A personal note from Herb Chambers

Dear Valued customer,

Last, year at this time, I wrote to you about an important workplace distinction of which, I was very proud.

The Herb Chambers Companies were recognized as being amongst The Boston Globe’s Top 100 Places to Work for 2009. I am so proud to tell you, we have just been notified by the Boston Globe, that we have earned this distinction again for 2010.

This year we are ranked eighth in the Large Employer category. We were selected from more than 1,000 employers who participated in the survey. In fact, we are the only automotive dealer ever to have received this award and now we’ve earned it twice.

What I love so much about this is that it was the enthusiastic recognition of our employees’ that made this possible when they nominated our company as a Top 100 workplace.

There is no higher privilege in business than to have your employees emphatically state, “What a great place to work”! … And then, want to tell the whole world…amazing!

Thank you.

Herb Chambers

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The soul of a leader

Three top executives who all inspire loyalty among employees reveal their personal goals, leadership methods — and deepest fears

November 7, 2010

To be one of the Globe’s Top Places to Work, an organization’s employees must believe the people at the top know what they’re doing and care about providing a rewarding work experience. Anthony Consigli of Consigli Construction Co., Kathleen “Kit’’ Tunney of Associates for Human Services, and Herb Chambers of Herb Chambers Cos. all run organizations that ranked high in our survey for employee faith that the organization is in good hands. Top Places editor Michael Warshaw asked them what good leaders do.

• Globe: Anthony, what does it mean to you that your name is on the company?

Consigli: It might make the accountability that much greater. But I don’t think that it is the end all, be all. The reason the name is important is because I have three generations preceding me. If I screw up, I feel like I let somebody down.

• Globe: Herb, what about your name on your company?

Chambers: Well, I think it is different for me because I was the guy that started the company. I think that the pressure on you, Anthony, is five times greater than it is on me.

The company I have today is not what I envisioned 20, 25 years ago. At the time I sold my first company, I was 38 years old. I said, ‘What am I going to do now?’ and I went down to buy a car, and instead of buying the car, I bought the dealership.

Tunney: That is a great story.

Chambers: I realized how bad that particular dealership was. It just looked like the guy wanted to get out of it. I bought it right on the spot.

In the automobile business, you don’t necessarily have to be great. You have to be good. If you are good, you are great. Because most people say they hate car dealers.

We don’t build cars. They roll in, and we have to find a home for them. Our people are so important because the product is unimportant. If you like Honda, you’re going to buy a Honda whether you buy it from me or somebody else. The question becomes: Can we fulfill the need of delivering that car to the customer better than somebody else can?

I hold a training meeting once a month, and we have 300 or 400 people there for breakfast, our whole sales organization. Salespeople have got to be kind of cheered up all the time, because they have a tendency to fall down. Technicians are a kind of a different breed. They have a different level of motivation than salespeople do.

• Globe: Do you speak to each group differently?

Chambers: I do. When I am in the dealerships, I talk to the guys and ask, ‘How is everything with the shop? Anything we can do for you?’

All of our shops are now air conditioned. That came out of one of the comments I got from one of the guys.

• Globe: Kit, you came up differently, from being a staffer.

Tunney: I fell in love with the work that we do — with the staff that I was working with. And over time, wanted to make some changes there, took some courses to get a little bit of credentials in management. And happened to be at the right place at the right time.

• Globe: How did the experience of being a staff member affect your leadership?

Tunney: Having been there and done that makes me more approachable. I try to involve them in problem solving and decision making, because that was important to me when I felt like I didn’t have that voice.

I go out to a group home and say to the staff, ‘How’s it going?’ and I stop to listen to the answer. But I also provide formal opportunities for them to participate in focus groups and surveys to tell me how good of a job we are doing.

• Globe: Tell us something that surprised you that came out of that.

Tunney: Lack of natural light. We had staff in cubbies with no windows. When I decided to build our building, and we interviewed staff to ask them what they wanted, what I heard was: light. Now our building has windows right across the top. It is all one level. And there are suites set off at angles, so it doesn’t look like a motel.

• Globe: Anthony, what are you looking for when you tour your construction sites?

Consigli: I am looking for them to talk to me like I am a normal person, vs. a company president. I think there are some incredibly smart people out there that are building these buildings. They are equally important to this deal as I am. I don’t think they understand that sometimes.

• Globe: Kit, how important is the staff dedication to your mission?

Tunney: It is essential. You train, train, train. I don’t have a breakfast every month for 400 people, but it is the same thing. You’ve got to find out what their needs are, and you have to meet those needs. If I have a staff that didn’t do a good job because I didn’t provide the opportunity to gain the skills that they need, then I am the one at fault.

For instance, if you have an individual that lives in a group home, in a wheelchair, and then is maybe visually impaired, you need to provide training for that particular staff. How do you present a meal to someone that is visually impaired? How do you get them to a table if they are in a wheelchair? So you really have to be very thorough putting together orientation for staff. And follow up, follow up, follow up.

Chambers: In the automobile business, I am embarrassed to say how simple it is. The manufacturer provides you with information on all of the technicians, all the salespeople, the individual dealerships, how they all perform. We know where the problems are.

• Globe: Herb, you bought that dealership, it seems, almost on impulse.

Tunney: That is confidence, and I admire that.

Chambers: I don’t think I am smarter than anybody else. On the same token, I don’t think I am a lot dumber than anybody else. Believe me, I live on fear. I am always worried about everything all the time.

• Globe: Fear of what?

Chambers: Fear of failing in anything. I don’t want to fail.

• Globe: Kit, do you have fear?

Tunney: We’re federally and state funded. I am always wondering whether or not our contracts are going to get cut. And they do. Then I need to figure out, ‘How am I going to do more with less?’ I am always afraid it’s going to get cut so much that I am going to have to look at laying off staff.

• Globe: Anthony, is fear a motivator?

Consigli: Fear and regret. I stay up all night thinking about the things that could go wrong. Construction is a dangerous business. People die, and I am fearful of that. Quality problems, reputation — all those things.

I would say regret is equal. I hate thinking that I am going to regret decisions I made or didn’t make 10 years out, 30 years out.

• Globe: How do you avoid it?

Consigli: Thinking a lot about it. The greatest regret would be tanking a company that has been around for 105 years. I think that fear and hard work hold off that danger of making a decision that you’ll regret.

Do you screw up? Yeah. Everybody screws up. But you man up, you admit it, and you move on. If there are three things that I aspire to, they are humility, empathy, and accountability — just doing what you said you were going to do. I think that if I can do that more often than not, generally speaking, things will go well.

Tunney: If people have a healthy work ethic, they want to come to work and they want to be respected for what they do. And they want to do their best and they want to be rewarded for that. They want to have decent pay checks. And that is what we try to do.

Consigli: If we are the people behind our organizations who are responsible for that, we need to be doing the proper planning and working hard to make sure we’re putting things in place for that to happen for people.

Chambers: Everybody likes to believe they have good integrity. They all like to believe that they work hard. Who is going to set the pace of the organization? The pace of the organization is the speed of the leader, right? They look at you and say, ‘He really puts his heart and soul into everything that he does, or she does.’ So what are you doing to do? You’re going to put your heart and soul into it.

Consigli: The day that I stop doing that is the day I have to get out and let someone else take over. I have seen so many organizations where that doesn’t happen. If I get hit by a bus tomorrow, I want the organization to keep going just like nothing happened. That’s success.

© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company

- New Showroom – NOW OPEN!

Best Audi Dealers is proud to showcase Audi Burlington, A Herb Chambers Company as its “Best of New England Audi Dealership”!

Herb Chambers Company sells the most cars in New England and is recognized by Audi as an Award winning dealership!

More information on Audi Burlington:

Audi Burlington is conveniently located in Burlington Massachusetts, just minutes away from Boston, Salem and Andover.

Audi Burlington has the areas largest selection of Audi and certified preowned vehicles from cars and trucks to vans and SUVs.
Audi Vehicles

Audi Burlington is proud to be a Magna Award winner. They are the leader in customer service before and after the sale. They have built their reputation on honest pricing and employing only the best in brand specialists.

Visit them at www.herbchambers.com or visit their new and expanded location open which is open now!

At Audi Burlington, they are committed to providing the highest levels of customer service through  unsurpassed knowledge of  Audi vehicles they sell and service.

Their staff is Audi Certified, meaning they are able to answer any and all of your questions.Their mechanics are factory trained to maintain the latest Audi vehicles. The Parts Department is ready to assist the do-it-yourselfer and those who wish to add some custom touches to their Audi.

Come visit their  Brand New facility and check out their beautiful showrooms and meet their exceptional sales crew!

If you are looking to buy a new or used vehicle and need financing, Audi Burlington is the dealer for you.  Their finance team can assist you with securing affordable options on any new Audi A3, A4, A4 Avant, A4 Cabriolet, A6, A5, A6 Avant, A8, allRoad Quattro, Q7, R8, RS4, S4, S4 Avant, S4 Cabriolet, S5, S6, S8, TT Coupe or TT Roadster.

Visit their showroom today at:

Audi Burlington

93 Cambridge Street
Burlington, Massachusetts 01803

Audi-Porsche of Burlington  CALL  877-819-7025

Audi Burlington, A Herb Chambers Company.

Introducing the statement crossover, the all-new Audi Q5.

The Audi Q5 will change your perception of what a crossover has to offer while at the same time raising the bar on performance, luxury and flexibility. The 3.2 FSI® engine delivers outstanding power, smoothness and efficiency with the low-end torque needed to get you up and going, wherever that may be.

Whether you’re heading to the office, taking the kids to soccer practice, or just getting away from it all, the award winning Audi Q5 has the tools to help you navigate your life with a greater ease than you thought possible all the while doing it in class-leading style.

The Audi Q5 combines Audi’s class leading engineering with the needs of today’s drivers. Participants will experience the Audi Q5 on the city roads as well as on a closed course to improve their fundamental driving skills. This program will show you that Audi is a lifestyle, not just a brand.

Program Features:
Experience Style- The four shimmering rings that grace every Audi represent nearly a century of innovation and Truth in Engineering. To a vast and varied world of drivers, Audi and the four rings mean more than a way to get from point A to point B. Much more. Join us on a journey through the progress of Audi in our state-ofthe-art, 360-degree projection, and interactive theatre. Here we will take you through what separates Audi from the competition and why Progress is Beautiful.

Experience Mobility- Peace of mind comes standard as the Audi Q5 comes equipped with the latest quattro® all-wheel drive and a generous 7.8-inches of ground clearance, making it at home both on the road and off. If one of the wheels is in danger of losing grip, quattro® compensates for this by redistributing the power allowing you to continue safely on your way.

Experience Versatility- The Audi Q5 easily balances sport, leisure and family activities. Maneuvering through city traffic or climbing a rough mountain road, you will have the Audi Q5’s balance of power and nimbleness to assist you. Adding to your confidence to handle any situation, Audi’s Electronic Stabilization Program (ESP) gives you both on and off road settings and the ability to adjust to the vehicle’s settings based on the luggage load to compensate for the higher center of gravity. Pair this with the optional Audi drive select and the Audi Q5 is truly an unparalleled multitasking force to be reckoned with.

Experience Performance- Sense the immediate response of the fuel efficient 3.2 FSI® six cylinder engine. Feel the fast-shifting Tiptronic transmission and quattro® all-wheel drive. Revel in the exhilaration of being one of the first to drive the class defining Audi Q5 and find out for yourself how Audi makes it possible to get what you want without compromise.

Visit our showroom today at:

Audi Burlington

93 Cambridge Street
Burlington, Massachusetts 01803

Audi-Porsche of Burlington  CALL  877-819-7025

In a year when Audi has lined its awards cabinet, its Q7 quattro luxury SUV has added another accolade to the maker’s resume, this time KBB’s 2009 Best Resale Value Award. The award recognizes vehicles that are expected to retain the highest proportion of their original retail value price five years after purchase, per the vehicle’s specific segment.

The importance of resale value is demonstrated through the annual depreciation a vehicle faces after purchase. In most cases, depreciation can be the largest expense any new-car purchaser experiences, with many vehicles losing as much as 20% of their retail value as soon as the new owner takes possession. Higher resale values also help encourage motorists to move into newer vehicles, when the timing is appropriate, with the assistance of higher tradeins and higher-valued private-party sales. Vehicles with higher resale values tend to indicate a solidly built vehicle that may be more desirable in the used-car market.

The Q7 quattro has won other awards this year, including the Top Safety Pick by the IIHS and leading consumer research firm Strategic Vision’s SmartGreen Index and Total Value Index for luxury SUVs. In addition to the Q7 quattro winning the Best Resale Value award for luxury SUVs, Audi’s A5 coupe won the Best Resale Value award for luxury cars.

Source: Audi USA

AWARDS AUDI PRESS RELEASE

Nov 19, 2008

* The Audi Q7 quattro® earns prestigious Best Resale Value Awards from Kelley Blue Book
* The awards honor vehicles expected to hold the greater proportion of retail price
* Kbb.com recommends all car buyers to consider the importance of resale value when they go shopping for cars

HERNDON, Va., Nov 19, 2008 – The Audi Q7 quattro® and the Audi A5 coupe won Kelley Blue Book’s prestigious 2009 Best Resale Value Awards for the luxury SUV and the luxury car categories respectively.

The Kelley Blue Book Best Resale Value Awards recognize models that are expected to keep the greatest proportion of their original retail price five years after purchase. The projections are based on the Kelley Blue Book Residual Value Guide, which is backed by the research of expert automotive market analysts.

“Resale values reflect the quality, desirability and technology that vehicles provide over time to their owners – and to consumers who wish they could someday drive the best models,” said Johan de Nysschen, Audi of America’s executive vice president. “At Audi, we are committed to ensuring our customers enjoy this value focus. And we are grateful this approach has been recognized by Kelley Blue Book.”

Kbb.com recommends all car buyers to consider the importance of resale value when they go shopping for cars. Editors of Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com have found that depreciation can be the largest expense any motorist faces in the first five years of driving a vehicle. The editors note that high resale value generally indicates a vehicle is solidly built, generates strong consumer enthusiasm and comes equipped with features likely to be highly sought by consumers five years later.

“Choosing makes, models and options wisely now can help new-car shoppers keep additional money in their pocket down the road when they go to sell or trade in the vehicle used,” said Jack R. Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst with kbb.com.

The 2009 Best Resale Value Award marks a string of recent honors bestowed on the Audi Q7, including ranking as a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, topping the SmartGreen Index for luxury SUVs as rated by the consumer research firm Strategic Vision and leading all luxury SUVs in Strategic Vision’s Total Value Index.

The Audi A5 recently won Automobile Magazine’s 2009 Design of the Year award. The Audi A5 also earned the Active Lifestyle Vehicle of the Year award over all other luxury cars. Sales for the A5 have been strong, setting records in each of the past three months.

Best Audi Dealers Congratulates Audi for these accomplishments !

Audi hits a home run with its first SUV.

Dateline 2006:  Luxury SUVs have gained widespread popularity in the United States. However, until now, Audi has not had an offering in this segment of the market, leaving a hole in its model lineup. But as the saying goes: arrive late, dress well. And Audi has done just that with its sensational Q7.

While the Q7 may be Audi’s first-ever sport-utility, its strength and refinement suggest that Audi has been in this game for years, if not decades. As such, the Q7 is a fresh and beautifully rendered newcomer to the luxury SUV segment. Like other Audis, the Q7 is a paragon of driving elegance and interior refinement.

Built upon the same solid architecture shared by the Volkswagen’s Touareg and Porsche’s high-performance Cayenne, the Q7 is a more compliant ride thanks to Audi’s decades of experience with all-wheel-drive systems, which Audi calls Quattro, or quattro. The Q7 is also the longest of the three, and thus is the only one to offer three-row seating. Audi also has equipped the Q7 with many luxury and convenience features not found on the Touareg, including a few not found on any other luxury SUV.

Walkaround

The styling of the Audi Q7 offers no surprises, just typical Audi class, as if the A6 wagon experienced an unexpected growth spurt. The blunt front end features Audi’s signature bold grille flanked by menacing headlights at the leading edge of the sculpted hood. A heavily stylized front end helps mask the formidable mass of the Q7′s nose. Fog lights are set into the lower moldings.

Crisp side-view styling with articulated fenders and an arching roofline also do much to lessen the generous dimensions of the Q7. The exterior mirrors are perhaps the largest we’ve ever seen on a vehicle in this class, which should come in handy when towing. Two stylish, full-length metal rails on the roof provide anchor points for accessory crossbars for securing cargo on the roof.

Lower moldings are rendered in a durable, unpainted, chip-resistant material that is color-keyed to the paint above. With the available S-Line appearance package, they are replaced by more aggressively styled lower moldings that are painted to match the body.

Other notable exterior features that would be particularly appreciable in colder climates include pull-type door handles that are easy to use with gloves, as well as wide-sweeping windshield wipers that, when not in use, rest on an area heated by the interior vents in order to prevent freezing.

Interior Features

Audi designed the Q7 interior with flexibility in mind, with 28 different passenger/cargo arrangements between three available seating configurations. With the conventional 40/20/40 split second-row bench seat, the Q7 seats five; add the third-row seat and it’ll seat seven. Standard on the 4.2 Premium is a six-passenger arrangement with second-row bucket seats separated by a center console, with the third row bench behind it. All second-row seats slide for/aft four inches to maximize legroom, which Audi claims gives the Q7 the most stretch-out room in the class.

Most drivers should find the driving position nearly perfect. Getting in and out of the front or second-row seats is easy thanks to large doors and a reasonably low floor. Accessing the third row is not as easy: The second-row seat slides and folds forward to grant access, but never quite enough for an adult to get back there smoothly. To Audi’s defense, the seat was designed to accommodate people no taller than five feet, four inches. As with most SUVs, the third row is best left to the kids.

The front bucket seats are superb: comfortable and supportive with power adjustment in most directions. Leather upholstery is standard on all models, while the V8 Premium array comes with upmarket Cricket leather. Leather also covers the three-spoke steering wheel, which also features redundant audio controls.

Dual-zone automatic climate controls are nothing new for this segment, but Audi made an effort to provide ventilation while reducing draftiness when the vehicle is being heated or cooled rapidly. Hence, the Q7 has an abundance of generously sized vents, including a diffused air vent at the base of the windshield in the front, as well as vents in the both the B-pillar and the rear of the center console for second-row occupants. One particularly upscale option is four-zone climate control (two zones in front and two zones for the second-row passengers), though its price is a bit upscale as well.

Four full-size adults can enjoy plenty of space in the five-seat array; the 60/40 split rear bench seat allows cargo/passenger flexibility while also allowing second-row passengers to slide rearward up to four inches for extra legroom. Second-row seatbacks are also designed to recline up to 10 degrees. The six-passenger configuration brings sport-inspired second-row bucket seats separated by a large console with storage and cupholders. The latter arrangement feels more upscale and makes the third row feel less confining, thanks to better forward vision.

One option that families will find particularly cool is the Open Sky System: a full-length, three-panel panoramic glass moonroof that brightens the interior significantly. About 5.5 feet in length, the system consists of three tinted glass panels spanning all seating areas. The front section slides back over the fixed second section for full exposure for front seat occupants; another glass panel over the third-row seat/cargo area tilts up for added ventilation. A power retractable sunshade helps keep heat down on hot days.

Driving Impressions

The Q7′s standard full-time quattro all-wheel drive system requires no driver input. Normally, power is delivered to the front and rear wheels in a 42/58 percent split in order to create a rear-wheel-drive sensation for confident dry-weather handling. When driving conditions become such that traction becomes compromised at, the torque split is automatically adjusted between the parameters of 65/35 to 15/85 percent, front-to-rear.

The electronic stability control, or ESP, manages any additional wheel slip by applying the brakes at the slipping wheel without interrupting power deliver to the wheels with grip. ESP helps maintain stability in corners by lightly applying the brakes to individual wheels when the vehicle’s path doesn’t match the driver’s intentions. The Q7′s ESP system is enhanced with an off-road mode that can be switched on to allow some slip for smooth power delivery on gravel roads. For steep, slippery grades, a downhill assist function automatically maintains a 12-mph speed by applying the brakes to individual wheels without driver input, allowing him or her to concentrate on steering.

Handling is superb. Both of the 4.2 models we drove featured the optional adaptive air suspension, featuring electronically controlled, air-filled shocks in place of traditional steel springs. The air suspension allows the driver to select one of three firmness settings, as well as raise the vehicle to a ground clearance of 8.5 inches for deep snow or off-road driving.

The Comfort setting allows the suspension to absorb more road impacts for a relatively smooth ride at all situations. The Automatic mode offers compliance during straight-line travel, but stiffens up during cornering for tauter handling. The Dynamic mode lowers the vehicle 0.6 inches to a ground clearance of 6.5 inches, which lowers the center of gravity and enhances aerodynamics. Generally, we found the Q7′s ride to be acceptable though firm, even in the softest Comfort setting. That’s typical of a German sedan. We preferred the Automatic setting during normal driving, as it offered the best ride/handling balance. The Dynamic setting was noticeably stiffer; rewarding during enthusiastic driving, but hard enough that most will switch back to Automatic or Comfort for around-town motoring.

Summary

The new Audi Q7 represent a winning combination of comfort, style and space. With Audi luxury made even more enjoyable by a taller roof and a more commanding view of the road ahead, the Q7 has an interior package that will be an excellent match for today’s luxury SUV customer.

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