Helping however we can

One of the most embarassing events in the world is to apply for a loan and be denied because of your credit. Oftentimes a person's credit can suffer through no fault of their own. An unplanned medical expense, being out of work for a prolonged time, a business failure, or risk that didn't pan out can all have disastrous effects on a person's credit. And once your credit is damaged, many of the things most of us take for granted slip out of reach.

Can you imagine having the powertrain of your car fail, and being unable to buy a new one--at least being unable to take out a loan to afford anything safe and reliable? Sadly, that's the situation many members of our community find themselves in. But Braeger is committed to helping.

This last Saturday, September 24th, Mary Bennett and Willy Burazin, spent their day at a free credit counseling seminar, helping and showing people what they could do to help rebuild their credit records. And their efforts are already paying off.

Our finance department specializes in doing the impossible!	Willy Burazin Focuses on getting the deal done.

Thanks to the hard work of the Braeger Sales and Braeger Finance teams, we've already helped nearly a dozen people get new cars. To work with someone and tell them that we managed to secure an approval on a loan they never ever expected to be approved for is just an amazing experience, and it's one we get to share often here at Braeger.

More information on E85

I just found this website (http://www.e85fuel.com/information/vin.php) which will make it even easier to figure out if your car can use E85 fuel. Since E85 still seems to be less expensive than regular gas, this might be able to help you save some money.

The site will tell you if your car can use E85, just by reading your car's VIN (Vehicle Identification Number). You can find the VIN in the lower corner of your windshield on the driver's side, or on a sticker on the edge of the driver's door.

For a longer discussion of E85 and its benfits, see the previous blog article here.

My favorite thing to hear!

I came into work this morning, and saw another of my favorite emails to receive: Compliments from one of our customers.

I want to share what Barbara had to say about her experience here:

It's a little late, but I wanted to say what outstanding service I received earlier this month from Chris Rhode. My Buick Rondezvous was having transmission trouble, and Chris went above and beyond to be sure it was covered under my extended warranty.
It took a little while to get it all done, but Chris was diligent in keeping me informed about the progress. I used to have my car serviced at Rank & Son, but now I will go out of my way to go to Braeger. Thanks!

Keep up the good work Chris!

A new way to contact us!

In our everlasting quest to it easier for people to contact us, Braeger just entered the era of instant messaging.

As of yesterday, in addition to telephone and email, Braeger can be reached by instant messaging any of the major services. Feel free to message us at any of the following addresses:

AoL Instant Messenger: BraegerAuto
ICQ: 286302740
Yahoo Messenger: BraegerAuto
Microsoft Messenger: BraegerAuto@hotmail.com

I hope this adds a little extra convenience to our services. Members of the Braeger Business Development Center will be on hand from 8:00 A.M. until 9:00 P.M.

How you can get better gas mileage, and how we can help

On the radio, an hour or so ago, a woman warned me to fill up my gas tank now, since it looks like Hurricane Rita will cause a spike in prices over the next few days. Since I don't have a car that is flex fuel capable, I thought it was time to seriously consider how to maximize my gas budget. It turns out that there are a few simple things I'm doing wrong and a few simple things I'm doing right to get the most (ahem) bang for my buck. The federal website, here had some great suggestions.

Based on their calculations, here are the top ten ways to maximize your gas money, in order of biggest savings to least savings.

#1) Drive Sensibly

By far, poor driving habits can have the most devastating effect on gas mileage. Speeding, strong accelerations, jackrabbit starts, and heavy braking can add up to reduce your gas mileage by up to 33%! What that means is if your car was rated at 30 miles/gallon, a 33% decrease would drop you to 20 miles/gallon! More directly, if gas was priced at $3.00 per gallon and you were wasting 33%, you would be paying the equivalent of $4.00 per gallon--that's unthinkable!

#2) Obey the Speed Limit

Since air resistance increases rapidly over 60 mph, your gas mileage decreases just as rapidly. In fact, it is estimated that on average, a car loses approximately 7% fuel efficiency for every 5 mph you drive above 60. To convert into dollars and cents again, the estimates were that if you speed, you're adding an extra $0.10 to $0.50 to $1.00 per gallon to your bill!

#3) Check and Replace Air Filters Regularly

The government estimates an old air filter can hurt your gas mileage by up to 10% (Up to $0.30 per gallon if you prefer). That's something we can help with. Come by and one of our trained technicians will be able to immediately check your filter and make sure it's not costing you money. Of course since the air filter is also an essential component to protecting the lifetime of your engine, keeping a clean air filter will be saving you money in the future too.

#4) Keep Your Engine Properly Tuned

On average, on average, a car that needs engine work will be 4% more efficient when it gets fixed. In some cases the amount is much much much higher. In fact, the federal website points out that something as simple as a defective oxygen sensor can hurt gas mileage by as much as 40%! Would you buy gas at a gas station that sold it for $4.20 per gallon if everyone else was at $3.00? Probably not. So make sure your car is in good running order. If you're concerned about your car's condition, call us. Our state-of-the art diagnostic tools, and skilled technicians will be able to quickly make sure your car is in tip-top shape.

#5) Keep Your Tires Properly Inflated

This is one I'm pretty good on. (Unlike #2, avoiding speeding...) Nevertheless, I'm continually surprised, to see how many people are driving around on tires that are so underinflated they're not only inefficient, but dangerous! The federal efficiency website again estimates that driving on underinflated tires can lose you a little over 3% on your fuel efficiency--more if your tires are VERY underinflated. Keep in mind, that as temperatures drop, tire pressures do too. Since we're heading into winter, please check your tire pressure regularly.
There should be a label that looks like this:
on the inside edge of the driver's door of your car. It should tell you what your tires' proper inflation pressures are. If you don't have a tire pressure gauge, or just don't want to hassle, just drive right into our service department, and we'll check the pressure and make sure your tires are properly inflated for free.

#6) Remove Excess Weight

Did you know that every 100lbs you carry in your car, on average, reduces your fuel efficiency by 1-2%? So, if you don't have to have it with you, then leave it at home! Even a 2% increase in efficiency is like saving $0.06 a gallon when gas hits $3.00 per gallon! A lot of people will drive out of their way to save $0.02, or $0.03 on gas, and here's a way to save a lot and not drive anywhere!

#7) Use the Recommended Grade of Motor Oil

I don't even know what grade oil my car is supposed to use. In fact, I never really gave it a thought. But it turns out that using the wrong grade oil can have a noticeable impact on your fuel efficiency! Using 10W-30 motor oil, for example, in an engine designed to use 5W-30 hurts efficiency between 1-2%. You can quickly find what grade oil your car should use by looking in your owner's manual.

#8) Avoid Excessive Engine Idling

The federal site says it best: "Idling gets 0 miles per gallon."
In today's modern cars, letting a car "warm up" before driving, or waiting with the engine running while parked is just burning up money.

#9) Use Cruise Control

Hearkening back to #1, cruise control helps avoid excessive acceleration, and keeps your car at a constant speed. This helps the engine run more efficiently, and use less gas.

#10) Use Overdrive Gears

A lot of people aren't familiar with what an overdrive gear is: it's just a gear in your car's transmission that lets the engine not have to work as hard at higher speeds. Not only does it save gas (a lot!) but it helps your car operate more smoothly, quietly, and reduces engine wear.

As a bonus feature, check out this great website. (www.milwaukeegasprices.com) It shows the gas stations with the lowest and highest gas prices in the Milwaukee area in the last 48 hours. It's updated all the time, and has seemed to be pretty accurate. Since there looks like over a $0.30 difference in prices between the lowest and highest priced gas stations, this site could also save you a nice pile of money.

A Message From Todd Reardon

I just received a copy of this letter from our owner, Todd Reardon. Hopefully everyone has seen it, but if you haven't I thought I would post it here too. I wouldn't want anyone to miss it.

To: All Employees

Thousands of dealership employees in the New Orleans area will not be returning to work for several months as a result of the damage sustained from Hurrcane Katrina. They have no income and still need to pay bills and provide for their families. The National Auto Dealers Association and Wisconsin Auto & Truck Dealers Association have asked us to take up a collection for these people.

The Braeger organization will match all monies donated by employees.

If every employee donates $20.00 or more, Braeger will be sending approximately $10,000 to the relief fund. Thank you for your generosity.

Todd Reardon

Please consider contributing. Every little bit helps. Just imagine yourself in these people's shoes. Can you imagine having your job, your car, or home washed away, but still having your car loan and mortgage payment due anyway?

To contribute, just talk to your department's manager.

A simple way a lot of people are overlooking to save on gas.

Tony Pochowski

While talking to a customer, I started thinking about whether we're approaching saving money on gas from the only possible angle. I mean, everyone is looking for high-gas mileage vehicles. And obviously, that's a way to save on gas money. But, if you could fuel your car with something cheaper, that'd save you money too.

Which led me to remember that there's a fuel source that works on a lot of vehicles that a lot of people are probably overlooking--E85. E85 is a combination of ethanol and gas that contains more ethanol than gas--85% ethanol to 15% gas. (Your typical gasoline contains more gas than ethanol--85% gas to 15% ethanol.)

What does this mean for you? A pretty big savings.

Because ethanol is derived from corn, and not oil, it hasn't been subject to the vast price increases lately, and often costs over a $1.00 per gallon less than regular unleaded gasoline.

Not every car is equipped to use E85 as fuel though, so before filling up, check this list to see if your car is on it. There's a longer list available here, at the State of Wisconsin Department of Administration website.

Of the vehicles Braeger offers, the following are E85 (flex-fuel) capable (from the Wisconsin DoA website):

Daimler Chrysler:

• Select 2003-2006 2.7L Chrysler Sebrings


• All 1998-2003 3.3L Plymouth/Chrysler Voyagers


• All 1998-2003 3.3L Town & Country

Ford Motor Company:

• Select 2006 5.4L Ford F150s (3-valve) (Available December 2005)


• Select 2006 4.6L Crown Victorias (2-valve) (Excludes taxi and police units)


• Select 1995-2006 3.0L Taurus LX, SE and SES


• Select 2002-2005 4.0L Explorers


• Select 2004-2005 4.0L Explorer Sport Tracs


• Select 1999-2003 3.0L Rangers & Ranger Supercabs 4WD & 2WD

General Motors:

• Select 2006 3.5L Chevy Impalas


• Select 2006 3.5L Monte Carlos


• Select 2006-2006 5.3L Vortec-Engine Chevy Avalanches


• Select 2002-2006 5.3L Vortec-Engine Chevy Surburbans


• Select 2002-2006 5.3:L Vortec-Engine Chevy Tahoes


• Select 2002-2006 5.3L V-8 Engine Chevy Silverados


• Select 2000-2006 5.3L 2.2L Chevy S-10 (After 12/99)

If you see your vehicle on the list, check your owner's manual to see if your engine is set up to use E85. You can also contact us, and we can let you know if your vehicle is "flex-fuel capable."

The next obvious question is:

Where can I find E85?

Right now only select gas stations offer E85. Here's a list of Milwaukee, WI area gas stations offering the E85, also from the Wisconsin DoA website.

Citgo 145 W Oklahoma Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53207 (414) 483-6398	Citgo 2426 N. Farwell Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53211 (414) 347-1764
Citgo 425 E. Capitol Dr. Milwaukee, WI 53212 (414) 961-2425	Marathon 4137 W. Fond Du Lac Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53216 (414) 447-9082
Marathon 10501 Brown Deer Rd. Milwaukee, WI 53224 (414) 586-0851

If you have any more questions, feel free to call us at:

1-800-508-4135

You can also contact us electronically by email here or by leaving a comment below.

DaimlerChrysler Matching Employee Red Cross Contributions

I just got word that DaimlerChrysler will match employee and dealership contributions to the Red Cross! As a major multinational corporation, this could be a great help in the Red Cross's efforts in the wake of the hurricane.

Here's the text of the DaimlerChrysler article:

DaimlerChrysler today is announcing a $1 million commitment to the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. As a part of that, the DaimlerChrysler Corporation Fund has approved a disaster relief grant of $500,000, which includes a provision to match gifts from our employees as well as Chrysler Group dealers and their employees.
STEP 1: TO MAKE A DONATION:

Make your check payable to the “American Red Cross” and write “2005 Hurricane Katrina Relief” on the memo line of your check. Send your check directly to:

American Red Cross
P.O. Box 37243
Washington, D.C. 20013

You may also submit a credit card donation directly to the American Red Cross via their Web site at www.redcross.org.

STEP 2: TO APPLY FOR THE MATCH:

Please send a photocopy of your check, or a copy of your online contribution confirmation to the following address to facilitate a matching donation. In addition, please include your dealership name and dealer code.

DaimlerChrysler Corporation Fund
Hurricane Katrina Matching Gifts
Post Office Box 218006
CIMS 485-10-94
Auburn Hills, Michigan 48321-9955

DaimlerChrysler and its associates have a long history of helping others in times of crisis. Your sincere interest in aiding victims of Hurricane Katrina reflects that commitment. Thanks in advance for any contribution you may make.

If you have any questions, let me know and I'll do my best to answer them!

Speaking of "Atta boys!"

Speaking of "Atta boys!" there's a huge (humonguous, really) one that needs to go out, and that's to Braeger as a whole.

I don't know how many of you are familiar with how active Braeger is in the community. Even if you think you do know exactly how active we are, I think you'll be surprised. Beyond the widely popularized events like saving Western Days, and hosting the picnic for Lutheran Social Services and the foster families, Braeger is involved almost daily in making the community a better place to live, work, and raise a family. Maybe that's why the owner, Todd Reardon, was named "Citizen of the Year" in 2001 by the Milwaukee Police Association.

This is just a quick list of some of the organizations that Braeger is actively working with or contributing to:
1. West Allis Western Days
2. The CAP (Child Abuse Prevention) Fund
3. Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee
4. Children's Hospital Foundation
5. American Red Cross
6. United Way
7. Several Veterans Organizations
8. Milwaukee Police Association
9. Milwaukee Police Supervisor Organization
10. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
11. Journey House
12. Aicardi Syndrome Foundation
13. Prevent Blindness America
14. Jason Monreal Scholarship Fund
15. Apprenticeship Programs at Pulaski HS and Greenfield HS
16. Drivers' Education Car Program
17. Scholarships (2) for Oak Creek High School graduates
18. Scholarships (2) for Cudahy High School graduates
19. Sojourner Truth House
20. Milwaukee 6th District Police
21. Wilson Park Youth and Senior Baseball
22. Kathy's House
23. Service Club of Milwaukee
24. Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA)
25. NABVETS/Wisconsin
26. St. Francis Children's Center
27. Friends of Froedtert Hospital
28. Centro De La Comunidad
29. Greenfield Partners of Parks
30. Friends of Boerner Botanical Gardens
31. Friends of Schmidt Audubon Society
32. Sam's Hope

Not bad, is it? I think it deserves an "Atta boy!"

Brutal Truth Motors, Volume 2

Welcome to week two of Brutal Truth Motors. After a successful grand opening last week, Brutal Truth Motors is officially thriving and ready to de-legitimize more thoughts and beliefs about buying cars! If you missed last week’s introduction, Brutal Truth Motors is a full service truth telling operation about buying cars. Keep in mind though; it’s usually not what you want to hear. Its what really happens, not what consumer reports wants you to think happens.

This week’s episode: No, your bank probably can’t get you a better rate than one of our banks!

I bet you love your bank, I know I love mine. In fact, I use a credit union. Everyone loves credit unions, after all they are “owned by the members” right? They wouldn’t ever try to make a penny off me. I am sure that 600 foot tall state of the art building they have downtown was donated by the good will of its members, not forged by their massive profits….

You might want to think again about your bank. If you don’t think they are out to take you for as much money as they can, then you need to come down and have a chat with me. Everyone trusts “their” bank, so they often forget that the banks sole reason for being is to make money. And how does a bank make money? By charging you as high an interest rate as it possibly can. (At the meantime, offering you as low as possible an interest rate on any savings-type accounts you have with it!)

Well, guess what, we are trying to make money too. BUT, we usually can get you a much better rate then your bank can get you! Why? Simple: We are a more valued customer of our banks than you are of yours. How many car loans will you take out with your bank this month? If it’s anything less than 300, we’ve got you beat. When a bank knows we can direct 300 car loans a month to them, or away from them, they’re awful interested in gaining that business. That’s 3,600 loans a year! At $3,000 average profit on a car loan over its term, that’s over $1 million in profits from us each year! Do you represent a million dollars in profit for your bank? If you don’t, which one of us do you think is more likely to get offered a better rate?

And speaking of loans and financing, there’s something else I just have to get off my chest. Please don’t tell me: “I have perfect credit with an 890 fico score, my bank can get me financed.” This is the nonsense “showing off” type speak we hear all the doggone time at the car dealership. People routinely try to impress us with their credit score thinking it will somehow influence the way we work a car deal. They are dead wrong. We don’t care if you have a 900 credit score, or a 300 credit score—neither does the car you’re buying! No matter your credit score, at the end of the day if our lot has one less car in it, and your driveway has one more, we’re happy as clams.

That’s about it for now. I’ll be back next week, brutally honest as ever, and if you missed last week's episode, click here!

"Atta Boy!"

"Sometimes in this industry we go around without a pat on the back for the work that we do."

I recently heard this from a wise colleague of mine, and was struck by its simple truth. It's a truth that extends beyond this industry, and I think is becoming all too common in the world around us. I want to change that. I'm going to take every opportunity I can to offer up the pat on the back, the "Atta boy!" that so many of you deserve.

The first is a bit late in coming, but is certainly better late than never. Two months ago, Braeger had a competition where employees were asked to work doubly hard to refer customers to the dealership to buy new cars. While everyone, I'm sure, worked their hardest to bring fresh faces to Braeger, a few people stood head and shoulders above the rest. (As soon as I see them, I'll add their pictures here--I want you to give them an "Atta boy!" when you see them too!)

Bob Mesich, Russ Chapman, Craig Pozarski, and Dan Marquardt combined to send in 26 referral customers who bought cars. That's just incredible. And of this group, Bob Mesich alone accounted for 11! Keeping in mind that Braeger has about 200 employees, if everyone had referred in similar numbers to these four, we would have had over 1000 referral sales--that's about as many sales as the total number of new cars our Ford or Chrysler dealerships sell in an entire year!

Even though these four were honored at the August 12th banquet, and received several prizes, they definitely earned their place here too.

Bob, Russ, Craig, Dan: Atta boy!

If you can think of anyone else who deserves a great big pat on the back, let me know! I've got enough to go around!

More on the Fusion

I just read this great article from Motortrend magazine about the Ford Fusion.

Besides just giving a breakdown of the specs of the vehicle--height/weight/power/gas mileage--it highlights what look to be some key advantages of the new model. A new Mercedes-Benz style suspension, a six-speed (!) automatic transmission, and hydraulic-mounted engines all look like they should comfortably set the Fusion apart from its competitors.

Keep an eye here if you want to test drive a Fusion, or just take a closer look. I'll be sure to let you know when we start receiving them!

Update: Darnell's take on things!

Here are Darnell's answers to our five featured employee questions, as promised!
1) What would you like the world (or at least Braeger) to know about you?
Darnell: I love helping people. It always brightens my day to put a smile on a persons face. If you need a smile, call, I will hook you up. Seriously, give me a try. Boom! Done. You’re happy, told you.
2) What makes you proud of Braeger and of working here?
Darnell: The thing that makes me the most proud about working here, is the satisfaction that comes from helping people purchase vehicles. I once had a customer that was so sure that she couldn’t buy a vehicle; when I told her she was able to get the car, she cried. I felt so proud of our company and our finance department. Those customers have since bought two other vehicles, and have referred two people.
3) Why do you think I chose you (or should, or would choose you) as a Braeger Featured Employee?
Darnell: This one is easy. Clearly, because I Rock! Ask anyone; I’ve said it before. You’ll hear me say it again. I ROCK!
4) What are you driving right now?
Darnell: Being the Used Car Manager, I have lots of vehicles to choose from. Most recently: 05 Madza 3, 04 Durango Limited, 01 Eclipse Convertible, 02 Grand Cherokee, 05 Dodge Caravan, 05 Wrangler, and oh yeah, 02 Pontiac GTP, yep, Supercharged.
5) When you're not at Braeger, what do you enjoy doing?
Darnell: Riding my crotch-rocket at speeds fast enough to peel the skin from my face. Spending time with my family. Quiet nights at home. Long walks on the beach. Pina Coladas and getting caught in the rain.


So, there you have it folks! Who'll make it in next week?