Purchasing a new car or SUV is one of the most personal decisions you can make, and it’s always helpful when the process is a pleasant one. The staff at St. Charles Automotive in St. Peters has found a way to keep clients coming back by making the experience something they can look forward to.
The company soon will welcome customers to a new sales center for the Genesis luxury brand, a facility that’s expected to open later this year on Veterans Memorial Parkway near Mid Rivers Mall. President and general manager Kevin Maher Jr. says the new construction replaces a building that was there when the dealer group got its start in 1979, and the center will be fresh and modern in every way, with state-of-the-art technology and amenities like a coffee bar, zen garden, water features and comfortable seating. It joins the company’s Nissan and Hyundai dealerships on a single campus, a complete automotive shopping destination where clients can see new and pre-owned models and have their vehicles serviced.
“It’s very rewarding to have the business come full circle at this location,” Maher says. “We serve a lot of customers in this region, but also many who live in St. Louis city and county. You wouldn’t necessarily expect people to travel 40 minutes to buy a car, but we’ve found that for us, they are willing to make the drive. We enjoy a 60% level of repeat business and have generations of family members coming back to buy from us. We love hearing them say, ‘You sold me my first car, and I’m back for an upgrade.’” For all of that, Maher credits the dealership team, many of whom have been on staff for 20 or 30 years. “We really offer a superior, customer-first experience,” he notes.
Maher says another factor in that high level of loyalty is the auto group’s commitment never to charge more than the manufacturer’s suggested retail price for a vehicle. “It would never be worth risking our good name, even if the market were to support it,” he says. “We also are making the car-buying experience easier by having the three brands on site with a variety of models. Walking from one showroom to the next is easy, and people love that they can take a test drive, sign the paperwork and be out the door with a new car in 30 minutes. Or, they can choose and purchase a vehicle entirely online, which many younger buyers enjoy. One of the most important ways we treat our clients fairly is by respecting their time.”
The dealerships’ lineups consist mostly of models with gasoline engines, but Maher says Hyundai, Nissan and Genesis are rolling out electric options as part of a commitment to environmental responsibility.
“When our new facility is up and running by the third quarter of this year, it will be the first brick-and-mortar Genesis dealership in Missouri, and we plan to have a grand opening to celebrate,” Maher says. “When a new customer walks in the door, we don’t just aim to sell a car; we work to build a relationship. St. Charles Automotive has been here since 1979, and we plan to be here in 2079 and beyond.”
St. Charles Automotive in St. Peters will debut a new Genesis luxury dealership later this year, and its campus offers new Nissan and Hyundai models as well as preowned vehicles and service. Pictured on the cover: A rendering of the new Genesis dealership. For more information, call 636.441.4481 or visit stcharlesauto.com.
Cover design by Julie Streiler
Cover image courtesy of St. Charles Automotive
Pictured at top: St. Charles Automotive breaks ground on its new Genesis luxury dealership.
Photo courtesy of St. Charles Automotive
