If you weren’t able to check out the latest edition of Her magazine in Dubuque’s Telegraph Herald this past Sunday, then you may have missed that Runde’s was voted as their readers’ favorite Auto Dealer. We were thrilled to learn that Runde Auto Group had been voted #1 out of all the local car dealers, but we’re definitely not going to walk around with over-inflated egos.  We’ll continue to strive to make the car buying experience here as easy and as transparent as possible for our buyers. A big shout of “Thanks” goes out to Megan Gloss and all the folks at Her Magazine for taking the time to put the contest together and publish the results.   We’d also like to thank all of the Her readers who took the time to participate in the voting.  Muchas Gracias!!!

I haven’t seen the Ellen Show in ages, and I must admit that her show is quite amusing. She’s a natural entertainer along the lines of Jerry Springer, but her show itself is more comparable to the Oprah show in nature … Oprah-lite if you will. I ran across this on the net and thought it was kind of cool … Last week Ellen decided to give away a new 2011 Buick Regal to one of her loyal viewers. However, like most of the segments on the Ellen show, she decided to have a little fun with it first.   Now I realize that not everyone will receive a free Regal in this lifetime. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t get one the old fashion way. Runde’s in Platteville, WI currently has a good selection of 2011 Buick Regal sedans in stock that you can view 24/7 at www.RundeAutoGroup.com

There was a new face that appeared wearing a Runde shirt recently.   No this was not just an extremely loyal customer who loved wearing Runde garments … his name was Brian Pinch.  And we seized up the opportunity to interview our newest employee.   What do you do here at Runde’s?   I’m a sales consultant here for new Chevy vehicles.   How long have you worked here?   I’ve been here just a few weeks now.  Oh and I also can assist customers in leasing Chevy vehicles too. Are you originally from the area?   I’m originally from Dubuque and lived here most of my life.  I lived in Cedar Rapids until fourth grade.   What is your best experience at Runde’s to date?   My best experience really is just working with management and having other employees point me in the right direction.  Everyone is very helpful and has the great characteristics of good customer service.   What are your past times / [...]

Today we had the pleasure of getting to know a family who recently bought a Chrysler Town & Country van from us. Sharon, Darlene, Alex, Emily and Gavin took a few moments to share their experience with us.  We give you … the Riesselman Family. How did you find Runde Auto Group and this Chrysler Town & Country? We found you guys on the internet. Your website was very easy to navigate and we easily found what we wanted. I really like how you can narrow by the year, model and mileage, it makes it really easy to find what you are looking for. Where is the first place you’ll take your new Chrysler Town & Country van? Darlene: Home to see [...]

We sat down this morning and had a quick chat with the highly energetic and ever-ambitious Brandon Hanger. Brandon has been working nights at Runde Chevrolet for the past four years (He comes in with his mom and dad after hours and helps with facility maintenance). We were so impressed with his professional drive that we immediately added him to our sales staff. He wound up selling four new cars today and he’s already decided to put the commission money away for his retirement.  We seriously need to clone this kid.    

How did you find Runde Auto Group and this particular vehicle? Through Al Kloft.  I told him what I was looking for and he went and found it for me. I bought a Trailblazer and my brother bought a vehicle from Al not too long ago too. Why did you decide to purchase it here?  Because I found what I liked and because I’ve known Al for a long time.  He’s a family friend so I trusted him. And I liked it so I said yeah I’d buy it.   Where is the first place you’ll take your new car? I don’t know … probably work. Really? Yeah I have have work at 9 o’clock tonight.   Where do you work at? At The Barn in Sherrill Iowa — it’s a bar and a restaurant up there. I used to go up to the barn a long time ago — we [...]

TESTIMONIALS FROM RUNDE’S CUSTOMERS We are very very pleased with our Chevy Traverse that we recently purchased from Runde Auto Group. It is by far one of the most comfortable vehicles I have ever driven. We have been on 3 road trips and love how it handles the road!! Sure hope this Traverse lasts us a long time! We love it!!!! Thank you for making it possible when we came to see you!! I also want you to know how impressed we are with Runde’s! Awesome people and awesome service! Keep it up! Take care! Paul and Ellen S. of Dubuque, IA We still have the Jeep Commander and all is well with it. Best vehicle and experience we’ve [...]

Ed Whitacre, the CEO of General Motors, announced that GM has paid back all of the borrowed money in full to the government with interest. This gigantic announcement demonstrates a level of confidence within the company that has surfaced mainly due to a slimmed down product line, a more refined company focus, and exciting new products like the Chevy Equinox, the Chevy Camaro, and the Buick LaCrosse that are selling almost as quickly as they arrive on dealers’ lots. With this move, they are basically saying that they wholeheartedly believe GM is now on the right track to profitability. And here at Runde Auto Group, we know without-a-doubt that GM is back on track and ready for the road ahead. The tank is full, the engine is humming, and the GPS is set … Destination … Success.  It’s full speed ahead for Chevrolet, Buick and GMC.  

Goog411 is definitely the new rage We used to have a trainer from GM that would go around to various dealerships in the area and teach the salespeople how to do better vehicle walk-arounds and essentially sell more cars in the process.  Every time he was on the verge of touching on a unique feature of a car, he would foreshadow it with the phrase, “OK, now I’m going to put some money in your pocket.”  This usually meant that the car had a unique key feature that no other competitor had on their vehicles and it was going to help you sell more cars and thus — the money in the pocket thing. Now I’m going to put some money in your pocket.  Are you sick of getting charged beaucoup $$$ every time you dial 411 or Directory Assistance to get a phone number when you’re on the go.  Not everyone has [...]

I was up at the Runde PreDriven store the other day and I was informed by one of the salesmen that Sammy Hagar was in the house. I thought, ”What an opportunity … we can get a interview with Sammy for the blog … I wonder what he’s looking to purchase?  A Camaro?  A Vette?” I asked where he was.   Chris pointed to Johnny Kramer, who works up at that store and was sportin’ a new hairdo.  It wasn’t the actual Red Rocker, but it was an uncanny resemblance. I took some quick photos of Johnny … errr, I mean Sammy Hagar (You may recall that Johnny was featured previous in a Runde Auto Chat interview back in 2009) and then I went about my business.  A few minutes later there was a big [...]

There’s a new taxi in town … and it looks a lot like a Ford Transit Connect.  Taxi cabs are a huge part of big city life. Those of us from the Tri-States have probably been, at some point or another, to downtown Chicago (or another big city – if not you should really get out more…). Walking down the sidewalk and glancing at the traffic on big city streets, you probably think “glad I’m not driving in that mess of cars.” Chances are that you have experienced crazy taxi drivers — I know I have.  Several taxi drivers that I’ve witnessed don’t much care for the laws of the road as they almost hit pedestrians.  Since when does a red light mean go anyway?  Just as 30 is the new 20, red must be the new yellow in Metropolis. If you’re thinking about going back to Chicago in the near future, you’d better be [...]

One of the Runde Mascot Monkeys escaped and turned up at the Orange Bowl in Miami last night just in time to see the Iowa Hawkeyes football team finish up their 11-2 season by beating Georgia Tech 24-14.  He flew back today and described the game to all of us who caught the game on television.  Don’t worry Wisconsin and Illini football fans — you’ll have another shot at the Hawks next fall!!!  

Marty Frank is first and foremost a Cubs fan.  He’s also one of the truly dedicated worker who spends his days prepping and cleaning all of the new vehicles that drive off the Runde Chevrolet lot here in East Dubuque. We interrupted Marty’s work for a few minutes to have him answer a couple of our questions. RAC: What do you do here at Runde’s?   MF: I work in the wash rack cleaning up all of the new cars, keeping Lenny out of trouble, and trying to convert him to being a Cubs fan. How long have you worked here? Three years and still going. What is your favorite part about working here? Any time they bring in pizza for us or put together potluck dinners and that kind of stuff, the food is just so good. Are you originally from the area? Yeah, but I moved here from Santa Cruz, CA when I [...]

John Riley, who manages our Chevy Sales Department, received the following email message from the husband of Kathie Thor this week.  Hi John: Here’s a few photos for your scrap book. Thanks for all your help with Kathie’s Christmas Surprise. She had no idea I had made a deal with you for a new vehicle. There was a lot of excitement at the Thor household Christmas morning. Thanks again, Randy Randy Thor of Cuba City, WI surprised his better half, Kathie Thor, with a sophisticated new set of wheels.  He grabbed some quick photos of Kathie beside her new ride (my guess is that he didn’t have to ask her to smile).  Kathie was completely caught off guard by the new Chevy Equinox that was waiting for her at home and the Thor’s had a very Merry X-Mas.  [...]

We sat down for a few minutes and did a customer interview with Dan Schaefer from Dubuque, IA.   Dan serves in the Air Force and is now the proud owner of a Chevy Malibu and he bought the car from Runde PreDriven while he was on paid leave from his base in Texas! Enjoy the video!  

Customers often come in after Christmas and ask our Runde Chevrolet Sales Staff how their Christmas celebration was or what they did during the holidays.  Well you don’t have to wonder what our Salesmen did this year.  This year our sales staff put in a lot of extra rehearsal hours during the holidays trying to get this Christmas dance just right and we shot this video on location up at the North Pole.   We hope everyone out there has a safe & happy holiday season!!!

Here’s what some recent customers of Runde Auto Group has to say about their experiences at Runde Auto Group – a dealership located near Dubuque. We had shopped around a lot for a vehicle.  Of all the dealerships we visited, Runde Chevrolet treated us the best and worked the hardest for us.  I have already recommended this dealership to other people.  Runde was a very pleasant experience for purchasing a car. The whole time was very professional, caring and easy people to work with through the whole process. Steve Kness – Pearl City, IL   First class operation.  Enjoy doing business with them in all departments. John Roeder – Roeder Implement Inc. – Dubuque, IA    I am very pleased with my purchase from Runde Chevrolet. Gary Bonnet [...]

Mike Lawler worked for Runde’s full-time while he went to East Dubuque high school.  After graduating, Mike went off to college, but he still comes back to work here when he comes back home.  While Mike was here for the Thanksgiving weekend, we took a few minutes to chat with him and find out what college life is like. RAC: Where are you going to college? ML: Western Illinois University — It’s about two and a half hours away. RAC: And do you have your own car? ML: Yeah, a 2000 Cavalier Z24. RAC: Nice.  Aluminum wheels?  Air Conditioning?  Cruise Control? ML: Yes sir. RAC: Sounds like a great car!  Do you like college so far? You’re going to the school in Macomb, IL right? ML: Yeah the school’s nice.  Macomb’s a smaller town – I think it’s about 20,000 people.   RAC: Runde’s sells a lot of vehicles to people from Macomb.  Do you [...]

The 2010 Ford Raptor was build for the true off-road enthusiast.  Check out this video that shows the dynamic capabilities of the truck.  Jamal Hameedi, chief engineer of the Ford SVT comments on the truck’s ability to jump (the truck was actually built to jump) and he also touches on the trucks Hill Descent Mode.   Runde Auto Group’s customer, Brian Hauber, took this footage of his new 2010 Ford Raptor going down a hill in the Hill Descent Mode. I think it’s safe to say that he loves his new Raptor so far.     If you’d like to check out a new Ford truck in person, please give our sales staff at our Ford store a call at 888-927-2630. If you’d like to check out our entire inventory, go to www.RundeAutoGroup.com — Or call us at 866-735-5200.

For those of you who think that social media is just a fad that will disappear in the years to come, well … uhhh … you might have another thing coming.  In the car business you often get a mixture of old school thought vs. new school.   Yesterday, this really seemed really apparent when we asked one of our senior salesmen to help provide us with a customer of his that we could interview for the blog.  His response was: “No.  Actually, I can’t wait ’til that thing (the blog) goes away.”  In the past couple years, social media has become what it is and at Runde’s we have tried to embrace it for the positive.  We run a good business and word of mouth has always been one of the cheapest and best forms of advertising.  So we figure, we’ll interview customers and ask them what they thought of their experience at Runde’s.  It’s [...]

Aside from the 1965 Shelby Mustang GT350 and the very first 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 ever made, Jay Leno has lots of toys that do things that you probably never even thought were possible … especially his new 3D scanner. What if I told you that I could clone almost any object under the size of about a yard? Better yet, what if I told you that I could, without any sort of assembly, make the cloned object fully functional as soon as I cloned it? “Bust out the straight-jacket and lock him away?” you say?  Well, FYI, all of this is possible and is actually happening at Jay Leno’s garage. Jay has this nifty little scanner called a Faro 3D Scanner which will scan an object based on thousands of points and create a 3D model of it on your computer. From there, the Dimension 3D Printer takes the image data given to it by the scan [...]

So you are planning a two-week visit to your mom’s house this winter and she has welcomed you to bring your pet for the visit? Great! Mom lives 5 hours away, a no-sweat trip for most, and your family is all excited for it. Your 6-year-old son can’t wait to sink his original baby teeth into Grandma Betsy’s world-famous chocolate chip cookies, yum! But what about Peaches, your Boxer puppy? This is your first long trip with him coming along and you are worried about how to go about the whole process.  Have you thought about traveling with pets? Well, let us help get you, your family, and Peaches already for the excursion. Some folks might say consult your vet before taking your pet on a trip. I’d just say make sure that you remember to take along plenty [...]

We were outside and Carl got out of his old truck… Unlike most people, however, Carl didn’t go running to his New Ride from Runde Chevrolet in excitement. Instead Carl slowly got out of the driver’s door and gave the truck a sentimental final farewell before heading into the Runde Chevrolet building to finish up the paperwork. I was particularly busy before the interview with Carl Denlinger who was with his mother, Louise Denlinger (both born and raised south of Dubuque) but our chat seemed to put me in a great mood, read on to find see why. Hey guys, while your salesman, finishes up the transaction would you mind sharing your experience at Runde’s with the rest of the world? Sure… and [...]

The twenty-sixth of October with kids roaming all over. Main Street was all cluttered with folk. Coming down the street was a royal fleet and the diesel was-a-blowing smoke. Yeah them smokies were holding back the traffic. They even had a cop on a bike. Those Jacksons were-a-dancing for quite a spell. And they were showing an abundance of heart. “Cause we gotta great big convoy, rocking through the night. Yeah we gotta great big convoy, ain’t she a beautiful sight? Come on an’ join our convoy, ain’t nothing gonna git in our way. We’re gonna roll this trucking convoy, cross the USA. Convoy.” Well that’s what it seemed like.  Ok.  [...]

Austin Arensdorff lives about 3-4 minutes away from our PreDriven store where he works in the Reconditioning Department.  He took a little time out to do a quick interview with us and who would have thought that an epic battle was about to erupt at our reconditioning department in Hazel Green? Austin… like Austin Powers, Austin Texas or ostentatious? Uh, Austin Powers I guess?   Groovy baby. If you could be Mike Meyers for a day, what would you do? Spend his money.   Grrrr baby, VERY grrrrrrr.   So what do you do around Runde’s? I buff cars and do the detail work. Yeah baby!  How long have you worked here? Two and a half years. Shagadellic!!  What would you say is [...]