Walnut Creek Ford

Our #1 goal at Walnut Creek Ford is to make sure that every customer is completely satisfied with their purchase experience and service; before and after the sale. Here is what some reviews and testimonials from our customers had to say:


"Study Customer"

Greetings,
I wanted to take the time to write and let you know how pleased, and satisfied, I am with the service that I receive at Walnut Creek Ford. I would especially like to comment on a couple of your employees. The first is Tim Lautze the service manager. Over the years Tim is the person that I go to with any problems that might occur. Take, for instance, last week. Without going into detail, I experienced a major problem getting my Explorer serviced in Walnut Creek. When I talked to Tim he kind of "road shotgun" on the issue for me and helped resolve it. Great job! Tim is definitely an asset to your company, and one of the reasons that I have been coming back over the years. I would also like to give an "atta-boy" to your service rep David. He also kept me informed about the progress concerning my car, and made the situation easier to deal with. I look forward to being a study customer, and keep up the great work.

Doug Floyd

"Praise"

Chantal,

Would have talked to you in person when there to give you some real praise for my experience, but you were away at the time. My interaction with your service department began after an independent shop diagnosed worn ball joints needed replacement. The amount was beyond my comfort level without a 2nd opinion, so I called Carli to get an estimate over the phone if the diagnosis was indeed correct. Here is the sequence after that. Carli was busy when I called for a budget number for ball joint work. She asked if she could do the research and send me information, which she did timely. Quote surprised me in that it was in line and maybe a bit less expensive than a local independent shop that had diagnosed the ball joints. Brought the Expedition is to have your tech check it out and low and behold, no uppers or lowers needed after all. If a Ford tech tells me the parts are within spec, then that should be a reliable diagnosis. And a huge savings. Came back for alignment, used your shuttle to and form, overall a very good experience. On a scale of 0 to 5, your people earned certainly a 5 on this one.

Thank you,

Alan



"No Pressure Manner"

A week ago, my wife Shirley and I (and our good dog Arthur, the white standard poodle) had a fine and productive experience at Walnut Creek Ford. We have been looking for a second car to replace an old and failing Volvo, and favored the Escape. What happened was MR. Jason Mcneil met us at the customer parking area and saw us through the process of purchasing a fine, 2010 red Escape for a price agreeable to us. We want to commend Jason for his knowledgeability, no pressure manner, and all around helpfulness. Your whole staff was helpful and easy to work with. And, I believe it was you who brought Arthur a bowl of water as we sat in the showroom negotiating. We have been bringing our Lincoln LS to Walnut Creek Ford for servicing so we are familiar with your excellent operation. That is what brought us in to shop for a new car. Actually, we have been there before when it was Rett White Ford, back in the day. The new-to-us Escape performed beautifully on the twisting, winding Sonoma Coast stretch of Highway one. We look forward to many years of reliable service. Of course, we will be bringing it back for service and scheduled maintenance. Our thanks and best regards to Mr. Mcneil and your sales team.

                                                                                    ~ Chester C

"Unexpected Pleasure"

Dear Stephanie,

 

We would like to let you know about the great customer service experience we had purchasing a 2011 Ford Escape Hybrid from Walnut Creek Ford, and in particular, recognize our sales manager: Mark Scharnhorst.  We usually "dread" the car buying experience, so it was an unexpected pleasure to deal with your sales team.

 

We started the process early in May, contacting the Internet Sales (through Cars.com) regarding interest in a new Ford Fusion Hybrid.  We had specifically requested interest in a test drive.  We immediately were contacted by Sherri Wicksten (via our expressed preference for email contact), letting us know that there were no Fusion Hybrid's in-stock, but offering to contact us when one arrived (anticipated by the end-of-the month).  

 

In the mean-time, we did test drive a Ford Fusion Hybrid at one of your nearby competitors.  While we appreciated the test drive, we were totally unimpressed with the "dealer markup" which we were told was "firm" given recent Fusion Hybrid supply issues.  Since we started the car buying process, we had begun to re-evaluate our needs for cargo space (which is limited in the Fusion Hybrid as the rear seats don't fold down).  We began to consider the Ford Escape Hybrid as an alternative.

 

We were contacted (either by Mark or Sherri) in early June regarding your availability of several Fusion Hybrids. We stopped by briefly on Saturday 6/4, and were hooked up with Mark. He showed us several Fusion Hybrids that had recently arrived.  We were immediately impressed that you priced your vehicles at Retail Price (with no Dealer Markup).  He also showed us several Escape Hybrid's you had in stock.  Limited on time, we scheduled an Escape Hybrid test drive for the following Tuesday (6/7).  We also signed up for your Friday 6/10 Sync Technology event. 

 

Mark facilitated our Escape Hybrid test drive on 6/7.  We liked the Escape, and indicated we would let Mark know our thinking on purchase (now or later, Fusion or Hybrid) at the Sync event on the 10^th.  We had a follow-up discussion and decided the Escape Hybrid was our better option.  We were unsure about timing, so we decided to request pricing.  We emailed Mark a request on Thursday 6/9.  Sherri informed us Mark had the day-off, and would call it to his attention Friday am.  Mark responded with a price early Friday afternoon.  We were pleased with the price, and had your team evaluate our trade-in (a vintage 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee w/142k miles) at the Sync event Friday evening.  With Mark's help,?we quickly negotiated an mutually agreeable combined price (new car minus trade-in).  We completed the paperwork Friday evening, and picked up our new Escape Hybrid Saturday afternoon.

 

We really enjoyed working with Mark, and felt he provided exceptional customer service.  We would highlight the following attributes:

 

• Mark was not "pushy" (in our experience, this is a real rarity in car salesmen).  He allowed us to "set the pace" regarding our desire to schedule test drives, request pricing, and pursue a purchase.
• Mark was extremely responsive to all our requests (either in person or via email).  Sherri also deserves recognition here (contacting us when Mark was not available).
• Mark was very knowledgeable about the products he is marketing (both the Fusion and Escape).  We did not find this to be the case at your competition.
• This is somewhat of an intangible, but we found Mark to be a "very nice guy", and were happy to be giving him our business. He understands the importance of building a relationship with his customers.

 

Some additional comments:

 

• We enjoyed working with the Internet Sales Team (especially Mark), would go this way again in a future purchase, and will highly recommend the process (as well as your dealership) to our car buying friends
• Your pricing was very fair.  We had done a lot of research into what we considered a "fair price", and Walnut Creek Ford fully met our expectations

 

I never thought we would be saying this,?but thank you for the great car buying experience!

 

Best regards,

Cliff and Laura

 

p.s.  We're loving our new Escape Hybrid !

"Outstanding Customer Service"

5/31/200

Dear Mr. Savarani,

I wanted to bring to your attention the outstanding customer service my husband and I received from your service advisor, Joe Toth. We took our Ford Fusion in for a routine oil change only to find out that we had a water pump leak and out check engine light was on. Joe went the extra mile to explain, in detail, all the issues we had.

On top of all the great things he did, he also took the time to help us with our warranty which was not through Ford. I have personally dealt with our warranty company; with long wait times and confusing customer service but Joe took this off of our hands. I know Joe jumped through hoops to get the service we needed with our warranty company and I cannot thank him enough.

I have to say I have never had as great customer service with a mechanic as I did with Joe. He explained everything so well and when we told him our financial bid he didn't tell us tough luck like other mechanics but worked with us. He is the only service advisor I know who calmed my husband in a stressful situation.

When we were done with our service he even went the extra mile and signed us up for a service reward plan which we had no idea about. He also explained this plan in detail. I have never left a repair shop with a smile but I sure did this time!

I hope your company has and will acknowledge Joe Toth who is the best service advisor I have ever dealt with. I have left many repair shops before but will always return to Walnut Creek Ford due to the service we received from Joe Toth!
                                                                                        Sincerely,
                                                                                       
                                                                                            Holley Bishop

"Everyone Likes It"

Mark Scharnhorst and Sherri Wicksten from Walnut Creek Ford were very helpful during the sales process. They answered my many questions during the two demo rides. They were knowledgeable and provided good advice that helped me decide to buy the Ford Fiesta. I have shown my Ford Fiesta to my friends and everyone likes it.

                                                                                         ~ Howard Geifman

"Superlative"

Actually, I must confess that the salespeople and the back office folks were superlative! The vehicle is without a doubt the finest "crossover" SUV on the market. We purchased the car for our son who is attending Pepperdine University, and it was a surprise for Christmas. Walnut Creek Ford even provided us with a huge magnetic bow for the hood. Our son dropped to his knees when he walked into the garage. It was a complete surprise, and Walnut Creek Ford did an excellent job or preparing the vehicle for delivery. It literally sparkled! Our son is our most beloved and cherished gift, so his safety while driving is of utmost importance to us. The Ford Edge provides us with peace of mind knowing he?s driving one of the safest cars on the market. I own a Jaguar and I must confess, I'm a little jealous... Congratulations on a find dealership and an outstanding vehicle!!
                                                                                         ~ Arthur Roth


"By far the most enjoyable, professional and no-hassle new car buying experience I have EVER had!"

                                                                                             ~ Casey Taylor
"Ace in the whole"

"My Sales Person was/is Allen Tiedt. My primary concerns were that A) I periodically tow and B) I have three children. Regarding A): I created a grid lining out differential gearing, GVWR, GCWR, Towing Capacity, Curb Weight, Max cargo weight. As you know, some of the above metrics are derivations of the others. I looked at 8 models of truck. I did research on all 8 models of truck and I also had a second person do the research as well. I test drove Chevy, Toyota & Ford. Without fail, every single dealer/sales person that I spoke or my helper spoke to either had no idea or virtually no idea regarding the manufactures standard published metrics mentioned above, except one... Allen Tiedt at Walnut Creek Ford. Allen knew them inside and out. Allen was able to discuss variations of gearing and its impact on a truck's ability to tow, gas mileage etc. Allen was not only more knowledgeable that all of the other sales people/dealers.... he could have kicked their butts, ate their lunch and sent them home whining and done so without hesitation or needing to check references. Mr. Tiedt is Walnut Creek's truck salesperson "Ace in the Whole". Regarding B) the F150 Crew Cap simply had more room in the back seat to accommodate my three kids."

                                                                                             ~ Thomas Connolly

"Excellent Assistance"

"Excellent assistance from Mike Roberts. First met him in the Service Department whilst my Focus was being serviced - I thought he showed initiative visiting the service waiting room - when I expressed interest in the Fusion Hybrid he offered to drive me home in one rather than wait for the shuttle service."

                                                                                            ~ Angela Pike


"Exactly What I Wanted"

"I want to express how happy I am with the people at Walnut Creek Ford. Thanks to them I was able to purchase my Mustang. The sales team was great. I went in there knowing exactly what I wanted and how much I could afford. And they helped me get exactly what I wanted, with no pressure or hassle. They spend time with me and my kids showing me everything I needed to know about the vehicle I wanted to purchase, but at no time was there any pressure into anything I didn't want. I left that dealer feeling good about purchasing from them. Previous to going to Walnut Creek Ford, I visited other dealers. One in particular made me feel like I was the worst person in the world. That dealer is ****** **** in Concord, CA. Their people made me feel awful. Like I could not purchase what I wanted and they wanted me to pay some outrageous amount. Knowing that it was impossible for me to afford it. I can honestly say that when I left that dealer I wanted to cry. It was one of the worst experiences I have ever had. I will never recommend ****** **** to anyone. I want to Thank everyone at WALNUT CREEK FORD. And I look forward to doing business with them again."

                                                                                             ~ Anabel Novelo

"Definitely Recommend"

"If all my sales people treated me the way my sales person, Ruth Brown, treated me with my Ford Fusion lease, I'd be a very happy and satisfied individual. My experience with the rest of the Walnut Creek Ford team was also excellent. I would most definitely recommend anyone looking for a vehicle to go see Ruth at Walnut Creek Ford!!!"

                                                                                            ~ Brooke Rafuse

"Above and Beyond"

"My salesperson, Sherri Wicksten, is excellent. She is very knowledgeable about Ford products, especially trucks (which is the vehicle I purchased). Sherri definitely went "above and beyond " to help me find the perfect truck for me. She patiently listened to everything I wanted and needed in my first truck, and patiently educated me on the different Ford trucks available. I was nervous about buying my first vehicle (especially, first truck) without my husband (he has passed away). Sherri walked me through each step and provided an empowering, confidence inspiring experience. I just returned from Walnut Creek Ford where Sherri gave me a refresher course on the Nav/electronic system in my truck. Talk about great after the sale service! I love my Ford truck and I love the buying experience Sherri gave me. I can tell Sherri really cares about the people she is helping. Whenever I share my truck buying story with family and friends, Sherri is always a big part of the story and I recommend her to anyone that wants to buy a Ford."

                                                                                             ~ Michelle Chavez

"Greater Than We Can State"

"This is my third vehicle purchase from Walnut Creek Ford in the past two and one half years. My family and I will never purchase a vehicle anywhere else for the rest of our lives. Our salespeople, Katrina and Al, are by far the most courteous, helpful and professional we have ever dealt with. The follow up service people, Maxine and Juan, could not possibly have been more helpful and supportive. Even the general manager, Stephanie Malone, called us about a week after the purchase to ascertain our satisfaction. Obviously, Mrs. Malone is a very busy worker, but she took time out for us. Overall, there is simply no way for us to overstate our tremendous satisfaction with Walnut Creek Ford. They have made the task of automobile purchase a real joy. All our family feels very happy with the experience. The product seems to be extremely high quality as our previous Fords have been. Walnut Creek Ford's staff is greater than we can state. We are grateful to them all."
                                                                                              ~ Maryanne Hickman

"Fantastic"

"Katrina was fantastic! So were your credit and finance managers. This was by far the most pleasant car buying experience I've ever dad. I felt like family from the time I walked in the door. The first time I can into the showroom, I was just browsing. Katrina followed up with me several times after that I made an appointment to come in and look at several trucks she recommended. I also had an appointment that day with Walnut Creek Toyota (I am a long time Toyota client). The staff at Walnut Creek Ford blew me away. Needless to say I never made the other appointment. You have a client in me for the life of my new truck and all future purchases and I will highly recommend this dealership to everyone I know. My thanks to Katrina and the whole Walnut Creek Ford Family."
                                                                                            
                                                                                              ~ Karen Maupin

"Best Options For Me"
I worked with Jason and Martin and they were both fantastic to work with. They were both very kind and helped me find the best options for me, both with the vehicle and the pricing. They were extremely knowledgable and called me multiple times to make sure I was happy with the car, which I am. No one in my family has ever driven a Ford before, but now everyone in my family is jealous and wants my car they love it and thinks it drives best of all the cars in the family (including much more expensive vehicles). Overall, my experience was exceptional."

                                                                                              ~ Rebecca Stein

"I Love Walnut Creek Ford"

"I LOVE WALNUT CREEK FORD!!! They made my new vehicle purchase smooth and easy. As stressful as it is sometimes to get a new car, I had no stress or headache with trying to select and finance my new vehicle. I will definitely return to Walnut Creek Ford for my future vehicle purchases and maintenance appointments."
                                                                                               ~ Lauren Moss

"Business Across The Bay"

"My husband and I purchase a new Explorer every two years. This is my 6th Explorer and we have now purchased the last three cars at Walnut Creek Ford (two Explorers and a Mustang). Steve VonGough has worked with us each time - he is a great asset to the dealership. Although we live in Marin County, we will continue to do business across the Bay."
                                                                                               ~ Michael Fitz-Gerald

"Great Experience"

"This was a great experience. We drove out of the dealership with a car that my wife loves. You had the product we wanted and we were able to see other cars that might have worked. We found the right car for our family."
                                                                                                ~ Ralph Holmes

"Excellent"

Walnut Creek Ford was excellent and I have only praise for our salesperson Chuck Cortesi. However, I must tell you about a very negative experience I had with another Ford store: I had earlier negotiated a purchase from a close store: ************ in Woodland, CA. The salesperson R.C. had offered a price by email, I agreed to the sale and he promised a quick delivery. At that point he stalled and it took weeks to squeeze the truth out of him: that he was not going to deliver. He wasted my time and delayed the sale that Walnut Creek eventually got for Ford.
                                                                                               ~ Bill Rukeyser

"Happy"

"I am very happy with the entire experience at Walnut Creek Ford. I had to make a choice of repairing my 2000 Ford Focus with 135,000+ Miles or replace it. Both the Salesman Mike Alavi, and the finance manager Pat Nealon were extremely helpful in making a difficult decision very easy. Also, the service was excellent."
                                                                                               ~ Aronson-Hoke Ginny
                                               
"Very Pleased"

"I was very pleased with the service and my experience at Ford Walnut Creek. I also recommend my employer (Boss) to trade in his Ford 500 for a new vehicle - he is interested in the Ford Taurus Limited."
                                                                                                ~ James Mejino

"Excellent"

"Our Salesperson was excellent. Showed us everything to do with the vehicle. The manager at this location was great to us. The finance person worked with us. Would buy another vehicle through them again."

                                                                                               ~ Nancyann Del Soldato
"How to get whatever-needs-doing-done"

"Carli Rountree, in Servicing, has been our contact at Walnut Creek Ford for the past couple of years, ever since Dublin Ford closed. Carli is superb. She is knowledgeable, personable, and efficient. As we mentioned in an earlier survey, she has a great sense of humor and a fine sense of what needs to be done and how to get whatever-needs-doing-done, and she really seems to know us and our Explorer. On those occasions when we have had to deal with someone other than Carli, we have found the staff at Walnut Creek Ford to be uniformly courteous, helpful, and capable. No complaints.
Nothing, in our experience at Walnut Creek Ford, needs improvement.

                                                                                               ~ Dino Galeazzi

"Listen and suggested, but never pressured or pushed"

"Mr. Scott was a great salesman who listened and suggested, but never pressured or pushed. I was very happy with Pat, who arranged the paperwork and loan. Overall, it was a very positive experience, and I couldn't be happier with the purchase. This car was made for me!"

                                                                                               ~ Joshua Theaker

"A++++"

"This is my 5th purchase from Walnut Creek Ford and I'm very happy with this Dealership. Melissa Kangas is the sales person who helped me and she is by far the best person yet who has helped me in purchasing a vehicle, very friendly and just a joy to talk to...A++++ I am a loyal Ford buyer and will continue to do so with this type of service and friendly staff. Thanks... Ken."

                                                                                               ~ Kenneth Fregien

"Best Car buying experience I have ever had."

                                                                                               ~ Tom Nevins

"Most Proactive"

Even though Walnut Creek Ford was an hour away from me, they got my business because they were the most proactive our of every dealership I contacted. Katrina found out what I was looking for and then went to work to find it for me quick. Other places said they'd follow up and never did."

                                                                                              ~ Ryan Dunne

"A very pleasant experience."

                                                                                              ~ Phillip Crabbe

"Great Experience"

"We had called to schedule a time to meet and discuss purchasing options with Jaime. Jaime had sold a Ford to our daughter a couple of months prior to purchasing our new Edge. Prior to coming to Walnut Creek Ford we had gone to ******* Ford and the whole experience there was a nightmare compared to the care and understanding of our needs shown to us at Walnut Creek Ford. I have purchased many cars in my years and the experience that we had with Walnut Creek Ford surpasses Audi, Buick, Honda (cars that we have owned in the past). A big thank you to Jaime we will continue to send friends and Family your way and to the entire Ford Team at Walnut Creek Ford. Great Experience!!"

                                                                                              ~ Aida Moss


"Excellent Experience"

"Excellent experience. We were able to rent a Ford Mustang from Enterprise for an over night trip. This was very helpful since it allowed me to experience several hours of continuous traveling. For a person with a bad back comfort was one of the important decision factors. We rented another brand of auto to test it as well. You know which car won out."

                                                                                             ~ Nancie Deleuw
"Outstanding"

"All the staff at Walnut Creek Ford were solicitous and helpful and the cleanliness of the facility was outstanding."

                                                                                             ~ Susan West
"Saved my sale"

"Walnut Creek Ford saved my sale. I had such a terrible experience with ************ Ford that I was getting ready to consider a different manufacturer. I took a chance with Walnut Creek Ford and they delivered."

                                                                                           ~ Christopher Benson
"Team"
"Happy with the overall sales experience. The whole team was helpful and great to work with."
                               
                                                                                           ~Michael Hoyt
"Enthusiastic and personable"

"Al Pleskovich was very thorough in explaining all the features. He is enthusiastic and personable."

                                                                                            ~ Shari Maxwell