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That Golden Rule philosophy has served
Weber Chevrolet well: in 1989, George Weber Chevrolet was added in Columbia
Ill.; Weber Chevrolet, Granite City came along in 1993; and George Weber
Chevrolet, Waterloo, Ill., opened in ‘05. The
expansion isn’t surprising. At least a third of customers are repeat buyers,
Weber said and many more come to Weber after a referral.
“We have customers that will pass three or four other dealerships
because they want to do business with Weber,” he said. “We do our best to try
to make it fun.”
Noting that a dealership “can’t
sell from an empty basket,” Weber stocks a broad inventory of new and
pre-owned vehicles. Approximately 800 new and 150 pre-owned cars, trucks and
SUV’s are housed on the 12 acre Creve Coeur site for easy comparison.
Weber , whose family has remained loyal to Chevrolet since 1952, noted
the numerous accolades and consumer awards recently bestowed on Chevy models.
He said they are a tangible reflection of the manufacturer’s commitment to
meeting buyer demands, from peerless overall quality to comprehensive safety
and security features. |
“We
have customer that will pass three or four other dealerships because they
want to do business with Weber”
George Weber III, DEALER PRINCIPAL, WEBER
CHEVROLET
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Weber
Chevrolet |
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After more than 100 years, this dealership knows how to
keep customers happy |
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BY BETH Wade Contributing Writer BACK NEAR THE TURN OF THE LAST century,
when George Weber founded the company that would evolve into Weber Chevrolet,
Theodore Roosevelt was president, the average hourly wage was 22 cents, and there were a total of just 8,000 cars in the United
States. Not
surprisingly, perhaps, the Weber staff back on those days often found that,
besides selling and servicing cars, they also had to teach prospective
customer how to drive! Now that’s
customer service. Today, 106
years later, that customer-first attitude can still be found at Weber
Chevrolet. It’s the spirit that has established this dealership, 12015 Olive
Boulevard at I-270 in Creve Coeur, as one of the largest retailers of Chevys,
both locally and nationally. “Our
customer expect a great deal from us,” said dealer principle George Weber
III, great-grandson of the founder. “And they deserve an awful lot. A vehicle
is a major purchase.” So at Weber
Chevrolet, customer service begins the moment a person steps into the
dealership, Weber said. “After all,
customers are the lifeblood of our business,” he said.” While he
obviously credits his father and grandfather with establishing this
successful auto enterprise, Weber says he also is grateful to his father-in-law for imparting
the Christian values by which he operates. |
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And, he noted, Chevy with it’s extra
fuel economy” models and its Malibu, Tahoe and Silverado hybrids—not to
mention the revolutionary Volt plug-in hybrid, which is in the wings—is among
the leading producers of eco-friendly vehicles, a fact of which many buyers
may be unaware, Weber said, is
designing and building vehicles for
today.
And, as its 100– plus year history suggest, Weber Chevrolet also has evolved to meet customers’
changing needs and desires. For example, as current economic trends produce a
greater interest in pre-owned vehicle, Weber scans the country to bring local
buyers a wide selection of GM Certified pre-owned vehicles.
The dealership also provides at its 60,000 square-foot service
facility a service experience so respected it’s earned the designation As an
authorized repair facility from at least a dozen insurance companies.
While Weber, head of one of the oldest Chevrolet dealerships in the
nation, obviously hopes buyers will choose Chevy, he advocates buying |
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from an American manufacturer, whatever the
buyer’s decision.
“So many jobs are tied to the auto industry we should all buy American
to keep our workforce strong, rather than sending profits overseas,” he said George Weber IV—also known by
friends and family as Skip—acknowledged that the industry is in a state of
change, but not all things are changing, he said: “Some things, such as
treating people right, won’t change (here).”
For more information, visit any of the Weber family dealerships, visit
online at www.weberchevrolet.com or phone 314 567-3300. |
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LEFT: Weber Chevrolet in Creve Coeur. BELOW: Weber’s highly respected service department |
