I Love my Honda Dealer

I am generally loathe to endorse products or services. However, I can easily recognize when I should make exceptions. Two are my beloved Dunkin Donuts which I utilize daily for coffee, and my favorite breakfast place, Broad Street Diner, where they know me well. Hamilton Honda has a ways to go before they know me well, but they're getting there.

With three Honda's to take care of -- my 2008 Civic, Janet's 2008 CR-V, and Kate's 2003 CR-V -- I have a lot to care for, as does Honda. It took Janet and I a long time to find the most reliable cars. We have operated or owned twenty cars between us since 1968. A Rambler, VW Wagon and VW Bus, two Pontiac's, two Chevy's (including a Chevette), two Toyota's, a Saturn, a Nissan, a Buick LeBaron, to name most. That's not counting the additional cars we bought for Jesse and Kate. There's a blessing right there -- being able to afford a car -- any car.

I have two old favorites: the 1957 Chevy Bel Air I first learned to drive when I was sixteen, and my gold 1965 Chevy Impala with Mag wheels, four-on-the-floor, and black leather interior. Not to mention the 327 HP under the hood. Being stupid, I sold it rather than pay for an $80 clutch, after failing miserably to replace it myself. All that still doesn't mean we know anything about cars. Heck, me and a friend, Mike Reilly, even replaced an engine in my 1963 Chevy Nova, and I regularly changed alternators in the old VW Bus. Oil changes were a snap. I changed out the carburator on my '65 Chevy as well. Those were the good old days when you could work on your car yourself.

These days you can't. Okay, if you want to do oil filters and oil changes yourself, you still can, if you have the patience and blocks. I still have my 1971 oil pan to collect the drained oil. But I don't even do that anymore. Not when it only costs $20 at a garage ($32 at a dealer). At Hamilton Honda, we get free oil changes for life on both 2008's, so you really can't beat that. Offering free oil changes when purchasing a car was a great dealer tactic for a while, but some are now reneging. Actually, free oil changes is the best way to get a customer to return to the shop that there is, and then the dealer merely up-sells the customer for big profits.

I just took the CR-V to the Express this morning. Thirteen point inspection, and a fantastic waiting area, make going to Hamilton Honda actually pleasant. Sometimes I just stop in for the free coffee - after all, I am a regular customer! 

When service is needed - I check first if its over $75. Like Kate's 2003 CR-V at Willis some months ago, whom we used prior to Hamilton Honda. I check two ways: first on the Internet to find comments about the problem, and second, physically. I walk in the garage, they raise the car on the lift, and I look at the bushings (I always look). I had the car in a week before for a minor recall, and they pointed out the worn tie rod and other bushings then, which were split open. This allows water to enter and rust the area. Not good. I did NOT get the service done then. I made an appointment on my Honda Link for a week later after checking what the Internet said about it.

Since they opened I love waiting at Hamilton Honda for repairs to be made. Did I mention the freebies like coffee, TV and Internet? They also have a full deli, with delicious bagels among other things. I get the Everything bagel toasted with butter. Yum! Tables to sit at and write, or to read the free USA Today. Once in a while I take it home to show Janet an article or two. Comfortable chairs and two large screen TVs (they should leave the remote out though). Jesse Armstead, an owner, really did a great job designing and setting up this dealership. Even our double buying experiences weren't too bad. (More on that later)

Also, of course, all the staff are capable and friendly. Like I said, I just went to Express for a free oil change. While dropping it off before going to the main lounge, the clerk offered me a coupon for $20 off a filter the car needed. Offered! I didn't know there was a special, so that was extra considerate. That kind of service can't be bought. Therefore, the extra I pay for (parts and labor), I really don't mind. I'm paying for the convenience and I understand that.

However, I never lose sight of paying extra for their service and convenience. The filter was $79, about $30 more expensive than it should have been, in my estimation. After all, the filter is only paper and plastic, and they must make millions. But, changing out dirty filters is a must. Honda's smart, all their cars have a five year design life, so the parts are good for some time sitting in inventory. But again, there's that convenience...it didn't have to be ordered -- it was right there. As most businessmen know, inventory is killer -- it kills profits. So, alright, I pay extra for that. But not $30!

On the flip side, other service charges seem reasonable to me. Like the $389.98 timing belt replacement special they seem to always offer. That's a bargain, in my opinion. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get that done? Given the small engine area space, special tools etc. I couldn't do that. And it needs to be done every 100,000 miles, which we have done like clockwork. Doing it has helped our cars last longer and avoided unnecessary, common, breakdowns.

They also take customer satisfaction seriously. Once, while waiting almost three hours, I got a little ticked off. So when I filled out their online service survey later, it was negative in that regard. Lo and behold I got a call from Don, the rep who took my order, apologizing and asking for a better rating. I would have done so, if I had been able to do it online, but I couldn't find out how, so it still stands. But poor service is rare from them, as well as long waits; normally they're outstanding. And, They did offer me shuttle service to our home two miles away, which I have used before.

This is not to say our Honda's need excessive service -- they don't. But the 2003 CR-V with over 130,000 miles sorta did. The rest was mainly maintenance. After all, it is ten years old . . . .

So, Hamilton Honda is a great place to hangout. Maybe I'll see you there?