Volkswagen of Corpus Christi: New Owners, New Attitude

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas, Jan. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Having turned the underperforming dealership around during their six-month wait for factory approval, partners Leo Griggs, Eddie Lee and Luis Perez are now officially the new owners of Volkswagen of Corpus Christi. Griggs and Lee, longtime associates at Lewisville VW and Park Cities Volkswagen, both in Dallas Fort Worth, partnered with Luis Perez to acquire the dealership.

Expanding A Large Area's Economy

The 4-acre dealership, located at 4331 S. Staples in Corpus Christi, also serves the broader Texas Coastal Bend area. Despite the large market area, however, it was felt that the store was not performing to expectations when the new partners took it over in June of this year. "We saw a bright future with Volkswagen's new products coming and believed this store was the perfect opportunity," Lee observes.

Since then the dealership has increased each month's sales by nearly 100% over the same time period the previous year, a situation Lee says was helped by the new 2011 Volkswagen Jetta. "Pricing under sixteen thousand — it's been a runaway success for us," he says.

Also increasing sales, customers' word of mouth about the new owners was immediate and positive. When they first took possession, "Customer Satisfaction Scores were at the bottom for regional VW dealerships," Lee relates. Yet six months later Volkswagen of Corpus Christi had received the region's coveted Customer Service Leader Trophy, achieving average Customer Satisfaction Scores near 100% for new car sales and near the industry high in the 90s for service.

"With three owners, one of us is always here to make sure our customers are being taken care of," Lee notes.

Ambitions Appear Achievable

Future expansions are already planned, but the partners' ambitions for the coming year are substantial: "Our goal is to sell 600 new cars and 800 used for 2011." Lee believes that'll be even easier once Volkswagen introduces a new midsize sedan, made in Chattanooga, Tenn., in 2011.

The partners take advantage of technology too. In the store's welcoming online presence at www.vwofcc.com, car shoppers can search the inventory and see new and certified preowned Volkswagens that meet their requirements, request a quote and get pre-approved before they ever enter the showroom. But once they do get there, the statistics say they're likely to return.

SOURCE Volkswagen of Corpus Christi