The Car Ad That Sold a City - Ed Dancel

Ever since the debut of the award winning Chrysler 200 commercial featuring Eminem during the Super Bowl, I've been noticing a sudden surge of pride in the people who live, work and play in our great city of Detroit.

And why not? Detroit is the hub for innovation, creativity and hard work. No matter what's been thrown our way, we've always persevered. It's what we do and this is who we are.There's a lot of history and heritage that was born here...there's a lot of great things happening here and a lot of great things that we Detroiters can be proud of.



First of all, Detroit is the birthplace of the auto industry. America’s Car Culture roared to life here...right on Woodward Avenue. Ford, Cadillac, Dodge, Chrysler, Packard and several other brands were born and raised here. In fact, as you know, Detroit is known around the world as the "Motor City" - home of the Big Three.

But that's not all Detroit's known for. We're also known around the world as "Motown" and "Detroit Rock City". Just like the automobiles, great music was and is still being produced here. In fact, Detroit competes in its own right as one of the top music capitals of the country, both from its range of artists to its location as a concert stop for national tours.

It's hard to believe sometimes but a lot of your favorite songs are from famous musicians who are from Detroit and here's a sampling of just a few of them:

Eminem, Kid Rock, Madonna, Alice Cooper, The White Stripes, MC5, Iggy Pop/The Stooges, Bob Seger, Ted Nugent, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, George Clinton/P-Funk, Diana Ross and The Supremes, Jackson 5, Smokey Robinson, Temptations, Marvin Gaye, John Lee Hooker, Funk Brothers, Four Tops, James Jamerson, Alberta Adams, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, Marvelettes, Slum Village, The Knack, Sponge, Aaliyah, Insane Clown Posse, Uncle Kracker, Mitch Ryder, The Romantics, Grand Funk Railroad, Marshall Crenshaw, Juan Atkins, Carl Craig, Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson, Royce da 5’9”, Von Bondies, The Dirt Bombs, The Detroit Cobras, Richie Hawkin, Stacey Pullen, Eddie Fowlkes, The Demolition Dollrods, The Gories, Anita Baker, Wilson Pickett, Nolan Strong, Andre Williams, Sippie Wallace, Joe Weaver, Was (Not Was), Hush, Johnnie Bassett...and much much more.

Okay so we make cars and great music in Detroit...but what else you ask? Well, Detroit is also the Sports Capital of the Midwest. In major sports Detroit ranks third behind New York and Boston in championships. That’s quite the feat considering Detroit hasn’t had a competitive football team since the Eisenhower administration. Sold-out games at Ford Field are a testament to the passion of the Detroit fan. The Pistons, Wings and Tigers are a better bet if you want to walk away happy.

Detroit has also been a great host to a multitude of national sporting events. In 2005, Comerica Field hosted the MLB All-Star game, and 2006 brought us the World Series. Earlier that same year, Pittsburgh and Seattle battled it out in Super Bowl XL, and more recently Detroit hosted the 2009 NCAA Final Four. Stanley Cup Playoff appearances are almost common-place during spring, as well as unique international events such as the Red Bull Air Race.

While we are proud of our automotive heritage, our music history and our sports, there are lesser-known facts about Detroit...and here are a few examples:

Did you know that...

1. In 1909, Wayne County built the first mile of concrete highway in the world on Woodward Avenue between Six and Seven Mile roads.

2. Going on air in August 20, 1920, 8MK, later renamed WWJ, is believed to be the first station to broadcast regular news reports.

3. Detroit is the only city in the 48 contiguous States where one can gaze south toward Canada.

4. Detroit is built over an enormous salt bed. 1,200 feet below the city surface, salt mines spread over 1,400 acres and have more than 50 miles of roads.

5. Detroit is the birthplace of Techno Music.

6. Vernors Ginger Ale was invented by a Detroit Pharmacist by the name of James Vernors.

7. Kowalski Sausage Company was founded in Detroit by Zygmund Kowalski

8. Vlasic Picles, the Polish-style cucumber pickle company was born in Detroit.

9. In 1954 Northland Center opens in a Detroit suburb and becomes the Nations first large suburban shopping Mall.

10. Detroit has the largest island park within a city. At 987 acres Belle Isle Park is the largest island park in the United States. First opened to the public in 1884,

As you can see, Detroit is a great city that we can be proud of. There's a lot of history and heritage here. Industries and artists are born here. Going through rough times, it's easy to lose sight of how amazing our city is. It took a car commercial to remind us of how good we really are.

The two minute Super Bowl ad for the Chrysler 200 touched many who watched it on a human level about the struggles that our city of Detroit has been through. Despite these troubles and hard times however, we always had a heart of steel...delicate but at the same time tough and strong. The ad didn't just sell cars, it sold a city. "This is the Motor City....and this is what we do."



Well, that's it for now. Thanks for reading my blog. Please feel free to comment below.

- Ed Dancel is a sales consultant at Southfield Chrysler 248-354-2950

I Survived the 2011 Woodward Dream Cruise - And I'll Do It Again! - Ed Dancel

So this past Saturday, I decided to participate in the world's largest one-day annual celebration of classic car culture - the 2011 Woodward Dream Cruise.

Like most locals, I dreaded this event and usually just avoided coming anywhere near Woodward around this time of year because of all the traffic and congestion that the Dream Cruise generated. This year however, I thought, why not? Let's see what this is all about and checked it out. Guess what? I had fun.

Here's a fun fact...the Dream Cruise first started out as a simple crazy idea for a fundraiser to support a soccer field in Ferndale in 1995. But look at it now. It has evolved into an annual event that attracts over 1 million visitors from around the world, and more than 40,000 muscle cars, street rods, custom, collector and special interest vehicles.

So Saturday, I started my adventure by getting my twin six year old daughters dressed and ready to go. Yes, I brought kids with me to the Dream Cruise. I live in Royal Oak, so we went to the corner of 13 mile and Woodward which happens to be where Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram and Fiat had their display.

You're probably wondering where I parked. Well, I drove around a residential area close by and parked on the street. Others did the same thing because the street where I parked was jam-packed with cars on both sides. Then, it was a little bit of hike from where I parked to Woodward Avenue, but it was okay. No big deal...I managed.

The sights,sounds and smells at the event were amazing. You could hear powerful engines revving up as the muscle cars drove up and down Woodward as well as music from the radio station booth blasting the air with Rock and Roll. You could also smell all kinds of different foods being cooked by all kinds of vendors in tents all up and down the avenue. And of course, you could see the endless parade of classic cars, muscle cars and custom cars driving by.

There were lots of things to see and do. It almost was overwhelming but again, I managed. I had kids with me so I took them to all the kid friendly places.

The Chrysler corner on 13 mile and Woodward had all kinds of fun things for kids. First stop was a Dodge display where they had a face painting booth. There, a couple of ladies dressed in clown outfits decorated my kids' faces. One got a flower and the other got Oscar the grouch painted on.

Then we headed off to the Fiat display where they had a young lady with some stencils and paint spray-painting logos on kid's arms and legs. My kids saw this and yelled out, "TATOO! Daddy, we want a tattoo!" So we got in line and they got their tattoos. One got a Fiat logo and the other got a Ram logo spray-painted on. They thought it was pretty cool.

Next we went to a Ram Monster truck display where they had a photographer take our picture for free. We were then given a badge with a website and a code so that later on, after a short survey, we could download our picture from our home computer. Aha...so that's how they get people to fill out those surveys.

We then walked around some more and spotted a Crussh Smoothie booth. It was a nice day but from all the walking around, we were hot and thirsty and boy, did this hit the spot. We got a couple of berry smoothies and went on to explore some more.

What an event. My girls and I were exhausted from all of the walking around but we had a good fun day. The Woodward Dream Cruise for me, was a spectacular experience. It's fun to drive in, or, merely watch and marvel at from the sidelines. I dreaded participating before, but now that I had, I'll certainly do it again next year.



Well, that's it for this blog. Thanks for tuning in. Please feel free to leave a comment below.

- Ed Dancel is a sales consultant at Southfield Chrysler 248-354-2950

My Rant on Poor Customer Service - Ed Dancel

"Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name, and they're always glad you came."

Do you remember those lyrics from the hit TV show "Cheers"? As a customer, that's certainly where I'd like to go and do business. I'd certainly want to go where I felt comfortable, welcomed and appreciated. I'd certainly want to go where people are in good moods, enthusiastic, energetic, happy and smiling all the time just like our greeter Heather in this picture on the left.

Well,today I was reminded of how crucial good customer service is to our business when I received a very poor one going into my local bank branch. I felt like the teller assisting me did not care about me at all. She kept pointing out the reasons why she couldn't do my transaction but did not provide me with any solutions on how I can make it happen. I walked out of that bank frustrated and irritated. I wanted to strangle her.

I've been with this bank for several years now, going to that same branch, doing that same transaction over and over again. I've gotten to know most of the tellers there. Normally they're all really nice and very accommodating to me and we'd joke around and laugh through the whole transaction. I really felt comfortable doing business there but today, I was ready to take my money out of there and start a new account with another bank. I spent my whole lunch hour locating another branch and at this other location, my transaction was handled with no problem. You see, there really wasn't an issue with my transaction. The issue was with the person who was assisting me.

Good customer service is the lifeblood of any business. You can offer promotions and slash prices to bring in as many new customers as you want, but unless you can get some of those customers to come back, your business won't be profitable for long.

Good customer service is all about bringing customers back and about sending them away happy - happy enough to pass positive feedback about your business along to others, who may then try the product or service you offer for themselves and in their turn become repeat customers.

Well, that's it for now. Thanks for letting me vent. I feel better now. Please feel free to comment below.

- Ed Dancel is a sales consultant at Southfield Chrysler 248-354-2950

A "Kick Ass" Alternative to the Minivan - Ed Dancel

So once in a while, Chrysler would send over a trainer to the dealerships to give us salespeople a refresher course on one of our products.

Today, Ryan from Chrysler Academy came over to retrain us on the cool features of the 2011 Dodge Journey. Outside changes are subtle from the 2010 model, but inside the new Journey is where it's dramatically different.

The 2011 model gets a much nicer cabin, touchscreen controls and a smooth, quiet ride. Ryan calls this the "Kick Ass Alternative to the Minivan".

Now, don't get me wrong. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the minivans, but for all of you soccer moms out there...and you know who you are...who can't see themselves driving a minivan yet, this is the sportier family vehicle just for you.

Ryan pointed out features like the all new 3.6-L V6 Pentastar engine which produces almost 300 horsepower and gets almost 30 miles per gallon on the highway. It also has variable valve timing which adjusts automatically during different driving conditions to allow the engine to breathe better for better performance.

It's also one the safest vehicles on the road right now with standard anti-lock brakes, electronic stability control, multi-stage front airbags and side curtain airbags.

One of the major improvements on the 2011 Journey is its interior. Once you get inside the Journey you'll instantly notice the craftsmanship and detail that Chrysler has put into it including lots of soft touch materials on arm rests,door panels, shift knobs and steering wheel. You'll also notice that the dash is more streamlined and fit together so nicely. It almost feels like it was custom tailored just for you.

The best part about the 2011 Journey is the new high tech gadgets. The first thing you'll see that will put you in awe is the all new full color 8.4" touchscreen right in the middle of the dash. It's not just a radio folks. It's your central command module for the vehicle. It's like having an iPad built right into your car. It controls your climate settings, your heated seats, the navigation system, your multi-media devices. It plays music, it displays photos, plays videos. It allows you to communicate hands-free using bluetooth. It has voice command and you can pause and rewind live music on the Sirius Satellite channels. This device is impressive. If you don't believe me go see one for yourself.

Being with new cars every day, it's easy to forget how marvelous our products are. Thanks to trainers like Ryan from Chrysler Academy, we get reminded often.

Well, until next blog, thanks for tuning in folks. Post a comment below if you want and follow my blog.



- Ed Dancel is a sales consultant at Southfield Chrysler 248-354-2950

Getting a Great Review on Yelp Means a Lot - Ed Dancel

So I was playing around with my computer this morning when I decided to Google my name. Guess what popped up? A great review of me from a Ms. Jacqueline R. on Yelp.

Here's What She Wrote:

"This four-star rating is reflective of the consideration and professionalism I received from Ed Dancel. He is a thoughtful and considerate salesperson. He does not tell the customer what they want, he advises them on the best vehicle for their needs. He also considers the affordability of the vehicle for the customer. Not unlike most consumers, I am a loyal customer when treated fairly, Therefore, I am proud to say that this is my second lease form Mr. Dandcel. However it is unfortunate that his professionalism has not inspired some of his co-workers, specifically those in the service department."

What the heck is Yelp you ask? See, I can read your mind. Well, Yelp is a Social Networking site where anyone can join to rate and write reviews about businesses, people or places around town. It's like being your own Better Business Bureau. It's a great site to read what people are saying about places you frequent or places you want to know more about before you go. It's a great site to get recommendations or warnings on places you should avoid.

Well, I really appreciate reading about what a GREAT job I did for Ms. Jacqueline R. Her review has really made this Happy Car Salesman even HAPPIER! :)

- Ed Dancel is a sales consultant at Southfield Chrysler 248-354-2950

We're Still Giving Away 32" Flat Screen TV's - Ed Dancel

Well, today was a very productive day. We still have a lot of 2011 models left in our inventory. But don't let that fool you because they are quickly disappearing. Now to help clear them out, we've decided to continue our 32" TV giveaway with each delivery up to the 20th of the month.

The Really Sweet Deal I wrote Today

I wrote a deal today on a 2011 Charger R/T AWD for Mr. Yee. Now this is quite an unusual deal because instead of us collecting money from him, Mr. Yee will actually get a little over $2,000.00 back at delivery plus a FREE TV. How's that for a good deal?

How is this possible you ask? Well, it's all in the trade. Mr. Yee has a 2006 Chrysler Sebring that he's trading in. Because his car is free and clear, his car has equity which means MONEY! Instead of him writing us a check at delivery, we are using the equity in his trade to pay for the lease and because the pre-paid lease for the 2011 Dodge Charger R/T AWD is less than what we're giving him for his Sebring, he gets money back at signing. Now is that cool or what? How many times have you gone to a dealership to buy a car and the dealership pays you and gives you a FREE TV? I'm very excited for Mr. Yee. I can't wait for him to pick up his new ride tomorrow.


- Ed Dancel is a sales consultant at Southfield Chrysler 248-354-2950

2012 Dodge Charger SRT8 - Motor Trend First Test

It wouldn't be surprising for the 2012 Dodge Charger SRT8 to show up wearing an American flag like a cape, bald eagle at the helm with smoke pouring out of the rear wheel wells and fireworks exploding overhead. This is pure American muscle.

2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8

The ultimate performance SUV was revealed by Jeep at the New York International Auto Show - the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8.

• Offers unique blend of legendary Jeep capability and utility, head-turning SRT performance, luxury and refinement, and innovative advanced technologies
• Best performing Jeep vehicle ever: 0-60 mph in 4.8 seconds; quarter mile in
mid-13 second range; top speed of 155 mph; 60-0 mph braking in 116 feet
• Most powerful Jeep vehicle ever with all-new 6.4-liter HEMI V-8 that delivers an estimated 465 horsepower and 465 lb.-ft. of torque
• Best handling Jeep vehicle ever features advanced new adaptive damping suspension managed by new Selec-Track system, delivering up to .90 g on the skid pad
• New active valve exhaust system allows standard Fuel Saver Technology to engage over a wider rpm range for an estimated 13-percent improvement in highway fuel efficiency and 450-mile range
• Standard steering wheel mounted paddle shifters allow spirited shifting on the road and track
• Available in Jeep showrooms in third quarter 2011

Powering the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 is Chrysler Group's all-new 6.4-liter HEMI® V-8 with Fuel Saver Technology that delivers an estimated 465 horsepower and 465 lb.-ft. of torque -- an improvement of 45 horsepower and 45 lb.-ft. torque over the 6.1-liter HEMI V-8 it replaces.

An active intake manifold and high-lift camshaft with cam phasing delivers maximum low-end torque while optimizing high-end power across a wider and improved rpm band. Specifically, 90-percent of peak torque is available between 2,800 and 6,000 rpm, allowing for inspired standing starts and improved straight-line performance.