Category: Dealer Profiles

As one of 13 dealerships in Central Florida’s Ferman Auto Group, Ferman Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram of New Port Richey is part of a business that has been around for nearly 125 years but is not afraid to change. Ten years ago, for example, they forbade the use of the word “customer” in favor of “guest,” part of a companywide campaign to maintain a competitive edge at a time when car buyers manage much of the process themselves. They expect dealers to reward their efforts with expert-level product knowledge, finely tuned customer-service skills, and competitive prices for service and maintenance.

This is particularly true of Jeepers, says the dealership’s general manager, Jason Whidden. “They’ve typically done enough research, they’re educated on the product, and they’re intuitive.”

“The only other thing I could consider comparing it to is a Harley-Davidson,” says Mike Hughes, Ferman CJDR’s parts and service director and Jeepin’ Central Florida contributor. “More often than not, your Jeep guest knows what they’re looking for.”

Braving the Aftermarket

Originally founded as a bike shop in 1895, Ferman likely owes its longevity in the transportation business to its ability to adapt — to changing wants and needs, economic booms and busts, the production demands of World War II, and the devastation of the occasional severe hurricane. This evolution is reflected in the Jeep brand, a product of that war, adapted for civilian use but having never lost its utilitarian appeal.

Whidden and Hughes are unapologetic Wrangler wranglers. Paired with the dealership’s sister store in Tampa, Whidden says, Ferman is the largest dealer of new and used Jeeps in the region. Hughes leads a service department so invested in the Jeep brand that it offers customizations and modifications in addition to preventive maintenance and repairs.

Aftermarket work has heated up over the past several years, Whidden says, and the brand’s manufacturer, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, has responded, getting “in the game” with factory-branded lift kits and other accessories.

“In the past, a lot of our guests would go aftermarket because of the expense of Mopar. It used to be three times the cost. Now it’s just as reasonable, and it’s protected by the warranty.”

“To upgrade the tires and wheels on a Wrangler JK, you had to go aftermarket to make the necessary corrections to the computer,” Hughes adds. “Now, the factory offers dealer programming.”

Two Kinds of New

The Jeep driver has evolved along with the brand, a change spurred in part by the 2007 release of the four-door JKU (a.k.a. “Unlimited”) version of the Wrangler. Whidden credits the JKU with entering the Wrangler into a friendly competition with the Grand Cherokee and every other family-friendly SUV on the market. However, he stresses, the Wrangler’s heritage and appearance will always set it apart.

“Way back when, the Wrangler driver was a weekend driver. That’s no longer true,” Whidden says. “It’s an everyday driver, women and men, old and young. But there’s nothing on the market that compares. How often do you see a review comparing a Wrangler to a Ford Fusion? It doesn’t happen.”

Ferman’s sales teams currently finds themselves with an enviable problem: As of this writing, the New Port Richey location alone still has a number of 2017 Wranglers on the lot — “an amazing product, still selling,” says Hughes — and even though they commonly move more than one per day, they are discounting them to make room for the two-door (now “JL”) and four-door (JLU) Wranglers that were redesigned for 2018.

Feedback on the new Wrangler has been “unbelievable,” Whidden says, but available discounts on the 2017s make them nearly as attractive to Jeepers who are willing to stick with the prior generation to get a brand-new unit. “Three Wranglers at one time? It’s an odd position in which to find ourselves, but we feel like we’re able to help anyone who wants a new Jeep.”

It’s a Family Thing

Whidden says Jeep buyers who choose his store are treated like family throughout the buying, financing and ownership cycle. He believes they have earned a reputation in the Central Florida Jeepin’ community, regularly welcoming members from various groups and clubs and planning the launch of a website that will make Ferman even more accessible for off-road enthusiasts. “We want  to make it friendly and interactive. It all ties into a Ferman-wide initiative: It’s a family-owned experience that you can’t get at other stores,” Whidden says.

The initiative includes a friendly approach to marketing, a willingness to resolve any customer concern, and a continuation of Ferman’s history of giving back to the community. Whidden notes that the group is home to an improbably high number of long-term employees in an industry know for frequent turnover in sales and other key positions.

“We have a long-tenured staff. Some employees have been with Ferman 30 or 40 years. We recently celebrated one guy’s 50th anniversary with the group,” he says. “Mike has been here for 18 years, my assistant for 10, some of our finance managers, up to 18 years. You’re going to see the same faces, from sales to service.”

Whidden firmly believes this sense of permanence attracts and binds customers to Ferman. He knows that, even as the car-buying process continues to change, Jeepers appreciate a familiar face when it’s time to trade in, trade up, get service, or just say hello.

“We pass that loyalty onto our guests,” he says. “They buy a vehicle and don’t have to worry about coming back the following week and seeing a different person.”

Jeep buyers are highly educated, and they tend to know exactly what they want when they visit a dealership. So says William “Bill” Small, general manager of Ferman Auto Group, one of the largest automotive groups in Florida. Small loves the brand just as much as his customers do, and he is proud of the work his dealership does to serve them.

“I don’t drive a Jeep every day, but in my business, I am fortunate to have access to them, and I am a very big enthusiast,” Small says.

That kind of attitude is one of the reasons Ferman Auto Group is one of the top places to buy, sell and service Jeeps of all types. Small and his managers and staff believe their business isn’t about “selling” anyone anything. Rather, they take the approach that it is their role to serve their customers – to be there when they need them, to answer questions, and to make sure they always get exactly what they need, when they need it.

“The age of the internet and information is already at their fingertips,” explains Small. “We try to be a servant. I have people call me for jobs. They’ll say they’re interested in a job but don’t think of themselves as a salesperson. I ask, ‘How do you feel about people? Do you care enough to be a servant to them?'”

A History of Service

The Ferman Auto Group was founded in 1895. Today, the group has 13 locations, with Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge-RAM dealerships in Tampa and New Port Richey. And the group has evolved right alongside the Jeep brand. Small notes that, for most of its existence, the Wrangler was a utilitarian, two-door, off-roader, not designed for or welcoming to families. But when the four-door Unlimited model came out, the lineup became accessible to a much wider range of people. “They made the vehicles remain rugged, and at the same time, their appeal has grown to include other segments of the market,” says Small.

The Wrangler Unlimited, along with the Cherokee, Grand Cherokee and Compass SUVs, is bringing more families into the Jeep fold, Small says, which dovetails with Ferman’s corporate culture. “I try to treat everyone who works with me like family. I think we’re going to whatever we can to do what’s right. We like to err in the direction of generosity.”

And it isn’t just the employees who are family. He notes that “Anything a guest needs, we’re going to do everything we can, within reason.” And that, Small says, is what really sets Ferman Auto Group apart, and what ultimately has led to their success: They care.

But Ferman Auto Group doesn’t just talk the talk. They also walk the walk. “We don’t use addendums. There is no additional markup,” Small stresses. The price they list for each vehicle is the price the consumer is going to pay, with no attempts to obfuscate the true price. “One thing drives me crazy about industry, and that’s advertising that’s not truthful.”

That philosophy extends beyond new-vehicle sales. Used-car buyers and service customers get the same treatment. Small notes that one of Ferman’s pre-owned lots include about a dozen Wranglers, and they tend to go fast. (“If I could get twice as many, I’d sell them all.”) The technicians that Ferman Auto Group employs are all factory-certified, but even here, that’s not what Small focuses on when talking about his dealership group. Instead, he notes that the store recognizes that everyone in the equation is human, and their goal is to make sure that everyone walks away happy.

“It’s the same thing in service. In one of our Jeep stores, we have probably 175 to 200 employees. Someone’s going to make a mistake. We try not to make mistakes. But if we do, we’ll fix it. We know how to say we’re sorry.”

Convenience is another aspect of service as well. While some dealerships still struggle with how to marry the online and offline components of the service department, Ferman Auto Group has forged ahead. They are one of the few offering the ability to make online appointments, for example, as they constantly look for new and better ways to serve their customers’ needs.

Giving Back

Another reason to give Ferman Auto Group your business? The service doesn’t stop at their doors.

The company is heavily involved in a variety of community outreach projects, looking to get involved and help in their communities as much as they can. “I am heavily involved in support of law enforcement, especially the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office,” says Small. “They are heroes who deserve our support. The Jeep community also supports law enforcement, so it’s a great fit.”

Just one example is an annual Jeepin 4 Justice that Ferman helped sponsor in partnership with Pasco County Sheriff Charities. The third annual event will be held November 10-12.

“There are some great people that seem to me to be more like one big family in the many Jeep clubs that are in the area,” says Small. “They do a tremendous amount of work in the community. For example, I am very proud of the Pasco Sheriff’s Volunteer Search and Rescue that has a huge amount of participation, and does great work in Pasco County.”

As far as Small is concerned, Ferman Auto Group is the total package. They are an automotive company that realizes the people have to come first, and they embody that philosophy in everything they do. Their employees are family, their customers are valued, and the vehicles and service they provide have to be the best. It doesn’t matter whether someone walks on the lot with a Jeep to trade in or sell – and whether they are longtime enthusiasts or recent converts to the brand – Small says Ferman Auto Group will ensure they get exactly what they need and want, every time.