Ferrari Maserati of Silicon Valley

4i2fly · Apr 30, 2005

bobafett said:

They don't have cigars and scotch... but then, there's a brilliant biscotteria right across the street...

--Dan
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We can do cigar and scotch/cognac at tinderbox behind BBC prior to F1 viewing...let's plan for it.

4i2fly · Apr 30, 2005

bobafett said:

Naturally that's the case. But, my fear is only this: when the quality of product is bad (product of course being the service work itself, not the car which is a wholly separate issue), how much better can good service make it?

--Dan
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Well again no disagreement...but I'd give'em the benefit of the doubt, especially, when I know there are innovative ways of running an operation effectively and efficiently and never compromise quality of service or customer service.

4i2fly · Apr 30, 2005

http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/11526000.htm

Mercury News said:

Posted on Fri, Apr. 29, 2005
BACK IN FAST LANE

SILICON VALLEY AGAIN BOASTS A DEALERSHIP FOR FERRARI, MASERATI

By Matt Nauman

Mercury News

As a young boy growing up in a ``moderately poor family'' in Boston, Art Zafiropoulo had a goal.

``Someday I'll get a Ferrari and be successful in my own eyes,'' he remembers telling himself.

The high-tech executive -- he's chairman and chief executive of Ultratech, a manufacturer of chip-making equipment based in San Jose -- bought his first Ferrari in 1987. He bought his second in 1991.

Today, he has a ``huge number'' of them. And his passion has turned into a business.

Ferrari Maserati of Silicon Valley has its grand opening tonight and opens to the public Saturday. It's in Redwood City at 2750 El Camino Real, about a mile south of Highway 84.

Zafiropoulo is part owner of and a major investor in the dealership.

``I invested a huge amount of money here, in the eight-figure range,'' he said. He'll do some marketing and client relations for the store.

But, he insists, it'll be co-owner Giacomo Mattioli, who also owns Ferrari Maserati of Beverly Hills, and Daniele Fancello, who is moving from Italy to be the store's general manager, who will do most of the work.

``I'm running a public company,'' Zafiropoulo said. ``That's my first job.''

On a tour of the 28,000-square-foot showroom Wednesday, Mattioli admitted workers were ``scrambling'' to get it finished. Painters and plumbers were on site. Crews rolled out sod and planted trees. The dealership's three espresso machines, including one for the technicians, were being plugged in and tested.

The store features a 10,000-square-foot showroom with a cream-colored Italian marble floor. Aside from the brand signs -- Ferrari in yellow and Maserati in red and blue -- the only color comes from the cars. Besides new and used models for sale, the dealership will showcase cars from Zafiropoulo's personal collection.

Rare vehicles

On this day, that meant a red Ferrari F50 (with a ``1 OF 50'' vanity plate and worth about $700,000), a red (what else?) Ferrari Enzo valued at about $1 million and a blue and white Maserati MC12, a new and gorgeous super-car costing more than $1 million. The factory only built 25, and this is the only one in the United States right now, Zafiropoulo said.

The customer lounge is on the second floor. Those waiting can watch the large-screen TV, have a cappuccino or use the computer. Or they can look down through the large glass window at their vehicle being serviced. The shop is set up to prepare race cars as well as fix new and used Ferraris.

Opening in June will be the F1 Bistro, a 19-seat eatery that'll feature salads, pastas and such. It's designed for customers, but will be open to the public.

There's even a special driveway so those low-to-the-road Ferraris won't scrape when they pull in.

Both owners acknowledge the opening of a new Ferrari store here is a sign of confidence in the Bay Area economy.

``Absolutely,'' said Mattioli, ``we feel very strongly about Silicon Valley, the Bay Area. It definitely has a booming real estate market and the economy is rebounding.''

Zafiropoulo met Mattioli when he bought a car several years ago at the Ferrari dealership Mattioli was managing in Mill Valley. A bankruptcy and other legal trouble at a Ferrari showroom in Los Gatos forced buyers of these Italian sports cars to travel to Marin County for the last few years.

There are 34 Ferrari/Maserati dealerships in the United States, including this store and one that opened at the new Wynn Las Vegas casino this week. In all, the two brands sold 2,231 new vehicles in the United States in 2004, according to an Automotive News estimate.

Long waits

How many cars they sell will depend on how many they get from Ferrari. The popularity of the brand means buyers can wait months or years for specially ordered vehicles. But, as opposed to some mainstream dealerships that make a good share of their profits from used cars and repairs, a Ferrari store makes its money from selling its high-dollar new cars, Mattioli said. The cheapest new Ferrari starts at $170,000, while a limited-production model like the Superamerica costs more than $300,000.

Zafiropoulo said he studied the area within four miles of the new showroom, including nearby Atherton and Woodside, and found that ``hundreds of multimillionaires'' live there.

And though ``you hardly see them -- people only drive them in good weather,'' there are thousands of Ferraris in Northern California, he said.

Talk to Matt Nauman about new cars online for a live question-and- answer session from noon to 1 p.m. today at www.mercurynews.com . You also can contact him at [email protected] or (408) 920-5701.
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GCalo · Apr 30, 2005

Here's a link about the grand opening:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/04/30/BAGKNCHQFP1.DTL

Artherd · Apr 30, 2005

One advantage of owning a wide and varied selection of a cerin marque's cars:

When you open a dealership, just send your personal collection down if the manufactuar can't stock in time!

JoeG54 · Apr 30, 2005

bobafett said:

Matt - I feel the exact opposite way about their service setup. Underpay the techs, set wierd hours for the jobs, and get rejected by all of the top techs in the area... can only spell disaster unless you've got a warranty.

--Dan
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Dan, what's the story on this -- particularly the part about getting "rejected by all of the top techs in the area"? I had car trouble (not the 355) last night and unfortunately wasn't able to make the opening. I always wonder when people spend a lot of money on "form" (i.e. flashy building) and not "substance" (i.e. high-quality help).

What's your take? I'm trying to decide whether I should take my car there for service.

Thanks,

Joe

bobafett · Apr 30, 2005

Talk to all the good techs. See if they tooks jobs. Then find out where the techs at FoSV are (here's a hint: there's one right now, no more) - and then figure out where they're coming from. After that, see how they're getting compensated to do work.

Make your own decision.

--Dan

JoeG54 · May 1, 2005

bobafett said:

Talk to all the good techs. See if they tooks jobs. Then find out where the techs at FoSV are (here's a hint: there's one right now, no more) - and then figure out where they're coming from. After that, see how they're getting compensated to do work.

Make your own decision.

--Dan
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Well, Dan, that's actually why I was asking you. I don't know any techs, so I can't talk to them. And for the same reason, I can't figure out where the one tech at FoSV came from, much less how he is being compensated.

I really do appreciate your input, but I must admit that answers to your questions would be a lot more helpful to me than just the questions...

bobafett · May 1, 2005

Joe - if you haven't figured it out, I've said PLENTY w/o saying anything to get me into too much trouble. I'm sorry you're not privy to things not terribly deep or dark, but I'll say this - none of my cars will end up there for service work unless it's a warranty item. If you like your cars, I suggest you do the same.

--Dan

redhead · May 1, 2005

Dan,

More then one tech has been hired. The service manager has been hired, and as you know the parts manager has been hired. They have 3 techs to my knowledge as of Fri and all have Ferrari experince. As well, paying a tech the way they are is in the tech's best intrest if they are a quality tech. It works out very well for good techs.

JoeG54 · May 1, 2005

bobafett said:

Joe - if you haven't figured it out, I've said PLENTY w/o saying anything to get me into too much trouble. I'm sorry you're not privy to things not terribly deep or dark, but I'll say this - none of my cars will end up there for service work unless it's a warranty item. If you like your cars, I suggest you do the same.

--Dan
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Thanks for your comments, Dan. But why would it make a difference whether it's a warranty item or not? I guess I'll have to think about it more...

bobafett · May 1, 2005

(Joe, part of this si for you)

R: As of Friday, the PM and one tech had been confirmed. The other one I know of was not yet fully signed on. The tech currently agreed is not, what we'll call, the best tech around.

Further, the pay structure precludes quality work from being done. First off, the pay rate being offered is LESS than most other places - this means that they're already making less money in a milieu that is not cheap. Add to that the fact that FNA and FoSP are setting the hours-per-job, and doing so at time intervals that are less than accurate or proper to do a quality job - you have techs rushing jobs because whether they spend 8 hours or 30, they get paid for 8 if the book rate says it. And if the book rates are already below what's necessary (8 for a 12 hour job), then you've got guys cutting corners and scrambling to get things done.

The reason its ok for warranty work is because you're not paying for it out of pocket - and so if they fukk it up or do a sub-par job, you just send it back in. It's an inconvenience, but it's not a major issue. It does, however, cause problems for big jobs (and/or stuff you pay for - like a major).

It's each person's responsibility to decide what level of service is acceptable to them. Personally, I'd much rather send my car to any one of the talented independants we've got in the bay area than any of the dealerships unless the work's being done for free - and even in that case it's gotta be mundane / trivial stuff.

--Dan

JoeG54 · May 1, 2005

bobafett said:

(Joe, part of this si for you)

R: As of Friday, the PM and one tech had been confirmed. The other one I know of was not yet fully signed on. The tech currently agreed is not, what we'll call, the best tech around.

Further, the pay structure precludes quality work from being done. First off, the pay rate being offered is LESS than most other places - this means that they're already making less money in a milieu that is not cheap. Add to that the fact that FNA and FoSP are setting the hours-per-job, and doing so at time intervals that are less than accurate or proper to do a quality job - you have techs rushing jobs because whether they spend 8 hours or 30, they get paid for 8 if the book rate says it. And if the book rates are already below what's necessary (8 for a 12 hour job), then you've got guys cutting corners and scrambling to get things done.

The reason its ok for warranty work is because you're not paying for it out of pocket - and so if they fukk it up or do a sub-par job, you just send it back in. It's an inconvenience, but it's not a major issue. It does, however, cause problems for big jobs (and/or stuff you pay for - like a major).

It's each person's responsibility to decide what level of service is acceptable to them. Personally, I'd much rather send my car to any one of the talented independants we've got in the bay area than any of the dealerships unless the work's being done for free - and even in that case it's gotta be mundane / trivial stuff.

--Dan
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Thanks very much, Dan, very helpful explanation.

redhead · May 1, 2005

No Dan, As of Fri, 3 techs were there and one SM and one PM.

As far as the pay scale goes, welcome to ALL dealerships. This is for the most part industry standard. Nothing new, and not changing.

4i2fly · May 2, 2005

Since I don't know about Ferrari techs pay structures I would not comment on that front...I did heard by the way that they may be paying low salaries. Were they comparing apples to oranges, I don't know. Obviously the greatest techs that have their own shops and take all the risks, work on their own hours and become successful would never want to go back to the corporate structure. But as the cars get more complex to trouble-shoot and service and Ferrari keeping the training and equipment captive within their own network there is no other choice but dealers. Id like to see the greatest independent tech trouble-shoot an electronic problem with a new 612 that happens intermittently and can be attributed to any one of the 27 processors on the CAN bus in the car. Thank God I dont own a 612.

It's your money and you spend it the way it pleasures you...I am just saying there is a new game in town which helps keep "THE OTHER" more honest. Some aspects of this discussion maybe foreign to some but I'd say it again...Even the best make mistakes, how they deal with the mistakes set them apart that either turn you away as a customer or keep you for good.

But if the two owners of FoSV get up on the podium and both say they have talked with many owners and understand "SERVICE" being No.1 issue and they intent to provide it, I give'em the benefit of the doubt...BTW, neither one of them spoke with me nor solicited my inputs.

lukek · May 2, 2005

I just got myself in line on the calendar for a maserati service appointment. Warranty nature of the work, espresso lounge, and distance are all things that make me want to give the new guys a try...

JoeG54 · May 2, 2005

4i2fly said:

Obviously the greatest techs that have their own shops and take all the risks, work on their own hours and become successful would never want to go back to the corporate structure. But as the cars get more complex to trouble-shoot and service and Ferrari keeping the training and equipment captive within their own network there is no other choice but dealers. Id like to see the greatest independent tech trouble-shoot an electronic problem with a new 612 that happens intermittently and can be attributed to any one of the 27 processors on the CAN bus in the car. Thank God I dont own a 612.
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So if one had a 355, out of warranty, and wanted the best service, why wouldn't they go to an independent? People who open their own shops have to be good (assuming they've been in business at least a few years), or they won't be in business very long. Also, their overhead is much lower.

4i2fly · May 2, 2005

I have taken my car to Brian Crall who used to be the shop foreman at FoLG. He is factory trained all the way upto 575s. He has deep knowledge of these cars and well connected within the Ferrari community. There might be others just as qualified. Factory trained might not make any tech better than the other but because I feel comfortable with Brian and I have an appreciation for his depth of knowledge about Ferraris I do not hesitate to recommend him to others.

Gary(SF) · May 2, 2005

4i2fly said:

I have taken my car to Brian Crall who used to be the shop foreman at FoLG. He is factory trained all the way upto 575s. He has deep knowledge of these cars and well connected within the Ferrari community. There might be others just as qualified. Factory trained might not make any tech better than the other but because I feel comfortable with Brian and I have an appreciation for his depth of knowledge about Ferraris I do not hesitate to recommend him to others.
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I'll second that recommendation.

Gary

wonkazoo · May 2, 2005

Triplicate endorsement.

Rifledriver · May 2, 2005

How much is all this going to cost me?

xs10shl · May 2, 2005

Rifledriver said:

How much is all this going to cost me?
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Wait, isn't that our line? ;^)

bobafett · May 3, 2005

Matt - I think the only point in which I'd concede is that of the technology. There's definetly a lag time for information to get passed on to most independants. That said, there are a few out there who are very up to date and are privy to all that they need to be.

BTW, CAN bus cars aren't new - the blue 550 is such.

--Dan

4i2fly · May 3, 2005

Dan,

I think it is important to note although we all share the same passion about cars and own similar rides everyone's approach to acquiring a piece of mind while servicing their cars are very different. I am sure what works for you will work for many others including myself...that's not the point. We are dismissing statements issued by co-owners of the new dealerships based on pay structure that didn't settle well with those who were offered. Others may take lower salaries for other benefits, don't you think some of FoSF's techs could go and open up their own shop tomorrow and make 3 or 4 times as much within the first year?

I was having dinner with a buddy last night that used to regularly service his car at FoBH. They have a bistro as well, and while he was munching a panini with Parma and...someone came up to him and said if the food doesn't suit him they can take him anywhere he'd like for lunch...this is SERVICE. The environment promotes customer care. It may not be important to some but shows how much they care for a customer who spends thousands at their dealership and make him feel like a king. He has also been to the infamous dealership where the service department is in the boonies and don't even have a decent lounge or offer you a cup of water much less a panini with espresso to go with it. They seem as though are doing a thankless job and no matter how hard they try they come below expectation...then it is no wonder repairs are done less than satisfactory and incomplete. And since they were the only game in town they got away with it for a few years. All I am saying is competition is healthy to keep the other in line with what they are supposed to do, first and foremost customer care.

By the way, I brought up 27 processors on a CAN bus as a nightmare to troubleshoot. It will be a nightmare for dealer and independent. The technology has been around for many years in European cars but having 27 processors who communicate on a twisted pair with bus contentions, dominant or not if one processor goes half way bad where it chatters and clutters the bus, you either shotgun uP boards and try to see if that fixes the problem (sometimes it is impossible) or you bring the factory logic analyzer that looks for particular patterns and codes to isolate the fault. While this is a likely event on any serial communication protocol with many initiators I have not personally experience it on a CAN bus I have seen it on Fibre Channel Loops with many drives which fall into the same predicament when a faulty drive clutters the bus and it becomes very difficult to isolate.

Matt

bobafett · May 3, 2005

Matt - we're running around in circles, and I think you've made some very good points.

That said - cigars and scotch in Los Gatos or Menlo ... when?

--Dan

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