Kelli Green: 0:01

Welcome back to the Live Better Podcast. I'm your host and Centric Senior Vice President of Marketing, Kelli Green. We're excited to join you today with one of our guests. His name is Kai Dwairi. He's actually the General Manager of the Vaughn Group Toyota dealership in Bastrop. Today, we're going to be talking about best practices when purchasing a vehicle, but also learning about how to partner with credit unions when you're looking for your next vehicle. Well, good morning and welcome

Kais Dwairi: 0:32

Good morning.

Kais Dwairi: 0:32

How are you doing?

Kelli Green: 0:33

Good, we're so glad to have you here on our podcast. This is such an exciting time and thank you so much for accepting our invitation to connect.

Kais Dwairi: 0:42

Oh, definitely Looking forward to it. Been waiting for it all weekend.

Kelli Green: 0:46

Well, talk to me a little bit too. I know we've talked a little bit, so we've got a good bit of background, but if you wouldn't mind, just share with our listeners who you are, what your current role is with Vaughn Group.

Kais Dwairi: 0:58

I am currently the general manager at Vaughn Toyota Bastrop. I have been there since we opened our doors on December of 2022. I'm originally from Ruston, Louisiana. I started my career at Brennan Dodge back in 2010. I worked there for a couple of years. Then I transitioned over to West Monroe, worked for Interstate Dodge for about seven years as a finance manager.

Kais Dwairi: 1:21

Just about a couple of years ago I decided I wanted to transition into, I guess, overseeing the store and making some changes I felt were needed. And then I went ahead at that point, stepped up and moved over to a general sales manager position for about two years and once I got comfortable with what I felt was the right play for us to make a dealership work, at that point I had a great opportunity with the Vaughn organization. They contacted me and asked me to come through and pretty much just see if I can make the general manager position work out and change the way that people view us at that particular dealership, especially with reopening the store that already had a fundamental reputation through this city, and how can we transition that with, I guess, a more happier customers and have them overlook their past at that dealership. So a lot of our hard times have honestly been just taking that last name and rebuilding it into what we felt was the right way to look at this particular dealership and what it should be.

Kelli Green: 2:12

I love it Local dealership, but you guys are throughout the state. Is that right?

Kais Dwairi: 2:16

Yes, we have multiple locations between the Natchitoches, between Alexandria, Bunkie, LeCount, Oakdale. So we in the Northeast Louisiana, I can always say to our customers that we have probably about 400 used cars to pick through. We have access to sell from all of our dealerships. Our salesmen are licensed at all of the eight stores. They can sell from Chevrolet to Ford to Dodge and as far as used car inventory, if it exists in one of our eight stores we can definitely have it bought up for our customers Nice. So that's the convenience I think Northeast Louisiana has been seeing coming into our dealership.

Kelli Green: 2:48

Absolutely, well and one of the things I wanted to share too and kind of how we've gotten started. Now I know that I'd love to talk more about the financial history and your relationship too, with just dealing with the members every day but also talking through. You and I have similar financial journeys after we've had our conversation. But before we jump into that, one of the things I really wanted to line out and make sure our listeners understand is with us partnering with dealerships like Vaughn.

Kelli Green: 3:16

We have a partnership through what's called indirect lending and indirect lending. What that does is it allows our members and new members alike to go and visit your car dealership. We can even take a look at the inventory online and see you know what is available and also to kind of work hand in hand to provide a loan from Centric. But also you guys hand the keys right on over at the dealership. Hand the keys right on over at the dealership. So that's the indirect lending side of things I feel like is very important, especially with our members. Like you've mentioned, the reach that you have throughout the state of Louisiana, you open up that inventory for our folks and have the ability to even do their lending at an offsite, so to speak. We take care of it with Centric, but we have that in that unique too, just to ensure we want a safe, affordable vehicle. Yes, the right price for our members, and so we just appreciate you guys taking care of our members for sure.

Kais Dwairi: 4:15

Definitely Now. We definitely enjoy to try to take care of them the best we know how.

Kelli Green: 4:19

Oh yeah, Well, kind of take us through this too, because a lot of our listeners, whether they have, currently have a financial hardship maybe, perhaps they've walked through building credit. Do you want to maybe take us through kind of your experience with Centric?

Kais Dwairi: 4:36

As far as my personal perspective of it, I can say as a new buyer years and years ago that I always tell people that and that's kind of one of the fights that we have consistently and I've learned it from my personal experiences. Having a relationship with a credit union like Centric has definitely worked out for me. I came in probably about well over 15 years ago and, coming out of college and trying to learn how to work my credit, I came in and sat with a loan officer back when I was in Ruston and just you know that's kind of the missing components. I think a lot of people have forgotten is that the power that they have when they're dealing with their credit unions and something I try to instruct our new buyers and the refinancing options, things that I've walked myself through and me having to go in and actually probably didn't get the first car that I wanted you know what I tell people. You know you didn't come when you come in as a first time buyer. I think we all want our first dream car and I still remember my first dream car coming into the dealership and I believe it was a Daytona when I realized it was outside of my budget and sat down with the loan officer. It was like here's what we can approve you with, here's what kind of payments you're looking for If you go to this particular amount. Here's what you're looking to do as far as your payments.

Kais Dwairi: 5:36

And I kind of had that pre-selected in my head and going into it as a new buyer at that time. I at that time I just finally, you know, went back to the dealership with like one, two, three. Here's what I'm looking for, here's the budget I need to work off of. And, as a person that came in through the credit union, it's my first time to build my credits. It gave me a different perspective of how I deal with customers today, because I know how to.

Kais Dwairi: 5:55

I just I have that recent experience, I guess, where I remind myself of what it was to get my credit moving again, especially with, I guess I won't say, bad credit or good credit in our situation. Mine was, you know, student loans and just reactivating my credit on a good term with an actual auto. And I went in there and told them hey, here's my budget, here's what I want to do. And once the salesman that I was working with actually put me on the right vehicle and this was prior to me actually working at a dealership yeah and I landed on a vehicle that I was able to afford, um, Paid it off completely, didn't trade it in.

Kais Dwairi: 6:24

I actually handed it over to one of my family members over the years. So being advised of how to purchase a vehicle the right way with loan officers or hopefully sitting down with the right people whether it's a sales consultant, loan officer, even a finance manager in a dealership and knowing your budget, I think is the mistaken issue that you see a lot of people walk into. They overwhelm themselves because of a dream car, because of what they wanted rather than what they needed.

Kelli Green: 6:47

That's right.

Kais Dwairi: 6:48

The loan officer I dealt with in Ruston through Centric I think she had to woke me up and said I know you want a Daytona, but you may want to. You know, here's the budget that you can afford. So that was a great experience for me to go in and put myself in a different position. So it opened many doors for me and being able to I told you on earlier on that I actually went through my mortgage and all that through Centric. So having that opportunity to build trust for me as a customer and a consumer myself and was able to continue my relationship with Centric afterward.

Kelli Green: 7:17

Well, we appreciate you doing business with us and I appreciate your journey sharing that, because I think the relationship with your loan officer you mentioned trust being a critical component. Trust goes a long way with building and sustaining those relationships and something I'm by our members and especially our listeners. Today it's really important to connect with someone here at Centric that you feel like you can really trust and be open and honest no-transcript and I know you're going to help us get through this and identify the cars that'll work best for us and with our budget. So that's critical. I think you said trust being the key component of that and I think that goes on both sides of the coin to car dealerships, but also with your lender. So just, kaisa, if you wouldn't mind, just kind of take us through a couple things you know we've talked about. Maybe what are some things we can do to prepare before we get ready to buy a car. But would you add anything to that?

Kais Dwairi: 8:46

I think you hit on all those things that I would have brought up, actually some of the things that I was actually reviewing yesterday when I was thinking about our conversation, and I always try to relate to myself as the customer Because I'm really saying you know, in the recent months my wife and I are back in the market again thinking about upgrading for her. Most people think just because, okay, you have great credit, go buy whatever you want. That's right. The things that I've noticed are very common mistakes and I had a customer over this weekend actually would have been a perfect example. He didn't have any established credit. He was coming in with a certain amount of money down.

Kais Dwairi: 9:17

I think consumers usually, when they walk in, know your budget, know what you want to put down, so you don't feel pressure either through the loan officer, even going to talk to the credit unions. I encourage that to my lenders all the time. As far as when my customers come in, they say, hey, I want to buy a car. When you go in and talk to them, I'll ask them hey, who do you bank with? Is it Centric, is it one of the other credit unions in town? I've always went through specifically of encouraging my customers to open an account with the credit unions. I think it's not so much as anything else, but with a credit union you get to build an actual relationship, you get to walk in. They lend to their community, they lend to consumers nearby. You're not just another digit like some of the major lenders that we know of, like Capital One and all that. You actually get to meet someone that wants to try to help you out. They see the way your accounts are revolving so they kind of understand your budget better.

Kais Dwairi: 10:02

And a mistake that I think most buyers come in, and one in particular I think of this weekend that kind of makes this easy. He came in with the idea that he wanted a particular vehicle that was way outside of his budget. Once we went down to it and I had to explain to him multiple times like look the income that you have where you're sitting at. And I honestly tried to put him on a brand new vehicle and it was a Corolla and I tried to explain that to him, him pulling himself away. He was choosing a more used, pre-owned vehicle, not understanding what interest rates work and how that could affect him in the long term and just having consumers just sit down, whether it's the loan officer, sometimes even sitting with a parent or someone that has done it before, and just saying, hey, what would be the right way to buy a vehicle For me myself? It's just knowing what you can afford. Yes, self just knowing what you can afford.

Kais Dwairi: 10:45

Yes, budgeting yourself, understanding, hey, I might still have car insurance to pay, which gets forgotten a lot of times when people purchase a vehicle. And what other commitments do I have? So it's very common that people go outside of their budget and then they leave the finance office, they sign paperwork, they're ecstatic about it, then wake up call I still have car insurance. That's right. And I hear that a lot from the young buyers is I didn't think about the car insurance which right now, with insurance being so high, it can vary from 300, 400, 500 bucks. So that should play a big portion before I walk into and buy a dealership. So I think that's where I think a lot of consumers, especially young consumers, make the mistake and we have to restart and hopefully, if we do have a car that works again for their budget. You know they get out of there, they notice the insurance is high, they come to us and say, hey, I can't afford this insurance and now we have to look for a cheaper car. Now you're fighting them with their standard and making them understand what is actually the right vehicle.

Kais Dwairi: 11:36

The need is what I was referred to. You know, I need a car to go to work. I think we all do. I want a really nice car, but I might want to start my credit and allow myself to use that first interest rate that new buyers get Probably not the smallest interest rates you want to hear about, but that car that you get should be the one that builds your credit to get you maybe to your dream car. If not your dream car, get you to a car that's more affordable due to the right interest rates, and that's where I really do preach it, that the credit unions.

Kais Dwairi: 12:02

For myself, as a member, I speak on this on a whole different level because I have dealt with Centric since the time being in Ruston and when they were located in Highway 80 and way before they have went to. I mean it's amazing what I watched Centric grow to and I've watched those people actually walking through my loans. And the second time I walked in I felt more confident as a consumer and as a buyer and I told them hey, I'm looking to purchase another car. I wasn't as uncomfortable and I think that's the thing most people don't realize when they walk into these buildings and walk into Centric. I remind my consumers all the time is when you walk in, I say you notice the people you see in those offices. I said it looks like they can intimidate you. They go. Yes, I'm like, they're just like you and I they're here to help you, the loan officers.

Kais Dwairi: 12:41

I was like no different than the sales consultant or the finance manager. So walk in there, go to the receptionist, say you want to speak to a loan officer and let them walk you through the right way to buy a car and possibly even get you a pre-approval. Just because a dealership couldn't get you done doesn't mean your credit union, if you remember, cannot get you done. So I think, not giving up on your credit unit and joining the local banks and being part of that for the community, you'd be amazed how that turns people's life around.

Kelli Green: 13:05

I agree, I think it's very critical. Buying a car is, you know, something that, because of where we're located we are you know, more rural locations, so it's we can't always necessarily, you know, rely on a city bus or any sort of other transportation. So having a vehicle is something that's really, really critical for us and you know a lot of folks are looking for ways in which they can find a vehicle that's most affordable for them. And I just really wanted to recap, kaisa, on a few things you know that you've said today, because I think it really bears merit to say.

Kelli Green: 13:40

You know, trust is critical and a local financial institution building a relationship and Centric is here for our members. You know, we're within 28 different parishes and counties within Louisiana and Arkansas but building a relationship, a relationship that's built on trust with your financial institution, really involves the credit union saying, hey, I realize that this loan might be great for me as a loan officer. However, we look at it as it's important for us to have not only just had this conversation with you today about this car but, just like you mentioned earlier, it's the steps that you became to become a homeowner, and that's kind of the whole full circle moment that we're looking for as a credit union. So I thank you so much for talking about the importance of building a relationship with someone local, and hence what's led us to our conversation today of talking about ways in which we can get you in a vehicle taking a look at the inventory through Vaughn Auto Group. So I thank you for that. Oh, you're definitely welcome.

Kelli Green: 14:38

I'm so glad that you've shared that with us today and, kaisa, just for our listeners, as we kind of wrap up our conversation, was there anything else that you wanted to add today?

Kais Dwairi: 14:48

Honestly. I'll just tell everybody that trust and centric it's one of those things that going into the credit unions, go into it with confidence. Learn who your local credit unions are, see what they can do for you and again I'll say it a thousand times more because I love telling that to my customers Allow your business and your money to stay local. I view your credit unions, like Centric, as a local business. You know, not a, you know, it's not a franchise lender that just forgets about you and walk in there, look at them and if you're a new buyer something we touched on this may be a great opportunity for you after you watch. This is to walk in and say, hey, let me see what Centric has to offer me when I'll make the comment when I say live better. I promise you. When I have started my experience with Centric, it allowed me to put myself in confidence as a buyer. Now, if I make a phone call saying, hey, I'd like to get help, I'd like to purchase a vehicle, there's more confidence in it today because I've learned this process and the steps. So just learn what you're looking to buy. Know your budget. If you don't have a family or friend that knows how to help you. Just go to your credit union and let them sit with you, walk you through what could be a vehicle you could be approved for, and I think it'll make you a very happy buyer when you walk into a dealership.

Kais Dwairi: 16:05

I find that those customers that walk in with the confidence of an approval from their credit unions and they know what they're going to be approved for when they leave my store they're going to walk in with more knowledge. They know what vehicle they need to pick. The sales consultants are probably happier. They're going to walk in and say, hey look, I got this customer. He's already been pre-approved for $30,000. Here's the vehicles that I have and it will narrow down your search, allow you to see what you want and just makes it where, when you walk out of the dealership, one. We don't have this spending hours. I think everybody dreads that of spending four or five hours at a dealership. It cuts down that process by possibly half, if not more, and again you leave there happy, confident as a buyer that you're on a vehicle that you can budget to. So know your credit union and try to at least use them as an access point in buying a car, especially if you're a new buyer.

Kelli Green: 16:54

Sure Well, tell our listeners too, as we're wrapping up, where you're exactly located and how someone might want to research the inventory you have at your dealership.

Kais Dwairi: 17:04

So we're located in Bastrop, louisiana, right off 165, right down the road, right before you get into Walmart. We're probably about a block away from the Walmart Supercenter. So we're right there to your left off 165. You can go to VaughnToyotacom or even visit our main central website, which is VaughnValuecom, our inventory. Like I always tell people with confidence, we have access to every vehicle. That is all the way down from the Zachary location to the Natchitoches location. So if there's a vehicle on my website, if it's not in my store, all you have to do is contact us, contact one of the sales consultants, ask for it to be brought up.

Kais Dwairi: 17:40

We don't charge our consumers to bring vehicles up, so it is with no pressure. We don't ask customers to allow them to pre-qualify, because the first part of purchasing a vehicle is seeing the vehicle, touching the vehicle and feeling confident about the vehicle. If it's a pre-owned vehicle, we completely understand that it's not like a new car. You need to know that you've touched it, you drove it and it's as great as it should be. So I always tell our customers that if you see something on our websites, feel free to contact us and please come by the store. We'll walk you through every process. We'll even get you tied in with the credit unions and allow you to see what privileges you may be available for. So if you're not sure, just visit our website. Come down to our store and our sales consultants. I'm very proud of our team. I think you'll see very quickly how ready they are to help you in any ways that we can help you with.

Kelli Green: 18:26

I love that. Kais, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us. We value you as a member, and thank you so much for just really leading our members here to the credit union and to our sister credit unions within our community. I think your experience has really paired well for you, especially as you're growing your own consumer base, and so I just appreciate the trust that we have together. So thanks for tuning in to the Live Better podcast with Centric. Be sure to subscribe and follow us on social media at MyCentric. We'll see you next month. Centric is federally insured by the NCUA.