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18 uni Nil 1 >1 I ('Hmmitu - momma.“ my :0 :im eavâ€" , - ~ ~~ a em I‘ , ~~~~~ ___4 ~ ~ â€"~ ~ ‘ . , O A WOIIIflIl- len y experlence Waterloo car dealer becomes first in the region to be Woman Certified By MEUNIM [)MJI)N relationship," she said. ('llmnu‘lgj ital] ' “ 'Ilie company is trying to incorporate the 7‘ “womenfriendly" philosophy into all In an economy that has been nothing aspects of the business. Hedge said the goal l short ofdeyastating’ the carindustry. put- is to get every one of their employees ~ ting customers firs. is paramount, 4 through the training. l -\t “Kin-nook Wright Auto Sales. staff have They‘re also trying to increase the bal- l()l‘ll\L'tl their efforts on boosting service in ance of female staff, [hey already have an often~overlooked aspect of the auto busi- " women in sales and administration. but ness: serving the female customer. 35-» ~ ~ . ‘. ‘ they‘d like to add a female mechanic to the “It's really the right time to do this." said - . ’ - 4 ~14__‘_,_____ . senice end. Hedge said. Kim Hedge. business manager at Wright's, . :i : t “. h " ‘. ' ln lune. they'll continue their Women "We need to raise the bar and look at things is. j . ‘3 % Auto Know workshop series with a session differently. We want to set the standards for \ (‘43.; ‘2" .: ' on women and insurance. The workshops others in the industry to follow suit." “ , *3: . . . . '“8' g 4 are free of charge and are open to anyone 4i The Weber Street dealership and service _- g ..... ~3 ‘ interested. ’ garage has become the first in Waterloo ~ 5 Wright's is also trying to cater to the f Region to be WomanCertified â€" a seal 4 mum-tasking woman, Last week. they rolled granted by an American company to busi- out a spa service. dubbed Heels with Wheels, nesses who complete their training pro- 3 ' and hired an esthetician to perform mani- grams geared toward sening female clien- cures and pedicures while customers wait. tele, 4:." “We already have bookings lined up for “It really is a need in the market." said ._ .4 . the next two weeks." Hedge said. Hedge. 5“ ' ‘ I 4 They offer packages that combine garage "Women are a strong buying force . ,l â€" . _ A 4 service with spa services. like the think this will really enhance their buying . ~";â€"~'« 31‘s “Mani/Pedi Tune Up”. a $100 combo that experience." 1 4; includes nail service. a snack and a lube. oil Hedge said she has heard time and time ' "““’~* ~ Q ' ; 92*“. ‘ , ..« and filter. l again from female customers that the expe- '- ' ‘ i . 5’. , a}, ' 3mg, " . They also have men's spa packages that rience of walking into a dealership or a . Was, ,3 4 offer nail care, a foot massage and an oil garage can be intimidating, Often. she said. ' 13.1%: 1’ $ . . change. women report being ignored while salespeoâ€" -' ~â€" 4 . ~ . 4. '- S ' A , ‘ ' Hedge acknowledged there is a fine line ple focus on their male partners. fig mm ., . . ~ {1. between offering specialized services and That is simply a had way to do business, ¢ L N l \ .-. feeding into a stereotype. She said she tried Hedge said, considering the research that ' ‘ ‘-.4 .4 ' ..___ " to ensure the changes didn't isolate female shows women are responsible for the major» : -‘ >- " customers. but instead responded better to 4 it)‘ of purchasing decisions in modern 4” 7 - theirneeds. households, 4 a 4 ~ :5 “Everybody who comes through that l “i don't think it's intentional. it's just a by ‘f "r V ,. \‘\ l ' s a ~ \ door. we want them to feel comfortable and hit k of understanding." she said. 1 H I a," \ I r ‘ . ‘ ' at home.” she said. Wright Auto Sales plan is to “demystify" ‘ 5 ‘4 *4 i. \ “We're not excluding men from the deal the process so female customers feel both - I, “v ‘ »‘ " I . ership. listened to and empowered. ‘1 j .’ i ‘ 4 t l i. ”That's not the point Men buy differently “It ‘s important to undersian d their l " ’1 X ‘ fl than women and we want to make sure that ‘ process in dt‘ClSlOn making. because it's dif- ' . . iâ€"r L \ I \"t. women get that attention and what they I ferent than a man's," she said. ‘ need in what is still perceived as a man's "Typically. women will buy from some ~ ‘ ' industry," one they trust. 1' 1 “If they don‘t like that particular person. they're not going to buy from them . . .We're I 4 ‘ ‘ k .. P - ‘ â€" really looking at building that relationship i ,4; ‘3 ‘ "'"‘ " wright All“) sales I with those customers and maintaining it.” I" a - [70 Weber Street South Male customers are often much more 4 I I 519-742-5622 focused on product and the deal than the Kim Hedge, business manager at Wright Auto Sales, was the driving force behind the dealer www.wrightautosalesca salesperson. she said. ship's move to become more conscious to the needs of female customers. ”they're just not as concerned about that Human"): mom i THE SUNDAY MARKET TRADITION OPEN I I I“ DA I CONTINUES OUTDOORS ( 10-4 ) . ., Seasonal frurts. vegetables, flowers. 4 _ . A ' \x , . " OUTDOOR MARKET crafts, Iquality flea market... 4 ' _4 . 4 4 www.stjacobs.com Market Road ‘ . “‘2‘ 519-747-1830 _ ._. , \â€" Antiques 4 .- ‘.,...4 A“ 845 Weber St. N., Waterloo Across from St Jacobs Farmers Market '