Goodwin's Volvo Wins the Coveted Excellence Award!

Last year (2021) was a big and wild year for the car business but at Goodwin’s Volvo, focus remained squarely on the customer and having a staff with deep product knowledge for all things Volvo. Thanks to that, Goodwin’s Volvo was the only Volvo dealership in Maine and one of only two Volvo dealerships in all of New England to receive the coveted Volvo Excellence Award for 2021!

The Excellence Award is not an easy achievement and hinges on customer experience and satisfaction. So thank you for honoring us with this recognition! We also saw one of the biggest years of growth as a business serving more people than ever before giving us the second distinction of being the Fastest Growing Volvo Dealer in Maine! 2021 was a banner year, even in a tight market and unusual market.

To learn more about how Goodwin’s Volvo got here, we sat down with Rich Armstrong, General Sales Manager (GSM) of Goodwin’s Volvo to share his thoughts and experiences.

Hi Rich, how long has Goodwin’s Volvo been in business in Topsham?

RA: This location started up in, I believe it was, 1972 when Chuck Cunningham opened Cunningham & Bates Volvo. Chuck Cunningham, was a pretty incredible man. He was an interesting guy who had nine lives. He had a lot of car crashes and was even in an airplane crash and you know, he walked away from all of those incidents, he lived a very interesting life. Cunningham & Bates were in business from 1972 to 1988 when Frank Goodwin purchased the business and rebranded it Goodwin’s Volvo and made it part of the Goodwin Motor Group.

Seems like you know the store’s history pretty intimately. How long have you been the General Sales Manager and what do you like about the role?

RA: I've been General Sales Manager since 2020. Before that I was on the sales side for 17 years, here in this very location. My new role definitely gives me a different look at the business of selling cars. In my first role (sales) - you're basically only focused on taking care of your customer and making sure things are going smoothly with the people you're working with. Whereas - as a GSM -  you’re now kind of responsible for everyone that walks through the door. Not just ‘your’ customers like a salesperson, but every customer who comes in, making sure they have a good experience,  that they get a good look at the cars that they’re interested in and that they also feel as stress free and satisfied with the service they receive. Personally, I enjoy getting a chance to work with all the customers that come through the door.

It seems like the focus really is all about doing right by the customer. Do you have any highlights about the team that supports that culture?

RA: I think we certainly have a little more diversity here than we've had in the past with a good mix on our team. Also having a new dedicated delivery specialist and product expert role has been fantastic, and customers it. They feel personally taken care of having all their questions answered, no matter how technical. That's been an obvious benefit for our customers and clients and a great addition and resource for the team.

Once I moved into my current role, we didn't really have anybody on the showroom floor that had been in the Volvo business as long as I had been and who was familiar with the older cars Volvo used to sell. Bringing aboard longtime Volvo sales person Ralph D’Angelo has brought that knowledge back to the showroom. Ya know, Ralph is a guy who sold Volvo's down at Portland Volvo for 15 years before he joined our team. He clearly has a history with and love for the brand. For instance, we had some customers trying to compare what the new stuff is versus what technology was in the cars 10 years ago. This is where he shines. Having been selling and specializing in Volvo for that long, his product knowledge is incredibly deep and helpful and the whole team is able to learn a thing or two. All in all, I’m pretty happy with who we have on the (sales) floor and their unique strengths that complement one another.

Tell me more about the Technology Delivery Specialist role.

RA: We had been wanting to set up that position for several years for a couple of reasons. Obviously, all the salespeople need to know the product, you can't sell the product without knowing what you're selling and knowing how things work. But, when I have people who can focus on selling cars and all the ins and outs of the paperwork and they don't have to focus on sitting in a car with a customer to do the delivery, it gives them more time to be on the floor trying to do what they're best at (sales).

Having the Delivery Specialist means that every customer gets the same high-quality delivery experience and sets the standard high. Most of the deliveries take 45 minutes where the Specialist sits in the car with customers and goes through all the settings and features of the vehicle. Some of her deliveries can take less time if the customer is in a hurry but they know Specialist is their resource if they have any questions that come up after they leave the lot. With this in place I know every customer that leaves here has had a good delivery experience and feels great getting behind the wheel, and that is reflected by how often we get great reviews.

What can customers expect when they are coming to Goodwin’s Volvo today?

RA: They can expect they're going to be treated fairly and given fair numbers and that the information they're being given is accurate. If they're looking for a specific vehicle with specific options and features, we make sure that the vehicle they get meets their needs and their desires. I don't want somebody coming back two weeks later saying “jeez I thought this had adaptive cruise control and it doesn't.” I want to make sure they're getting into the car that they expect and that they're happy.

What do you think makes Goodwin’s Volvo different? What would you attribute your growth to?

RA: I think Curt Hodges (Goodwin Motor Group, COO) has done a solid job of building a good team around us. We’ve also had support for our websites, marketing and customer reviews. That’s a new thing that's happened over the last couple of years and that’s been a big help. Probably the biggest help, to be frank outside of our winning sales team on the floor. You know, we used to have customers that would drive to another local dealer, 30 minutes away, and not even realize they had a closer option with us here in Topsham. Now we're happily helping them closer to home which is a win-win. Also having a fantastic vehicle product from Volvo has been great. They're really setting the bar with their lineup including the Plug-In Hybrids and fully EV models.

Why should someone think about coming to Goodwin’s Volvo if they haven't in the past?

I think it all comes down to the way the way that we take care of the customers and the longevity of our staff. You know we've had the same service manager (Marc Bernier) now for 25 years, Dean (Weirs) has been in parts for almost 10 years now. We've got mechanics that have been here for 40 years! People come in & they can usually expect to see the same people and get the same type of service each time. I can proudly say that kind of knowledgeable and friendly experience is what they can expect at Goodwin's Volvo in Topsham.
 

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In addition to Goodwin's Volvo winning the coveted Volvo Excellence Award for 2021 they were also the fastest growing Volvo dealer in Maine based on new car vehicle sales reporting in 2021. Thank you to all our customers and team members who made this possible.