you said, you mentioned that as well. Besides binge TV viewing, which a lot of people do these days, what do you like to do outside?

Charlie Piper: 01:47 Fishing, hiking, going to see the sights, you know, just really being outside and enjoying the outdoors.

John Haggard: 01:54 And so you said Binge TV watching people always like to know, well, what are you watching?

Charlie Piper: 02:01 I have been watching Texas Flip and Move, like it’s no other, I’ve been watching that constantly and it gives me new ideas for home renovations and stuff like that.

John Haggard: 02:13 Well, I do understand Charlie, by your title, that you are a sales and leasing consultant at Miracle Ford. What does that title actually mean other than selling and leasing vehicles?

Charlie Piper: 02:26 Well, this pretty much goes into taking care of the customer and their needs. Listening to who, where the customer wants to be at and where their goals are and where they’re trying to do into getting them into their next investment, their next vehicle. It’s a detailed process that we like to go through with our customers to make sure they are going to be taken care of now, but also in the future as well.

John Haggard: 02:50 Well, have you seen, you said you’ve been in the car business since, what was that year, 2005?

Charlie Pipe