A Brave New World at Mercedes Benz

It’s an exciting time in the automobile industry. The cars are lighter, more efficient and better-equipped, while the business of selling them has become increasingly streamlined thanks to the wealth of information to which customers have access.  

Mercedes-Benz of Cincinnati and Mercedes-Benz of West Chester have kept pace of these changes, and in many ways they are leading the industry forward. With their team’s unique depth of experience, balanced by an infusion of talented young employees, the dealerships are prepared for a future they are helping to create.  

“Mercedes-Benz has such a spectacular product line coming out right now,” says Anthony DeStefano, a sales associate at Mercedes-Benz of Cincinnati. “The cars are more affordable and higher tech. We’re changing the image of what Mercedes-Benz used to be and catching up with a younger, more informed consumer base.”  

One example of that fresh product line is the new GLA, a spacious crossover that handles like a sports car. From its low center of gravity and high level of torque to its futuristic interior and manageable retail price, the car typifies where Mercedes-Benz is going: bold, powerful and sexy, yet also efficient, affordable and high-tech.  

Still, a Mercedes-Benz is a Mercedes-Benz. Every car it makes, from the very first to the 2015 GLA to the hovercraft of 2035, will feature the best engineering and the most thoughtful design. After all, though the car company’s innovation is what drives it forward, the longevity of its employees is what truly sets it apart.  

A millennium: that’s how much experience the employees of Mercedes-Benz of Cincinnati and West Chester have. Think about that for a second. One thousand years of experience in sales, parts, service and management. One thousand years fine-tuning the back end of operations. One thousand years of an ongoing pursuit of perfection that is apparent in every detail.  

“Everyone knows exactly what they’re doing, and everything moves smoothly as a result,” says Wes Nichols, parts adviser at Mercedes-Benz of Cincinnati. “No one second guesses anything. Everyone knows what they’re talking about because they’ve been in many different positions and dealt with many different scenarios. When a customer comes in with a tricky situation we are confident we can solve it for them because we’ve probably solved the same problem many times before.”  

“When something is said, it is carried out consistently throughout the whole company so we don’t get different people telling different stories,” says Andrew VonBargen, service adviser at Mercedes-Benz of West Chester. “It means a better experience for the customer.”  

“We reward longevity,” says Toni Johnson, human resources administrator at Mercedes-Benz of Cincinnati. “We give out a sizable bonus every year to employees who have been here for 15 years, and then increase that bonus at 20 years and above. I don’t know of many other companies that do that, but we really appreciate our employees and we show it.”  

Justin Kraus, a service consultant at Mercedes-Benz of Cincinnati, who together with Nichols, VonBargen and DeStefano represents an emerging generation of leadership at the dealerships, values the experience of those above him because they’re accessible and knowledgeable. But those at the top value his generation as well because some things just come easier to them.  

“I can get through technology in a car quicker than people who have been here for a long time,” says Kraus. “I can sit in a car for a few minutes and figure everything out.”  

Those of Kraus’s generation can absorb technology as if through osmosis. It’s a willingness, born from familiarity, to push buttons and see what happens. As more technologically advanced cars come out, this intrepid generation of button-pushing cosmonauts is becoming indispensable to companies like Mercedes-Benz, which is focusing more and more on a younger group of customers.  

“The group with the most purchasing power right now is Generation Y,” says Kraus, who numbers among that group. “We’re growing up and want a great, affordable entry-level car, and that’s what Mercedes-Benz is offering.”  

“These young consumers are more educated than ever before, and when they come in they want to be taken seriously. They’ve done their homework and they know the features they want and they don’t want to waste their time,” says DeStefano. “I can relate because I grew up with iPads and I’m comfortable with technology. But it’s also about transparency and trust.”  

Charlie Banks, the youngest sales representative at Mercedes-Benz of West Chester, agrees. “ You can go on the Internet and find anything you want on a car, so now when a customer comes into the dealership they’re often just testing you to see if you’re going to tell them the truth or not. You’ve got to be straightforward and completely honest, and that’s what we’re trained to do.”  

For VonBargen, his knowledge of technology helps on the back end of the business as well. “I can save customers trips to the dealer by talking them through a problem on the phone or through an online chat, like setting up Bluetooth. Not only do they save a trip, but they’re also proud of themselves for being able to do it.  

“It’s getting more and more like the car is an extension of yourself,” he continues. “There’s so much media and so much room for sharing and self expression in the car. It’s all about instant gratification.”  

This is the brave new world of cars. You have to have a wealth of experience to maintain the level of quality that brought you here, but you also have to be constantly on your toes because things are changing fast.  

“There’s no telling where the business is going,” says Richard Ieraci, master certified technician at Mercedes-Benz of Cincinnati, “but the sky is the limit.”