Introduction
Greetings to each national and international reader! I hope you are doing well by God's grace! That is my written prayer. Here in these parts, our outside temperature gauge is showing about 95 degrees Fahrenheit on a mostly sunny day. It's a scorcher. I'm glad that I am not tossing bales of hay into a wagon today! I did that enough in my teenage years.
In my June 7, 2022, article, I stated in the introduction:
As a quick aside, our car hunt saga (mentioned in the introduction to my Monday, May 30, 2022, article) is over! On the anniversary of D-Day, we completed the purchase of our new-to-us car. Our “long-suffering” 2008 Honda Civic was replaced by a 2012 Nissan Sentra. In a few days, I plan to write and publish an article about the details.
I am writing and publishing that detailed article today.
Temporal life includes moments in time that make lasting memories. Some memories are not pleasant, such as the passing of a loved one. Some are pleasant, such as graduation, marriage, and so forth.
How does buying a car rate as a moment in time? It can vary. I have unpleasant and pleasant car-buying memories.
Mrs. Appalachian Irishman and I enjoyed a car purchase experience that will be a lasting and pleasant memory! This article recommends Lance Cunningham Ford (865-317-6211) for vehicle purchases and for service after the sale!
The gentleman named in the following remarks gave me approval to mention him by name. I am honored to do so!
Purchase Experience
I had searched Lance Cunningham Ford's website, among several other websites, for pre-owned sedans. I had seen the 2012 Nissan Sentra SR on Lance Cunningham Ford's website.
As an aside, Mrs. Appalachian Irishman and I plan, Lord willing, to pay in full a substantial principal balance later this year. We, therefore, had to limit our funds to purchase a pre-owned sedan to fit our plan. We hope in the Lord to be debt-free later this year.
On Tuesday, 5/31/2022, I called Lance Cunningham Ford and reached Travis Thomas, salesman. We conversed well. Travis emailed me his live video of the 2012 Nissan Sentra! His “going the extra mile” effort impressed me! The car would be ready for our viewing after some detailing was complete.
On Friday, 6/3/2022, Travis called, as he promised, to state that the car was detailed. I planned to call him the next day to set the time that Mrs. Appalachian Irishman and I would arrive to inspect the car.
On Saturday morning, 6/4/2022, I delayed my call to Travis, as I explored a few other online automobile search options. Travis called me, which I appreciated. He was not, and never has been, pushy. His call was just to touch base on the plans, since I had not yet called him.
That Saturday afternoon, my wife and I enjoyed about three hours at Lance Cunningham Ford! We met Travis Thomas and an outstanding sales manager. The sales manager and I are from the same generation. Travis is a younger man. Our rapport with those men was excellent! The sales manager and I, being about the same age, talked as brothers, as if we had known each other for years. Travis and I talked as good friends. They interacted with us professionally and personally.
After the test drive, Mrs. Appalachian Irishman gave her “thumbs up” for the purchase. That was important, since she will drive the car mostly. The price negotiation started. I was prepared. I had a typed printout with my notes. Hey, Sales Manager, thanks for telling me how impressed you were with my detailed notes! The negotiation reached a mutual agreement. There were no “used car salesman” games. It was straightforward and fair, with several points of courtesy and humor interjected. The “price was right.” We “made a deal.” Since we had driven to Lance Cunningham Ford in my 2006 Nissan Frontier, we made a down payment on the 2012 Nissan Sentra.
The following Monday, June 6, 2022, was the anniversary of D-Day. Mrs. Appalachian Irishman and I drove our “long-suffering” 2008 Honda Civic to Lance Cunningham Ford. Wouldn't you know that the air conditioner cooled all the way there! The A/C had not been working. We finalized the trade-in of our Civic for the Sentra. That was easy. All the routine paperwork signing did not take that long. We fully understood all the details. There were no “hidden surprises.”
Travis Thomas took the above photograph using my wife's “smart” (or semi-intelligent, as I call it) phone. Our “long-suffering” 2008 Honda Civic is on the left. Our 2012 Nissan Sentra SR is on the right. Who are those folks in the middle? Wait! I know! They are Mr. and Mrs. Appalachian Irishman, two very satisfied Lance Cunningham Ford customers!
Service After the Sale Experience
During our Saturday, 6/4/2022, inspection of our 2012 Nissan Sentra, I noticed that the tires needed to be rotated from back to front. On Friday, 6/10/2022, I drove our newly purchased sedan back to Lance Cunningham Ford for a scheduled tire rotation, balance, and alignment check.
The young Christian man in the service department provided professional and personal service. I got to know him when we had opportunities to converse. After the service was completed and as I prepared to leave, I asked him, “Who will be the unseen presence in your home?” He replied instantly, “God will be.” The wedding date for his fiancĂ©e and him was upcoming in a few more days. This young man and his bride will include God as the guiding source in their home!
By the way, the cost for the rotation, balance, and alignment was very reasonable. We may take up the young man's suggestion to select Lance Cunningham Ford for routine oil changes and service. Who knows? I may take our Sentra in for service. I would like to see the young man again.
Conclusion
I hope to keep in touch with Travis Thomas, the service manager, and the young Christian man. They are each welcome to come by to visit in our home or to hike House Mountain with me.
My wife and I met several other employees at Lance Cunningham Ford. On 6/10/2022, I met and conversed with additional employees. Without mentioning them by name, the two receptionists are fine Christian ladies. The “too tall” young lady, who provided the “sign here and here” sales transaction service on 6/6/2022, appreciated my sense of humor! The “sign here and here” part was professional and personal. My wife, on 6/4/2022, was reacquainted with a young man who had been one of her students. He is a salesman now and appears to be “turning right and going straight” in life! I hope that they keep in touch. We met other staff and sales representatives. To a person, each one was congenial and friendly.
I believe that Lance Cunningham Ford, as led by their general manager, knows how to build a team of professional and personable employees. I do not care for “car commercials” on radio or television. They are often unrefined and insulting. Lance Cunningham Ford's commercials have never been crass. Instead, they have class. The jingle runs through my mind at times with a lasting memory of a pleasant moment in time!
Travis Thomas and Lance Cunningham Ford both have my written permission, here and now, to share this article, as published and without redaction, in any media format to benefit him and that fine company. I want to freely share the memory of our purchase and service after the sale experiences.
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