Change in Weather Challenges Car Dealerships.

• Author: GRENN, BEN

The weather is still nice outside, but car dealerships are gearing up for winter sales, which take their toll on customers and employees.

One television commercial suggests you can go shopping for your new vehicle in the nude. A newspaper advertisement touts the fact that you can visit Alaska's biggest car lot without leaving your house.

Sure, you can go surfing on the Net to find endless information on anything, even filling out financial papers to purchase that new or used vehicle. But when its in the middle of winter in the 49th state and you are stranded and desperate to replace your broken-down vehicle, your only choice may be to slip on those bunny boots, oversized gloves and fur parka and go buy a car--at 40 degrees below zero.

From Juneau to Fairbanks, from Anchorage to the Kenai Peninsula, cars dealerships in Alaska face as many different and varied problems and solutions to selling vehicles in inclement weather as there are types and models.

"Truly, the customer who comes out to shop for a vehicle in 20-40 degree below zero weather is very serious about buying a new vehicle or trading in their old one," said Steve Angel, fleet manager for the Seekins Ford Lincoln Mercury dealership in Fairbanks. "You're just not going to find the casual shopper who has a few hours to kill out in terrible weather."

Winter Hard on Dealers

Angel, who has been with Seekins for 15 years, remembers the winter of '92 as being particularly bad.

"We couldn't keep up with the snow. Our resources were wearing pretty thin. We'd move cars around the lot the best we could, but it just seemed like we'd turn around and get another dump load. Our snowplowing service was kept very busy that year."

Not only is the cold a factor in selling automobiles or trucks in the Interior, but Angel points out that so is the daylight--or lack of it. "The short daylight hours in December and January only add to the obstacles we have to overcome in our business."

Showrooms Sweeten Deals

Dealerships that have a showroom believe inside sales are a good way to combat the cold, snow and darkness.

"We have a two-story showroom with between 100 vehicles and 150 vehicles at any one time on display," said Angel. "The public is a lot more apt to buy when they are warm, dry and under good lighting."

Such is not the case for Seekins' dealership on the Kenai Peninsula. Granted weather is not as severe as in Fairbanks, but not having a showroom does create problems.

"Sure I'd like to have a...