The "New Way At Gateway" Service Team: from left, Matt Trombley, Service Department Manager Stacey Cantoni, and Dennis Wandrei
North Adams - The service team at Gateway Chevrolet, 69 Union St., operates with a can-do approach, said the dealership's General Manager Hugh Daley.
"We have a 'never say die' attitude,'" Daley said. "We're very dedicated."
"Where We Shine"
Service technicians Ray Kellerman and Rick O'Neill lead the tech team, and have a combined 55 years of Chevrolet repair service beneath their fingers. Kellerman's skills have a 32-year legacy while O'Neill's tenure at the sprawling downtown dealership covers 23 years.
And with every vehicle evolution, Kellerman and O'Neill spent hours familiarizing themselves with the latest General Motors technologies, said Daley.
"When you've been a tech for 32 years, 23 years, that means you've committed yourself to a lifetime of learning," he said. "And that's a real interesting thing."
Gateway Parts Manager David Barbeau utilizes a parts library that's "incredible," Daley said.
"Hard to find parts, that's one area where we shine," he said.
Lifetime Relationships Built On Trust
Another integral component of Gateway's customer services is a willingness to sit down with vehicle owners and identify situations precisely, Daley said.
"We are trying to generate lifetime relationships," he said."We want people to feel comfortable sending their kids in to buy, sending their grandkids in to buy."
"We want them to feel comfortable sending their kids and grandkids in here for repairs, too," said Service Manager Stacey Cantoni. "We diagnose [a problem]. We provide estimates, but we don't 'create' problems that don't exist."
Gateway employees are more than simply a workforce; the sales force, technicians, office workers and support staff are Northern Berkshire residents who are involved in community events, youth sports programs, and other activities.
"When people head out to Albany [N.Y.] for service or to buy, the people out there expect to see you once," Daley said. "That's a big area with thousands of people, if they lose one or two because something wasn't right, they don't feel it. We expect to see you at places other than here. We expect to see you in the supermarket, on the street, at community events, and we want to make sure that all our encounters are pleasant."
"We don't just see people as customers. Our customers are our community. We live here."
A trusting relationship with a dealership and a service department is extremely important because the technology behind vehicle operation and repair has become so advanced, Daley said.
Computers On Wheels
"Cars now are basically computers on wheels and it's good to have a strong relationship with your technician, to know you can trust the work," Daley said.
The city venue is now the only Chevrolet dealership in Berkshire County. The business launched in the 1940s as Shapiro Chevrolet and during the early 1980's, the business became Donohue Chevrolet. The Gateway moniker has stood tall on the street since 1993, Daley said.
"We try to be aware of the challenges that face Chevy customers from Great Barrington, Stockbridge, and we try to be helpful," he said.
The dealership offers in-house rental cars and has a shuttle service for customers whose vehicles are being repaired.
Servicing Late Model To Vintage Treasures
The repair shop rate is $70 per hour and that is very competitive, Daley said.
"We're within 10 percent of the independent shops around the area and we are among the lowest priced of the dealers," he said.
Vintage, older, and late-model vehicles are welcomed at the service center; on May 7, a 1970s-era Corvette was in the garage as were vehicles made in 2002. The service shop boasts a multitude of service manuals that cover decades of vehicle make and model.
"Cool" Cars Need Cool Quarters
An on-site vehicle, boat, and recreational vehicle [RV] winter storage facility has proven very popular, Daley said.
The large storage arena is very dry, very clean, and the interior temperature hovers around 40 degrees during the winter months - darn near perfect for vehicle storage, he noted.
"You don't want a lot of humidity because you can wind up with mold issues and you don't want things too cold, either," he said. "This has worked out very, very well. This winter we had about 10 Corvettes in here, and it was a lot of fun."
Storage rates are $500 per vehicle for automobiles and $25 a foot for boat and RV storage.
Long-time vehicle salesman Donald Gaffey maintains part-time and by appointment hours at the dealership, and is a Yankees baseball team fan, Daley noted.
"And then we have our sales manager, Wayne Arnold," Daley said with a smile. "He's a Red Sox fan."
"What we all are at Gateway are friends and neighbors. You see us. And your trust is important to us."
The Gateway Chevrolet, 69 Union St. showroom and sales department are open Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.- 6 p.m., and Sat. 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.. The service department and the parts department are open Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.- 5 p.m..
Additional information about Gateway Chevrolet is available by calling 413-663-3781 or at a www.chevygateway.com Internet website.
This article is part of a www.iBerkshires.com advertising package. For information about www.iBerkshires.com ad packages, contact Wanda Haley at 413-663-3384 ext. 13 or whaley@boxcarmedia.com .
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
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I just recenetly purchased a vehicle from Gateway Chevrolet and found it to be a very positive expierence. The sales man (Allen Arnold) was wonderful to work with and answered all of my questions and took care of all of the "lose ties" in a very timely manner. I have to say that I would highly recomend this dealership and Allen to anyone car shopping and it is also nice to keep the business in town.
There's holiday cheer throughout the Berkshires this winter.
Many homeowners are showing their holiday spirit by decorating their houses. We asked for submissions so those in the community can check out these fanciful lights and decor when they're out.
We asked the homeowners questions on their decorations and why they like to light up their houses.
In Great Barrington, Matt Pevzner has decorated his house with many lights and even has a Facebook page dedicated to making sure others can see the holiday joy.
Located at 93 Brush Hill Road, there's more than 61,000 lights strewn across the yard decorating trees and reindeer and even a polar bear.
The Pevzner family started decorating in September by testing their hundreds of boxes of lights. He builds all of his own decorations like the star 10-foot star that shines done from 80-feet up, 10 10-foot trees, nine 5-foot trees, and even the sleigh, and more that he also uses a lift to make sure are perfect each year.
"I always decorated but I went big during COVID. I felt that people needed something positive and to bring joy and happiness to everyone," he wrote. "I strive to bring as much joy and happiness as I can during the holidays. I love it when I get a message about how much people enjoy it. I've received cards thanking me how much they enjoyed it and made them smile. That means a lot."
Pevzner starts thinking about next year's display immediately after they take it down after New Year's. He gets his ideas by asking on his Facebook page for people's favorite decorations. The Pevzner family encourages you to take a drive and see their decorations, which are lighted every night from 5 to 10.
In North Adams, the Wilson family decorates their house with fun inflatables and even a big Santa waving to those who pass by.
The Wilsons start decorating before Thanksgiving and started decorating once their daughter was born and have grown their decorations each year as she has grown. They love to decorate as they used to drive around to look at decorations when they were younger and hope to spread the same joy.
"I have always loved driving around looking at Christmas lights and decorations. It's incredible what people can achieve these days with their displays," they wrote.
The Wilsons' invite you to come and look at their display at 432 Church St. that's lit from 4:30 to 10:30 every night, though if it's really windy, the inflatables might not be up as the weather will be too harsh.
In Pittsfield, Travis and Shannon Dozier decorated their house for the first time this Christmas as they recently purchased their home on Faucett Lane. The two started decorating in November, and hope to bring joy to the community.
"If we put a smile on one child's face driving by, then our mission was accomplished," they said.
Many homeowners are showing their holiday spirit by decorating their houses. We asked for submissions so those in the community can check out these fanciful lights and decor when they're out.
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