A True Movie Experience

Kevin James and Friends

No sooner did I give them the “green light” but it seems all of Hollywood arrived! Set guys, lighting guys, camera crews, loads of “assistants”, tractor trailers trucks, miles of cable, electricians, carpenters and more …it was truly transformational… and transform they did! You see this movie plot called for several scenes in a truly ultra high-end exotic vehicle showroom, (This place even had a bar!) the ultimate “Auto Toy Store” if you will. Sprinkled among the set, were several carefully positioned rare and classic cars…Rolls Royce, Mercedes-Benz, Maseratis, Lamborghinis, a McLaren, Bentley’s, Maybach, a Porsche or two… and more. A car guy’s heaven!

The shooting and festivities went on for a few days…our Herb Chambers Lexus General Manager, Giovanni Tosti, and yours-truly even managed to be “extras” in a scene or two! I can only hope that we both don’t end up “edited” on the cutting room floor… no matter, we’ll look forward to seeing this hit when The Zookeeper premiers next year! And remember, at Herb Chambers… when it comes to your dream vehicle… We’ve Got It!

Sincerely,

Before

After

Somerville-based Herb Chambers helps spread awareness of drowsy driving dangers

Herb Chambers Audi Burlington Celebrates Grand Opening

by Matt Watkins

Herb Chambers and his Audi Burlington staff, including General Manager George Chambers, gathered last week with town, industry and community leaders as well as customers, neighbors and friends to celebrate the official “Grand Opening” of Chambers’ state-of-the-art luxury Audi dealership.

Audi Burlington, which opened its doors in February, is conveniently located at 62 Cambridge Street on Route 3A, Exit #33 off Routes 128 & 95 in Burlington. The dealership features a magnificent showroom, drive-in valet reception areas, plenty of service bays and the latest designs to pamper customers. The dealership is located next to the new Herb Chambers Porsche of Burlington.

At the Grand Opening celebration guests enjoyed a special music performance by the band Cruisin’; food catered by Chef Anthony Ambrose; an official ribbon cutting ceremony and also had the opportunity tour the entire dealership and ask questions to service technicians and sales staff.

“We are very pleased that the President of Audi of America, so many of our customers and friends, and town officials from Burlington—all of whom made this brand new facility a reality—were able to join us on this exciting day to help celebrate our official grand opening,” said Herb Chambers.

“It has taken a lot of hard work and dedication from so many people to get us to this point, and we are appreciative of everyone’s efforts.

We are also excited to continue to grow our business in Burlington and provide customers with an unmatched experience at our dealership for years to come.”

Among those gathered at the celebration were Johan de Nysschen, President of Audi of America, Mark Del Rosso, Chief Operating Officer of Audi of America, Burlington Town Administrator Bob Mercier and his wife Rose Mercier, Former Burlington Selectman Al Fay, Burlington police and fire officials, Herb Chambers Vice President Jim Xaros and many invited guests and development team members. For a list of all Herb Chambers dealerships visit www.herbchambers.com.

Blogging: Herb Chambers Joins the Conversation

April 10th, 2009 Todd Cabral Posted in Blogging, Marketing, Marketing Communications, Outbound Communications, Sales, Social Networking, Web |

1. Jeff Gwynne Says:
   April 10th, 2009 at 6:37 pm

   Herb Chambers – He’s got it.

2. Robert Says:
   April 11th, 2009 at 9:01 am

   The Herb Chambers Company continues to lead the way in even in these times of economic uncertainty. Full disclosure and transparency from a car dealership is for sure a paradigm shift in overall public perception while at The Herb Chambers Company it is obviously a priority and the standard. A visit to Herb Cares demonstrates a commitment customer relationships there are as many positive posts as negatives. With a clear path to problem resolution this company sets the example on how to use all the tools available to it! He’s Got It for sure!

3. Todd Cabral Says:
   April 13th, 2009 at 1:11 pm

   I’m very impressed that Herb Chambers is embracing the online conversation. Not only having a blog, using it in an innovative way, and keeping it going, but going outside their own blog to comment on this one (and others, I’m sure). More companies, especially high-tech B2B companies, should take notes.

For Herb Chambers 2008 and 2009 Has Been Full Speed Ahead!

BMW of Sudbury – A Herb Chambers Company	A brand new 70,281 sq. ft. dealership featuring a 12 car two-story showroom, a 4 car exterior display canopy, a three-lane drive-in service reception area with 60 service bays, and a car wash situated on 6 acres. Opening Spring 2009.
Herb Chambers Infiniti of Westborough	A brand new 37,000 sq. ft. dealership featuring a suspense-building “art gallery” style layout to showcase new vehicles—complete with a coffee bar and customer lounge with plasma TVs. NOW OPEN!
Audi Burlington/Porsche of Burlington	A brand new 40,000 sq. ft. dealership built to house some of the world’s finest luxury sports and performance cars. NOW OPEN!
Herb Chambers Lexus	Recently completed… A brand new 110,000 sq. ft. super luxury showroom! A vast entrance canopy – 40 car showroom with 50-foot windows. Including 50 service bays, a customer lounge with complimentary coffee and food bar, Internet access, flat screen TVs, a fireplace and children’s play area.
Flagship Motorcars/smart center Lynnfield	A brand new 18,000 sq. ft addition to this dealership will include a 2,400 sq. ft. showroom for smart center Lynnfield. Opening 2009.
Chambers Motorcars/smart center Boston	A significant renovation adding over 7,000 sq. ft to this dealership will include a customer sales, lounge & service areas. Opening 2009.
Herb Chambers Collision Center	An all new 70,000 sq. ft. truck service center & state of the art body shop. NOW OPEN! Braintree, MA.
Mercedes-Benz of Natick	A complete 50,000 sq. ft. renovation of the entire facility starting next spring.

DEALER AWARDS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
As of September 30, 2008

Herb Chambers Lexus
• Elite of Lexus Award Winner for 11 years. Best in New England!
• J.D. Power & Associates Certified Retailer for 7 years.
• New England’s Largest Lexus Dealer.
• New England’s Largest Luxury Dealer.

Chambers Motorcars of Boston
• J.D. Power & Associates Certified Retailer for 5 years.
• New England’s #1 volume Mercedes Benz Dealer for 4 years.
• Recipient of the Mercedes Benz “Best of the Best” Award for 2003 and 2004.

Flagship Motorcars of Lynnfield
• J.D. Power & Associates Certified Retailer for 4 years.
• Merecedes-Benz “Best of the Best” award for excellence in sales, service, parts and customer satisfaction for 2005.
• J.D. Power and Associates Award for Sales and Service Excellence for 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2004.
• Awarded for “Celebrates Loyalty and Partnership” from Mercedes Benz Credit for 2002

Herb Chambers Cadillac
• Cadillac Master Dealer – 2003, 2004
• Mark of Excellence Winner – 2003, 2004 and 2005
• Cadillac Certified Pre-Owned Retailer

Herb Chambers BMW & Mini of Boston
• Recipient of the BMW “Center of Excellence” Award in 2005 and 2007.
• J.D. Power & Associates Certified Retailer for 6 years.
• New England’s number one volume BMW dealer – Year-to-date 2006.
• New England’s number one volume (single dealer point) BMW dealer for 2005.
• “Top 100” INTERNET Dealer in the U.S.A. (# 43).

Herb Chambers Porsche of Boston
• New England’s # 1 Porsche Dealer.

Herb Chambers Porsche-Audi of Burlington
• Audi Magna Society 2007.

Herb Chambers Honda of Boston
• “Top 100” INTERNET Dealer in the U.S.A. (# 34).
• Winner of the prestigious Honda President’s Award for 2007.
• Ward’s e-Dealer 100, 2008 winner (Honda, Saab & Infiniti of Boston.)

Herb Chambers Saab of Boston
• 2007 “Mark of Excellence” Dealer Award Winner.
• 2006 and 2007 Top level achievement NRSP program.
• J.D. Power & Associates Certified Retailer for 2003 & 2004.
• Saab Unlimited Partner Certified Showroom: 2001, 2002 & 2003.
• New England’s Largest Saab Dealer.
• First Saab dealer in U.S.A. to implement the “RED” Showroom & Dealership (Retail, Environment & Design).
• Mark of Excellence Saab Unlimited Dealer Award (for performance and Customer Satisfaction) for 2005.

Herb Chambers Infiniti of Boston
• J.D. Power & Associates Certified Retailer.
• New England’s fastest growing Infiniti dealer.

Herb Chambers Honda of Burlington
• Winner of the prestigious Honda President’s Award for 2002, 2006 and 2007.
• J.D. Power & Associates Certified Retailer, 1998 & 2004.
• Wards e-Dealer 100 for 2008.
• A Honda Certified Pre-Owned Retailer.

Herb Chambers Honda of Seekonk
• 2007 Customer Service Experience Award Winner.
• Winner of the prestigious Honda President’s Award for 2006.
• J.D. Power & Associates Certified Retailer, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
• Honda Council of Excellence Award winner, 2001, 2002.
• Honda Finance Loyal Dealer Award 2000, 2001, 2002.

Herb Chambers Honda of Westborough
• Winner of the prestigious Honda President’s Award for 2007.
• 2008 Ward’s e-Dealer Top 100.

Herb Chambers Saturn of Warwick
• Outstanding Retail Sales Performance, 2007 Boston Group.
• J.D. Power & Associates Certified Retailer for 7 years (1998-2004).
• New England’s Largest Volume Saturn Dealer.

Herb Chambers Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge of Danvers
• “5 Star Certified Dealer”.
• # 1 Volume Dodge Dealer in New England, 2007.
• Chargers Club Member 1999 – 2005.
• Chargers Club Dealer (Top 100 Units Sold in Nation) for 1999-2005.
• A BusinessLink, Sprinter Dealer.
• #1 Certified Pre-Owned Dealer in the Northeast.
• One of the top 100 Dodge Dealers in the U.S.A.
• Winner “America’s Best’ Award.
• # 1 in New England for “Fixed First” Service Excellence.
• “Top 100” INTERNET Dealer in the U.S.A. (# 73).

Herb Chambers Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge of Millbury
• A J.D. Power & Associates Certified Retailer: 2004.
• 5 Star Certified.
• A Business Link Dealer
• Winner “America’s Best’ Award.
• #1 Volume Dealer in Central Massachusetts for 2005

Herb Chambers Toyota of Auburn
• Winner Toyota “Presidents Award” Award 2003 & 2004.
• Winner Toyota “Service Excellence” Award
• Winner Toyota “Customer Relations” Award.
• Largest Volume Toyota Dealer in Central MA.
• “Top 100” INTERNET Dealer in the U.S.A. (#69).
• Peoples Pick Award – Voted best automotive dealership in central New England by Telegram and Gazette readers for 2005-2006

Herb Chambers Hyundai of Auburn
• Winner Hyundai “Presidents Award” for Sales Excellence & Customer Satisfaction for 6 years in a row.
• A J.D. Power & Associates Certified Retailer for 2003 & 2004.
• Largest Hyundai Dealer in Massachusetts.
• “Top 100” INTERNET Dealer in the U.S.A. (#69).
• Peoples Pick Award – Voted best automotive dealership in central New England by Telegram and Gazette readers for 2005-2006

Herb Chambers Toyota of Boston
• A Top 10 volume dealer in Boston Metro Market
• Winner of the Toyota Parts Excellence Award for 2005.
• Winner of the Toyota Customer Relations Award.
• Multiple Winner of the Toyota Sales Society Award.
• A Toyota Fleet Executive Delivery Dealer.

Herb Chambers Ford of Braintree
• Winner of Ford’s prestigious “Presidents Award,” 2006 and 2007.
• “Blue Oval” Certified.

Herb Chambers Ford of Westborough
• J.D. Power & Associates Certified Retailer.
• Blue Oval Certified.
Herb Chambers Chevrolet, Buick, Pontiac, Hummer
• Standards for Excellence Dealer – Chevrolet and Hummer
• Mark of Excellence winner for Pontiac, 2007.
• Mark of Excellence winner for Chevrolet, 2006 and 2007.

Herb Chambers Vespa of Boston
• North America’s Largest Vespa Motor Scooter Boutique Dealer.
• Dealer of the Year for 2003.
• Outstanding Deal Award for 2004 and 2005.

Back Bay’s tower of wealth

Luxury Mandarin to open next week

Mayor Thomas M. Menino agrees. “Boston has grown up. It sends a message that Boston is alive and well, and we want to compete with the cities of the world,” he said of Mandarin Oriental in a telephone interview. “This is part of the whole future.”

And the owners? They include Robert Epstein, a managing partner of the Boston Celtics; Charles K. “Chad” Gifford, the former chief operating officer of FleetBoston Financial Corp and auto magnate Herb Chambers. More than 40 buyers are from the Boston area.

“If you have a condominium in downtown Boston, the Mandarin is going to be the best there is. I think it will set a new standard,” said Herb Chambers, who is moving from a townhouse on Commonwealth Avenue.

“There have been several other high rises, but all of these pale by comparison to the Mandarin. It’s a full-service building and you’ll have beautiful service.”

It’s not that the super-wealthy have never had places to express their wealth, said Laurence J. Kotlikoff, a professor of economics at Boston University. But those were summer homes in Milton or mansions in Newport – and it takes a while to get to Newport.

“People are moving closer to the city because of these conveniences that didn’t exist in the past,” Kotlikoff said.

In a development such as Mandarin Oriental, “You look down the hall from somebody rich, meet people, you can do business together; you can hob-nob with other rich people.”

Of course, there are those who believe Louisburg Square mansions were flashy in their day, and some still prefer the Beacon Hill notions of wealth.

“I suppose the Mandarin is a good address, it has a kind of cachet among certain people,” said Karen Cord Taylor, former editor of the Beacon Times and the Back Bay Sun.

“There are the people of excess, and there are the people who could afford the excess but aren’t interested in it.”

Speaking of excess, how are the super-wealthy handling the chaos gripping the stock market, financial institutions, homeowners? Does it affect the people who populate Boston’s new cathedral of wealth the way it does the rest of us? Glaeser thinks it doesn’t.

“The people who are actually buying these apartments are not stretching to do so,” he said.

“Even if the tsunami causes a 30-percent decrease in their net wealth its not going to stop them from being to afford this.”

David Filipov can be reached at filipov@globe.com.

With today’s car buyers quicker to look online for deals than to shop at their local dealerships, auto dealers have been forced to change the way they do business.

Not only are they Internet-savvy, many car dealers have begun tailoring their businesses — and their mind-sets — to an online presence. Car dealers no longer expect their buyers to come from their immediate geographic areas, and the sales force no longer exclusively works the showroom floor.

Nowadays, buyers from just about everywhere track down the best deals they can through the Internet and are willing to travel to get them. Meanwhile, an entirely new type of car salesman is bringing them in: e-commerce experts who handle everything from responding to Internet inquiries from potential buyers to updating inventory on the dealership’s Web site.

Dealers and automotive industry organizations struggle to quantify exactly how much business is won or lost based on the Internet. Most agree, however, that the Internet is certainly helping dealers who have made it an integral part of their business. And dealerships that have learned to harness the Net are taking business from those who haven’t.

Herb Chambers Companies sold $348 million in 2006 solely through Internet leads, said Jay Gubala, e-commerce general manager at The Herb Chambers Companies.

“It just became pretty obvious that the Internet would change the way cars are bought and sold in America,” he said.

“Sales nationally have been relatively flat or up 5 percent, according to J.D. Powers, but New England’s sales are down,” Gubala said. “Yet, our sales are up 19 percent. Business is very good due to several factors including the Internet. You don’t necessarily go to your local dealer anymore to buy your car. You go where autodealer.com told you to go or where cars.com tells you to go.”

The Internet is not just a trend for new car sales. Joann Sueltenfuss, executive director of the Massachusetts Independent Automobile Dealers Association, estimated that 90 percent of used car sales come through the Internet.

“Today, customers do everything but test drive a car online,” she said.

Buyers, dealers and vehicles connect online in several ways, starting with the auto dealers’ and manufacturers’ Web sites and third-party Web sites, such as cars.com, which offer pricing and vehicle location information. The venerable car-buying guides Kelley Blue Book and Edmunds also are available online, listing nuts-and-bolts information.

Despite the popularity of the Internet among car buyers, many auto dealers have entered the online world with caution.

Some have feared losing local car buyers who will take their business wherever the price is lowest. They also have feared that consumers will educate themselves online about value and pricing only to whittle down a car dealer’s profits.

Further, some have resented that the Internet depersonalizes car sales, which traditionally have been conducted face-to-face.

“It rubbed us the wrong way initially,” said Dana Goodfield, owner of Dana Automotive in Northampton and president of the Massachusetts State Automobile Dealers Association. “But there is a silver lining. When people knew what a car cost us, they stopped offering us prices that were lower even than what we paid for the vehicle. An educated buyer is easier to negotiate with than one who isn’t.”

“Nearly 40 percent of dealers don’t respond to Internet leads,” said David Kain, a Kentucky-based specialist who trains auto dealers in Internet and business development. “Yet, one of the key variables consumers use the Internet for is to de-select a dealer. The consumer is thinking, ‘If they’re that bad on the Internet, imagine what they’d be like in person.’ And that’s how they knock dealers off their list. It’s a quiet erosion of the market for the traditional dealership. It’s very difficult for them to sell. Floor traffic is becoming very light. You can go into a dealership now and see few people on the lot.”

The Internet is speeding up the sales process: Dealers who focus on their Internet sales leads can respond quickly to large numbers of online queries, as long as they have the staff in place.

“I have the one-30 rule: within one minute of a lead coming in, they get a template response to their e-mail and, within 30 minutes, they get a personal call,” said Edward Naczi Jr., former head of e-commerce at Honda North and Kia of Danvers.

Even the auto dealers that are the most gung-ho about the Internet express caution about the accuracy of information car buyers obtain online. Several dealers shared a similar experience: the buyer who bargains for a new vehicle based on the trade-in value of his current car, which he calculated by typing information into a Web site.

Yet, when a dealer calculates a lower trade-in value for the same vehicle based on industry standards, customers are disappointed — and sometimes worse.

“The Internet is not foolproof,” said Rick Mastria, owner of Mastria Buick, Pontiac, and GMC in Raynham. “The Internet can be a guide, but it can just as easily be off the mark.”

Photo Credit: Saab History

Saab History welcomes Herb Chambers Saab as site sponsor!

Herb Chambers is conveniently located right on commonwealth avenue in Boston, Massachusetts and was the proud host of the recent Saab 9-3 Turbo-X press event.

A warm welcome to Herb Chambers Saab for supporting Saab History, here is their introduction, contact information and map.

Welcome to Herb Chambers Saab. The new model year cars are here and the line up has never been better! This year Saab continues with its 9-3 and 9-5 models, all with turbo charged performance. However, we also have the added value of cross-wheel drive on the Saab 9-3 Aero. Combine that with the added peace of mind of Free Scheduled maintenance on all of our new cars this is the best time to purchase or purchase option lease a new Saab.

Along with the new cars we have in inventory we also continue to have the best Certified Pre-Owned Saabs in New England as well as a selection of at least 2000 Herb Chambers Certified Pre-Owned vehicles. Quite simply nobody offers you more selection and value. Low mileage vehicles in exceptional condition are what await you at Herb Chambers. Save thousands of dollars by buying or leasing a pre-owned Saab through Herb Chambers. Our 3 day money back guarantee and 30 day return policy makes buying a pre-owned vehicle from us a very consumer friendly experience.

What we are most proud of is the Service and Parts Department. We have 8 technicians with over 100 years experience with Saab. We offer loaner cars by appointment, or our shuttle service can drive you to work after you leave your car with us. We will hand wash and vacuum your car whenever you have it in for a service appointment and don’t forget to grab an apple on your way out the door.

We are conveniently located approximately 1/2 mile from the west campus at Boston University and easily accessible via public transportation at the Harvard stop on the Boston College Green Line.

Herb Chambers Saab
1172 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02134

Phone: 888-891-6590

Web: http://www.herbchambers.com/ou/boston-saab/?make=saab

2008 Saab Owners Convention -Herb Chambers Saab

August 26th, 2008 by Ryan – 1 Comments