Jeep stores roll out the red carpet to pitch the Wagoneer

Jim Glover Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep- Ram-Fiat created an elaborate scene for an invite-only event to let customers check out the upcoming Jeep Grand Wagoneer.

Wine and beer were flowing, hors d'oeuvres were on deck, music played and strobe lights set a festive mood in the dealership's freshly built Jeep showroom, which opened in November.

The Oklahoma store went all out to deliver a special experience for well-heeled clientele and showcase a vehicle that dealers believe can scoop affluent buyers from luxury brands to expand Jeep's reach. Dealer principal Jared Glover said he's already hearing from people driving BMWs and other rivals that their next vehicle would be a Grand Wagoneer.

"My staff had a blast," Glover told Automotive News. "And I think directly attributable to the event, we had several people do sold orders with us — a few of them immediately that night."

Glover, who was an emcee for the July party, told customers that it "was not to do a hard sell and get a bunch of people to order the car. We just want to introduce it to you, let you experience it in person, get inside of it and really see the level of detail and quality that the brand has brought to market."

The dealership is one of numerous Jeep stores around the country to hold exclusive gatherings to get consumers acquainted with the Grand Wagoneer. These product icebreakers are taking place alongside a broader effort by Jeep to elevate the customer experience for the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, including a training program to designate salespeople as ambassadors for the upscale products within their dealerships.

Jeep representatives conducted in- person training at the store the day before the Grand Wagoneer event and the day of the gathering to talk about product presentation and the consumer experience, Glover said.

The Wagoneer ambassador initiative, he said, could elevate the sales process for the entire dealership.

"If we can train ourselves to provide the level of service that a customer in a luxury SUV expects, then it's going to trickle down to how we treat customers that are buying Renegades and Compasses and Dodge Chargers," Glover said. "I think it'll raise our customers' experience no matter what they're buying because of the level of service expected for our Wagoneer clients."

The store had other models on display for attendees, including the new three-row Grand Cherokee L, a Wrangler Rubicon 392 and a refurbished 1980 Wagoneer owned by a customer who ordered the Grand Wagoneer. Glover held gift basket raffles and gave out wine glasses with Wagoneer branding and cookies in the shape of the vintage Wagoneer.

Glover said the dealership invited previous buyers of Grand Cherokees, Gladiators and Wranglers and those who had spent more than $40,000 on a Ram pickup in recent years. His reasoning was driven, in part, by an observation that his store's pickup and Wrangler buyers often own full-size luxury SUVs, too. People who come to the store to buy an upper-level Ram, for instance, often pull up in a Cadillac Escalade, he said.

Those who previously showed interest in the Grand Wagoneer were invited as well.

In Lynnfield, Mass., Kelly Automotive Group hosted a catered Grand Wagoneer showing at a 46,000-square-foot Jeep store that it opened last August. It's next to a Cadillac dealership, giving the Grand Wagoneer a chance to face off with its direct rival each day.

Kelly Automotive CEO Brian Heney said Escalade owners have been ordering the Grand Wagoneer from his store. He's also seeing customers who have a QX80 from the group's Infiniti store express interest in the Grand Wagoneer.

Towne Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram in Hamburg, N.Y., had a playbook similar to that of the Glover and Kelly dealerships. Cocktails were served, and goody bags were handed out. Special lighting in the front of the store and underneath the Grand Wagoneer added to the ambiance.

Sales Manager Mike Roeder said salespeople were encouraged to invite who they wanted. Towne Auto Group's luxury dealerships spread the word to their clientele as well.

Roeder said his store sometimes sells vehicles to players on the nearby Buffalo Bills NFL team. He wouldn't be surprised to see them get a few Grand Wagoneers in the months ahead.

"They're 100 grand, so you're going to deal with affluent businesspeople and some of the local sports figures, but that goes along with every product line," Roeder said. "We have a Ford store, and a lot of the Bills buy their Raptors from us."