Siegert brings reputation, experience to Chuck Van Horn

PLYMOUTH – Although he has 23 years of experience under his belt, Brian Siegert is the new kid on the block in the service department at Chuck Van Horn Dodge.

Siegert recently joined the Chuck Van Horn service staff, after building a solid reputation over two decades of car-repair service at Plymouth Oil.

When Plymouth Oil closed its doors earlier this year, a new door opened for Siegert, just down the street.

Eager to continue to work with many of his repeat customers, he joined the Chuck Van Horn staff as a service-department manager in July.

“It's nice to stay in Plymouth, where I have formed a good relationship with many loyal customers,” Siegert said. “It has been fun to watch families develop and grow through the years.

“Now I see a lot of kids of the customers I had when I started out,” he said. “It has also been nice to see how several customers that used to take their vehicles to Plymouth Oil, now come here.”

Siegert, along with fellow service managers Marc Shuman and Karrie Mertes, oversee a team of 14 fulltime auto technicians and detailers.

“I share the service manager duties with Marc and Karrie,” Siegert said. “We have a pretty large staff, with nine technicians and five detailers.

“All off our staff is fully certified and dedicated to the auto-service field,” he said.

Siegert’s duties at Chuck Van Horn are similar to those he had at Plymouth Oil, with some slight differences.

“Being affiliated with large Chrysler dealership, this is a much bigger and busier service shop,” he said. “I was used to working at small shop with three service technicians, whereas here we have almost five times the service staff.

“There are some factory requirements and things like that which are different, but basically it still comes down to dealing with people and giving them the best service possible.”

Chuck Van Horn Dodge offers a full-range of service, from tune-ups and oil changes, to transmission and electrical work, to battery and tire service and replacement.

“We pretty much offer everything, when it comes to service on all vehicle makes and models,” Siegert said.W

ith winter on the way, Siegert said tire, battery and coolant-level checkups are advised.

“A lot of people go with the radial snow tires for the winter,” Siegert said. “The snow tires have rims, which help to provide for a sure and straight drive.

“Many of the tires on new vehicles have low, wide profiles, which aren’t quite as good in the snow and ice,” he said.

According to Siegert, coolants should be flushed every two to three years, and batteries should be tested at least every five years.

“The best thing you can do as a vehicle owner is to follow the owner's manual for service and maintenance,” he said. “The manual tells when things should be done, according to the recommendation of the manufacturer.

“Every car is different, even among models with the same manufacturer. That is why it is advisable to seek out the best way to service your particular vehicle. It will help in the long run to avoid major problems and breakdowns.”

Although they are separate dealerships Chuck Van Horn Dodge works closely with neighboring Joe Van Horn Chevrolet to provide top-notch service.

“We are separate, but we do have shared services,” Siegert said. “We don’t have a body shop, so we refer our customers to the Joe Van Horn body shop.

“We also do some things for them on occasion,” he said.

While the economic downturn has forced other Chrysler dealerships in the area to close, Siegert said business at Chuck Van Horn has remained strong.

“There were some Chrysler dealerships that closed recently,” Siegert said. “We have seen some increased business, as a result of those closures.

“Overall, our volume has remained pretty steady,” he said.

Siegert believes honesty and quality are the keys to forming a solid bond with customers.

“It’s important to have open communication with customers,” he said. “I have always tried to make sure all work is done right the first time.

“Doing quality work right from the start is a big key in gaining and maintaining customers,” he said. “It is also important to be honest about the work being done. I have found that customers respect honesty.”

Chuck Van Horn Dodge specializes in all Chrysler vehicles, but it services and sells used cars from all other manufacturers.

“All makes and models are welcome here,” he said. “We can do it all.”

Customers are invited to shop for new and used cars on Chuck Van Horn’s Web site www.vhcars.com, or by visiting its sales lot at 3000 Eastern Ave. in Plymouth.

“Through the Internet, we have sold cars to people throughout the country and even in other countries,” he said.

Chuck Van Horn is open every day of the week, except Sunday. For more information on service and repair or new and used cars, call 920-893-6591 or 1-800-236-0151, or e-mail service@vandhorndodge.com.