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Vatland Honda
Case Study
“The Mood team quickly built a positive rapport with us. They are very trustworthy. With Music and Scent from Mood, we’re able to create the right atmosphere and feel for our customers, and it consistently pays off.”
– David Vatland
President, Vatland Honda
About Vatland Honda
For more than 30 years the Vatland Honda family has been serving the areas in and around Florida’s picturesque Treasure Coast region. David Vatland, VP and grandson of the dealership’s original founder, oversees the daily operations. He has sustained the customer-first mission of the dealership from its inception and he strives to create an excellent experience that drives trust and loyalty.
The Partnership
The partnership between Mood and Vatland Honda dates back to 2014. Prior to joining Mood, David sought a professional music solution that could help them enhance the welcoming and friendly experience they strive to create. “With the radio, we were frequently hearing competitors’ ads and songs that just didn’t fit with the upbeat image of the Vatland brand,” David said. “From time to time we also heard objectionable and questionable lyrics.”
Taking the customer experience another step further, David also wanted a scent diffusion solution to complement their cookie-bar kitchen and further enhance the customer experience. “A special feature for our dealership is a full cookie-bar kitchen,” he said. “We serve free fresh-baked cookies to customers, but we’re not constantly baking them, so the smell doesn’t linger throughout the day. We want customers to experience that sweet aroma whenever they enter the dealership.”
The Music Matters
At one point during the summer of 2017, David was sitting in his office reviewing sales figures and he didn’t like what he found: sales were down for the quarter. The low numbers reflected his realization that foot traffic was lighter than normal in the dealership. He also noticed that the energy level in the dealership wasn’t the same as it used to be, but he couldn’t explain why.
Just as he was reviewing his sales reports, David heard a song play in the dealership that wasn’t part of his regular music programming. When he checked his music system, he noticed that someone changed the programming, and that the independent volume controls for various areas of the dealership had also been altered. Some of the speakers were even turned off completely. As David explained, he quickly took action to rectify the music problem, which turned out to be the fix he needed to give his sales numbers a boost.
“I immediately put our selected Music Program back on and carefully reset the volume levels to re-create the right mood and energy level in the dealership,” David said. “Over the next three days, sales went back up progressively. Six cars sold on day one, seven sold the next day and eight solid on day three!”
The Solution
A local Mood Account Executive worked with David to gain an understanding of the Vatland brand, their business goals and desired customer experience. To help them enhance the welcoming and upbeat feel that Vatland is known for, Mood implemented Core Music – an affordable and professional choice for both independent local businesses and regional brands alike.
With Core programming, David can choose from more than 160 professionally-designed and interruption-free programs. Each one is built from the industry’s largest library of fully-licensed music, and they’re regularly updated with new tracks to ensure that the sound is always fresh and up to date. Additionally,
all tracks are pre-screened for content or lyrics that may be inappropriate for a business setting.
To help maintain the aroma of freshly-baked cookies throughout the day, David went with Chocolate Chip Cookie as his signature fragrance from January through November. During the holidays he uses the Gingerbread scent to help spread holiday cheer throughout the dealership. All Mood Scent Solutions are specifically designed for business use, emitting a dry vapor air with no messy residue.
The Results
The customer experience is great and sales are still rolling strong at Vatland Honda. As mentioned by David, Music and Scent from Mood definitely play a role in driving success at his dealership.
“The music program we selected for the dealership has a specific purpose – to help keep customers engaged and to get them to buy a car,” said David. “The Scent has also been a great touch, and it helps build a connection with customers. It puts them at ease. Scent is directly tied to memory and the fragrances we utilize create a pleasant, welcoming customer experience. It has been very effective.”
When asked if he’d recommend Mood to other businesses, David had this to say:
“Absolutely. The Mood team quickly built a positive rapport with us. They are very trustworthy. With Music and Scent from Mood, we’re able to create the right atmosphere and feel for our customers, and it consistently pays off.”
– David Vatland
President, Vatland Honda
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