Professional Automotive Consulting for Smarter Car Buying, Maintenance and Repairs
What Will I Do For You?
I'll guide you to find quality used vehicles, project maintenance and repair costs, aim to minimize depreciation and maximize your resale value. Whether you’re buying new-to-you or managing your current ride, car ownership can be difficult. Let's talk about it.
Looking for a used vehicle? Poor communication at the local shop? I have 20 years of automotive dealership experience, with brands such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Porsche, etc. Building relationships is what I do. Let me help!
I can also lend experience to dealerships and repair facilities!
Professional Automotive Consulting for Smarter Car-Buying, Maintenance and Repairs
About INTEL Automotive Consulting
who am i and what can i do for you?
My name is Stephen Tilley, and after 20 years in the automotive dealership world (Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Porsche, Audi, among others), I've seen many trends that have left clients and consumers in challenging financial situations. On AVERAGE, a brand new car loses 20% of its value within the first year. After 5 years, you're going to sell it for about 60% less than you paid for it (pending many variables). Many consumers gravitate towards a brand or a specific vehicle, where, once out of warranty, can become virtually cost-prohibitive to maintain and repair. I can help people find quality used cars, calculate a general long-term cost of maintenance and repairs (based on common trends/reliability ratings), explain warranty coverage, etc. The goal is to prosper financially, when it comes to owning an automobile.
From a professional standpoint, I started in the car wash at a Toyota dealer in 2006, and worked my way up. I have worked for many different stores and manufacturers over the years. Most recently, at Mercedes-Benz, where I had near-perfect CSI, and many, many repeat clients. Anybody can answer a phone or sit at a desk, but building trust and a real connection comes from within. Very unfortunately, a lot of facilities lack this. I'd love to lend my experience to try and help people grow and develop in the industry.
Topics of Discussion
Warranty / Service Contracts
This is one of the most common areas of confusion. There is NO such thing as a "bumper to bumper" warranty. Shall I repeat? This goes for brand new cars. This commonly-used automotive terminology does not mean everything is covered.
Factory warranty covers manufacturer defects.
Brake pads? Wearable item. Tires? Wearable item. Unless you purchase extra protection, or it comes with purchase, these are never covered under warranty.
Extended/3rd party warranties are available when vehicles are out of factory warranty coverage. This also does not mean everything is covered - in fact, more often than not, you will still end up paying more than what the warranty company will pay. They use an 'industry standard' labor guide, and often value labor hours much lower than what the facility charges, especially when it comes to luxury brands.
It's very important to read the fine print on your warranty contract.
Maintenance / Repairs
After 20 years in the dealership world, I've seen a lot of trends. One of those being consumers owning a vehicle, frankly, way outside of their means, or not having a realistic expectation in regards to maintenance and repairs.
There is, unfortunately, a stigma with dealerships and independent repair facilities, which are often statistically accurate, and for good reason. One of the biggest downfalls is communication and trust.
BUT - I also know, from experience, there are many honest and reputable facilities out there, with advisors and technicians who value their craft and take great care of clients.
To go further - when a dealership makes recommendations for repairs and maintenance - often, one would ask me, "do I NEED to do this?"
There isn't necessarily a rulebook here. I've seen very poorly maintained vehicles with 200,000 miles, and very well maintained vehicles suffer unexpected catastrophic failures. Together, we can try to plan.
The Car Choice / Convenience
What do you drive? And WHY? A lot of people gravitate towards a specific brand or model, and choose to buy or lease NEW, or slightly used, for the convenience factor.
What do I mean by convenience?
Warranties, dealership support, a sense of reliability. What people DON'T think about is the depreciation factor, planned obsolescence, and common modern-technology fail points, which can be cost-prohibitive outside of warranty coverage. The more tech a car has, the more components there are to potentially malfunction, which can certainly cause inconvenience, when it comes to a needed dealership service visit.
Do you NEED the latest and greatest? If the answer is 'no' (it is) - there is a whole slew of used automobiles available that have more-than-adequate tech, are (proverbially) battle-tested, and have reliability ratings that speak for themselves, with a price tag a fraction of new, and resale value much closer to the purchase price. If you insist on a new vehicle, let's figure out the best way to navigate.
SERVICES
#1 - LOCATE A VEHICLE
Based on your needs, financial situation, personal style preferences, etc. - I will take the legwork out of the vehicle search for you. Car shopping can be VERY time consuming. Vehicle type, color, mileage, projected maintenance costs, vehicle price range - I have the resources available to assist you in finding the perfect, most cost-effective, yet still stylish vehicle to suit your needs. We will look at both private sales (typically more room to negotiate) and car dealerships, both.
To be direct, many vehicle owners are tied to a brand, that in actual reality, does NOT make a good product. Let's talk about YOUR needs, and figure it out together.
In this technology age, many repair facilities send a digital report with vehicle findings and recommendations - this may come with a video, photos, and list of recommendations that the client can 'approve' or 'decline' remotely. These can be difficult to decipher for average folks. A lot of times, clients will spend money on expensive repairs, that aren't truly needed for safety and long-term reliability.
I have owned (and privately sold) MANY cars in my lifetime. Very often, the reason I will not pursue a used car (Marketplace, etc.) is because of the 'FOR SALE' ad. How much information do you need, you ask? That's what I'm here for. I can help you sell your car privately and try to maximize your profit.
The flipside of this - I've seen plenty of times where selling a car privately is too intimidating or time consuming. The person sells their car to Carmax or trades it for another vehicle and gets virtually nothing for the trade.
A little bit of extra detail in a 'for sale' ad can make you quite a bit more money. Let me help you sell!
#2 - REPAIR / MAINTENANCE SOLUTIONS
Send me your technician/repair facility findings, and I'll help you determine what may be needed and what isn't, based on your technician's findings, and from years of service experience. I'm happy to CONTACT the repair facility for further clarification, if needed. I can also help you calculate REASONABLE long-term maintenance costs, which could save you thousands over the course of time.
#3 - SELL YOUR CAR
DEALERSHIP/REPAIR SHOP SERVICES
In a world full of artificial communication and media, this is a crucial time for service advisors and customer-facing employees to make an impact with clients. Communication and trust is, foundationally, all a vehicle-owner wants when making a visit to a dealership or repair facility.
I'm not gloating, but many of my former clients would tell you this is why they kept coming back to do business, time after time.
Managers - are you achieving this in your work environment? Sure, some automotive knowledge is important. But, I can tell you from experience - LISTENING, eye contact, trust - those are the key components that make a good service employee. Building relationships is much more important than a single sale or commission will ever be.
If this is a problem area in your store, I'd love to help! Contact me and we can work towards better CSI and long-term client retention.
The Mission
The world is changing rapidly. A brand new car, in this day and age, isn't always a wise investment. The cost of living is higher, gas is more expensive, and the service industry is largely inflated, so that providers can stay competitive.
In contrast, a 10-15 year well-maintained used car can be a GREAT option. Parts are often LESS expensive, the depreciation over a 5-year-span is much lower, in comparison, and repairs require less manufacturer-specific diagnostic equipment, meaning independent local shops can fix them.
I will help guide you to good quality, cost-effective vehicle options. Additionally, I can help to decipher repair shop recommendations, to help you decide what you need and what you don't need, to keep your EXISTING vehicle on the road and proper mechanical condition.
Lastly, I can answer any other questions you have, regarding warranties, service, parts, buying/selling, etc.
Car ownership can be difficult. I'm here to help you through that process.