Women get answers when they ‘Ask Suzie’

She’s a wife, a mother, and a woman who happens to know more about new and pre-owned cars and trucks than most men can hope to know in a lifetime. Susan Baierl was vice president of Tri-State Auto Auction in Washington, Pa., where she worked for 15 years before she and Lee Baierl married in 2003. Now, after time out for raising children and giving birth to the latest member of the Baierl clan, 1-year old Calvin, Susan has put her automotive know-how to work on behalf of other women via the Baierl Automotive website (www.baierl.com). Under the “Ask Suzie” tab, she provides free advice on “car buying, car care and just plain car fun!”

The notion that women faced some unique obstacles when purchasing a vehicle occurred to Susan some years ago when she visited a dealership that, she recalls, left her feeling “ignored.” The lack of service left a lasting impression on a woman who cut her teeth in the auction end of the automotive business, which remarkets pre-owned vehicles. It was an experience that taught her how to reach out to car and truck buyers and sellers, just as dealers have to do. “We benchmarked our auto auction business on superior service,” said Susan. The emphasis was the right one, for during her time with the auto auction company there was an increase in sales by $50 million.

Susan and husband Lee, president of a company with nine franchised new-car and truck dealerships, share the same dedication to the Baierl customer experience. It was only a matter of time before it was decided to make sure the Baierl dealerships were the most women-friendly to be found in the region by creating “Ask Suzie.” As the online service notes, it is meant “to make your experience with Baierl Automotive painless, hassle-free and guess what…enjoyable!”

“I think the biggest concern for most women at a dealership,” Susan said, “is the sense of insecurity they often feel in a male-dominated situation. It’s a testosterone-filled environment with a lot of jargon.”

Another concern for most woman, she added, is the affordability factor: How will a purchase affect their ability to budget and maintain good credit? “Men,” said Susan, “don’t worry so much about that issue.”

Still another important consideration from the female perspective, said Susan, is the extraordinary amount of research women typically put into making a purchase of a new or pre-owned vehicle. “The average investment of time is about 18 hours for women, who are continually busy from the moment they awake to the time they fall asleep. I would love to save them some of those valuable hours, and I know I can.”

Indeed, Susan plans to cover the entire spectrum of questions and concerns, from researching a purchase to actually buying, servicing and maintaining the vehicle.

“I’ll be there for any kind of help women need,” said Susan.