Alfa’s Road to Redemption Starts with the Dealers

Alfa’s Road to Redemption Starts with the Dealers​

CEO Santo Ficili Says Alfa Romeo’s Future Depends on Fixing the Basics First​

Alfa Romeo has always had one foot in the past and one in the future—its racing pedigree and iconic designs continue to make it one of the most romanticized names in the auto industry. But as the brand aims for relevance in the modern era, its CEO Santo Ficili is keeping both feet firmly planted in reality.

Alfa’s Road to Redemption Starts with the Dealers

Discover how Alfa's road to redemption starts with the dealers, focusing on customer service and a robust network.

moparinsiders.com

 

[TripleT]

They like every STLA dealer, they are product starved.

 

[Ryan]

They can start with letting any Stellantis dealer service Alfa Romeo vehicles. That’s the main reason I didn’t buy one - closest dealer to me at the time was 3 hours away.

 

[TripleT]

Especially the Tonale that shares most of the mechanics with the Hornet.

 

[Foncool]

they need to get both brands (Alfa and Maserati) as far away from anything or anyone related to the CDJR network as possible. They are out of their realm in the upscale market. That’s the reason the brands are is position they are today, Auburn Hills and their dealers treat the brands and it’s customers like expensive Dodges.

“It is easier for a civilized man to act like a barbarian, than it is for a barbarian to act like a civilized man.!” - Spock.

 

[Ryan]

they need to get both brands (Alfa and Maserati) as far away from anything or anyone related to the CDJR network as possible. They are out of their realm in the upscale market. That’s the reason the brands are is position they are today, Auburn Hills and their dealers treat the brands and it’s customers like expensive Dodges.

“It is easier for a civilized man to act like a barbarian, than it is for a barbarian to act like a civilized man.!” - Spock.

There are not enough dedicated Maserati/Alfa dealers to provide service for those cars at a volume that would be sustainable for widespread adoption.

I don’t think the issue is treating them like expensive Dodges. Most people don’t even know what Alfa Romeo is. It’s that there’s not a wide enough sales and service network for them to be on most people’s radar.

Also, raise the dealer experience across the board and we won’t need to worry about them being sold alongside Dodge.

 

[TripleT]

There are not enough dedicated Maserati/Alfa dealers to provide service for those cars at a volume that would be sustainable for widespread adoption.

I don’t think the issue is treating them like expensive Dodges. Most people don’t even know what Alfa Romeo is. It’s that there’s not a wide enough sales and service network for them to be on most people’s radar.

Also, raise the dealer experience across the board and we won’t need to worry about them being sold alongside Dodge.

Inside the Dealer Network the experience is vastly different. In the same city and same ownership group. One I was treated like a bought a premium European car, and the other I was treated like I bought a KIA. And yes I have choice of 45min or 1.5 hours for warranty service.

 

[bill burke]

This may not be a post that everyone likes or holds to be valid, but I believe it to be true. You decide.
Living on Long Island with its upscale and heavily Italian-American demographic, unlike other parts of America, Alfa Romeos are well known, well understood and supported by a bunch of local dealerships. Alfa Romeos are quite popular here, quite popular indeed. So are Maseratis and Ferraris, the folks here like connecting to many things Italian like leather goods, opera and of course, great and genuine Italian food. I mean the real stuff. We have literally a couple of dozen, or more, excellent family owned Italian restaurants within a mile of my home. Angelina’s in East Norwich is my favorite. I digress.
OK, so Italian Americans will not be so common in parts of America anytime soon and not all of the U.S. might be as affluent as Long Island, but there are enough areas where people with a few bucks will buy Alfa Romeos even if they believe Olive Garden serves Italian food. You have to try Angelina’s, you’ll know then. I digress again.
So what’s the point. Alfa Romeo must educate the masses, market to the uninformed and build more dealerships that KNOW HOW to sell luxury and exciting vehicles. Gucci with wheels. Let’s face it, Italian is extravagance personified. I digress, again, again.
Sadly, not everyone can have Italian heritage, but they can live a little bit Italian style by driving something special, something extravagant and also learn to stay away from Olive Garden, please, that’s not Italian food, trust me on that and a BMW is not what stands out in a crowd or stirs passion like an Alfa Romeo. Trust me on that too.
Flamboyant folks will get that Alfa Romeo , they too will know then. No digression this time. Trust me.

 

[Foncool]

There are not enough dedicated Maserati/Alfa dealers to provide service for those cars at a volume that would be sustainable for widespread adoption.

I don’t think the issue is treating them like expensive Dodges. Most people don’t even know what Alfa Romeo is. It’s that there’s not a wide enough sales and service network for them to be on most people’s radar.

Also, raise the dealer experience across the board and we won’t need to worry about them being sold alongside Dodge.

The problem is not that there not enough dealers, it’s that there are too many in a given market area. In search of volume Auburn Hills was giving the franchises to any CDJR dealer with a half way decent balance sheet. These dealer only know how to sell on price and destroyed the profitability of the good dealers in the market area. Why do you think most of the Ferrari/Maserati dealers dumped the Maserati franchise when Auburn Hills took control of Maserati.

 

[ScramFan]

This may not be a post that everyone likes or holds to be valid, but I believe it to be true. You decide.
Living on Long Island with its upscale and heavily Italian-American demographic, unlike other parts of America, Alfa Romeos are well known, well understood and supported by a bunch of local dealerships. Alfa Romeos are quite popular here, quite popular indeed. So are Maseratis and Ferraris, the folks here like connecting to many things Italian like leather goods, opera and of course, great and genuine Italian food. I mean the real stuff. We have literally a couple of dozen, or more, excellent family owned Italian restaurants within a mile of my home. Angelina’s in East Norwich is my favorite. I digress.
OK, so Italian Americans will not be so common in parts of America anytime soon and not all of the U.S. might be as affluent as Long Island, but there are enough areas where people with a few bucks will buy Alfa Romeos even if they believe Olive Garden serves Italian food. You have to try Angelina’s, you’ll know then. I digress again.
So what’s the point. Alfa Romeo must educate the masses, market to the uninformed and build more dealerships that KNOW HOW to sell luxury and exciting vehicles. Gucci with wheels. Let’s face it, Italian is extravagance personified. I digress, again, again.
Sadly, not everyone can have Italian heritage, but they can live a little bit Italian style by driving something special, something extravagant and also learn to stay away from Olive Garden, please, that’s not Italian food, trust me on that and a BMW is not what stands out in a crowd or stirs passion like an Alfa Romeo. Trust me on that too.
Flamboyant folks will get that Alfa Romeo , they too will know then. No digression this time. Trust me.

And yet, we don't have a single legit pizzeria worth a damn. It's a disgrace.

But otherwise, I don't dispute much of what you say.

 

[Foncool]

`

This may not be a post that everyone likes or holds to be valid, but I believe it to be true. You decide.
Living on Long Island with its upscale and heavily Italian-American demographic, unlike other parts of America, Alfa Romeos are well known, well understood and supported by a bunch of local dealerships. Alfa Romeos are quite popular here, quite popular indeed. So are Maseratis and Ferraris, the folks here like connecting to many things Italian like leather goods, opera and of course, great and genuine Italian food. I mean the real stuff. We have literally a couple of dozen, or more, excellent family owned Italian restaurants within a mile of my home. Angelina’s in East Norwich is my favorite. I digress.
OK, so Italian Americans will not be so common in parts of America anytime soon and not all of the U.S. might be as affluent as Long Island, but there are enough areas where people with a few bucks will buy Alfa Romeos even if they believe Olive Garden serves Italian food. You have to try Angelina’s, you’ll know then. I digress again.
So what’s the point. Alfa Romeo must educate the masses, market to the uninformed and build more dealerships that KNOW HOW to sell luxury and exciting vehicles. Gucci with wheels. Let’s face it, Italian is extravagance personified. I digress, again, again.
Sadly, not everyone can have Italian heritage, but they can live a little bit Italian style by driving something special, something extravagant and also learn to stay away from Olive Garden, please, that’s not Italian food, trust me on that and a BMW is not what stands out in a crowd or stirs passion like an Alfa Romeo. Trust me on that too.
Flamboyant folks will get that Alfa Romeo , they too will know then. No digression this time. Trust me.

There are pockets of Italian communities across the country, obviously not in the size that exists in the Northeast but they are there. What needs to happen is for Maserati/Alfa to play to their strength of the Italian image and not try to copy the sterile Teutonic image of the German brands and treating the customers like they bought a Dodge.

Everything about the dealership experience should be and feel Italian. Part of this problem actually comes from Italy in the fact that they have a bit of a chip on their shoulder in that they want to show they are as advanced as the Germans by copying them. A trip to a Maserati/Alfa dealership should feel like you’re in Italy, not just another glass palace where the only difference is the logo on the sign.