Sometimes you have to come from away to truly appreciate the place you live.
That’s certainly been the experience of Dan Berg, the general manager of Jacobson Ford.
“I came here in July of 2016 and I fell in love with the city. I love the people…the lifestyle…everything about Revelstoke. It’s an almost magical place and I can tell you that I’m here to stay,” said Berg.
It seems that his experience in the automobile sales and service industry has not always been the way it is today. Berg came up through the ranks in a culture where the general managers of large dealerships were “untouchable.”
“They were the guys on the third floor who the customers never saw. The guys who the salespeople would go see when you were negotiating the purchase of a vehicle. At Jacobson, it isn’t like that, and it shouldn’t be,” Berg said.
At Jacobson Ford, Berg handles about half the negotiations directly, answering questions and addressing concerns on a one-on-one basis with people who, after all, are his neighbours.
“That’s the way Revelstoke is and what makes it so great. Recently they had a community food drive and 350 people came out to help go door to door and collect donations for a food bank. In a city the size of Revelstoke that’s amazing,” said Berg.
The folks at Jacobson Ford go that same extra mile for their clients.
“I give people my cell phone number and I encourage them to call me any time they have a problem. I’ll get calls in the evening, on weekends, or early in the morning. People call me and ask for help because they’re out somewhere and their car won’t start, and when they call, we take care of them. It’s the way I like it.”
And it’s not only Berg who makes Jacobson Ford as special as the city it calls home.
“We have Randy Knecht, who knows everyone in town, and Arlana Bolton, who has two kids in school here and is active in the community. Marie Piers-Rodrigue, our French-Canadian firecracker, came here and fell in love with the place, and Ryan and James are our parts and service managers and like the rest of us, are a solid part of this great community.
It’s not unusual then that customer loyalty is a hallmark of Jacobson Ford. What other dealership will go to the effort to go to a customer’s home to pick up a car for servicing and return it that day, washed and ready to go?
“I know it sounds strange for a dealership to do that, but these are my friends, people I see on the streets, or while mountain biking or snowboarding. I see them in the grocery store…and I see our F150s and SUVs all over town and that makes me very proud as well,” said Berg.
As proud as Berg may be of the community in which he lives, he’s also grateful for the life he has here.
“Revelstoke will put a bounce back in your step. The people, the scenery, and the active lifestyles are all so special. People here are loyal to our dealership, sure, but they’re first and foremost loyal to one another. It’s a great place to live.”