By Samantha Gomez, Service Drive Manager

With new technology always in development our vehicles become smarter and more intelligent every year. A Volkswagen is equipped with multiple monitors that are continuously working for you while you are behind the wheel to ensure that you are well informed of the vehicle’s health and safety. 

The old days of knowing when something was wrong with your vehicle typically involved being broken down and stuck on the side of the road. With today’s smart vehicles those days are practically gone. Technology has provided us with early warning signs so that the driver knows exactly when service and maintenance are needed.

I understand that it can be alarming to suddenly receive a message on the dashboard or have a warning indicator pop up. What I explain to my guests is this: think of the warning indicator as a traffic light. Green is ‘good’, yellow is ‘caution’ and red is ‘stop’. Green indicators may be items such as ‘push foot on brake pedal to start’ or ‘daytime running lights are on’. A few examples of yellow indicators are tire pressures need attention, exterior bulb is inoperative, windshield washer fluid low or an engine light indicator. If a warning light is flashing or a red warning indicator appears, the vehicle should not be driven and should be towed to the dealership.

Please take a few moments to review the Warning Light Guide. Remember, you can always visit KnowYourVW.com or refer to your owner’s manual for further information. Don’t forget, you can always give us a call at 512-681-3500 and we will be happy to help.

Safe motoring! 

Hewlett Volkswagen is undergoing a massive remodel and we couldn’t be more excited. Due to the size and scope of this undertaking, the project has several phases and they’re all coming along quite nicely.

The first phase was to expand the service workshop area. We started with the north side, tore out the old asphalt, replaced the base and poured the slab to withstand the new addition. In doing so, we had to build a temporary wall down the middle of the shop and move a few technicians over to the south side of the building. This also required us to move a few technicians over to our Chevrolet shop. That phase was the first to be completed. All the new lifts and equipment were installed, and the technicians have all moved back in. The north side of the shop was next, doing the same thing. That phase is within a few weeks of completion and all the technicians will be back in the same building very soon.

Next was our service drive. If you’ve driven by, you may have noticed our two-lane service drive awning was torn down to make room for the new and enclosed three-lane addition. All that concrete has been poured and the steel structures are up.
The contractor then started the demo on the showroom. The glass came out, the walls came down and – you guessed it, more concrete poured. Our showroom will be expanded on all three sides, the front, the north, and the south.

The completion date is set for late August. We’re very fortunate to be able to operate out of a temporary site on the Hewlett campus that’s just two doors down. It was our old “Hummer” building and although I say old, it’s really not old at all. Considering most dealers must operate out of a trailer during a remodel of this size, our temporary facility has a lot of great features including a comfortable waiting area and plenty of parking for our customers and our expanding inventory of new and used vehicles.

While we perform the actual service on your vehicle at the newly remodeled shop, Hewlett Volkswagen’s service write up area is 2 doors down at the temporary location too (Hummer building) as many of you have already experienced.
Stay tuned for news on our HUGE ribbon cutting celebration as we get closer to completion. We’d love to have you out to tour the new facility.

John Chauvin
General Manager – Hewlett Volkswagen

We’ve been planning, drawing, designing, changing, dreaming, you name it – all for this moment. Hewlett Volkswagen is now under renovation. As you may be aware, we’ve moved two doors down to our old Hewlett Hummer building. That facility is extremely nice and has a huge parking lot for all our inventory. The service drive is also located in that building, which is where you bring your vehicle for service now.

Progress is being made.
The north side of the shop on the original building is the side we expanded first. It’s completed, open and fully functional. We moved our technicians to that side so the construction team can start to expand the south side of the shop. In conjunction with the south side service demo, they’ve started the demolition of the showroom. Yes, our original VW building is almost non-recognizable now as they seem to knock-down and haul off huge sections daily.

Obviously our temporary location (old Hummer building) is well marked with signage and directions as to how to get there if you accidently go to the original location. Both sales and service write up (pick up and drop off) is at that location so there’s no need to go to the old location until we move back in.

While we apologize for this minor inconvenience, we invite you to come visit because our temporary location is quite impressive and spacious – complete with a full customer lounge stocked with refreshments and comfy chairs.

We will update as progress continues, until then: happy motoring!

John Chauvin – GM
Hewlett Volkswagen, LP

By John Chauvin, General Manager

By now the entire world knows there are production problems no matter what type of product or “widget” you produce. The blame can be placed in many different areas starting from Covid to micro-chip shortages, global supply chain disruptions, lack of workforce, high labor costs, and maybe even inflation. And that’s just naming a few. The list could go on forever if one were to take a survey of who to blame.

Good companies have adjusted, created “work arounds” so to speak, adapted and continued to move forward. Some have not.

I do have to credit the auto industry and its willingness to adjust. Of course, this does not come without its own set of issues and not all auto manufacturers have done it the same. Let’s talk about Volkswagen for, well, obvious reasons.

The question Volkswagen of America (VWoA) has asked its Nation Dealer Advisory Council (NDAC) is “do we continue building product with a reduced amount of content (options) when we cannot get a particular part or stop production for that model line all together”? Even if it’s only one option they cannot obtain.

This is an issue because trim levels typically come “standard” with a certain set of options and those standard options are what makes us as customers pick that trim level to begin with.

If you’re a loyal VW enthusiast and you’ve upgraded your vehicle three times over the years, say – went from a Jetta to a Tiguan and now to an Atlas, chances are the trim level (S, SE or SEL), whichever one you’ve had, is what you’re accustomed to and want to continue to buy. The standard options may not all be the same on the now SE model as it was one or two vehicles ago. The deleted options that are normally standard are now given a credit (dollar amount removed) on the Monroney Label or window sticker.

While you are not charged for this missing part, it is also not on the vehicle like it may have been in years past.

Surprisingly the response to VWoA’s question is not quite 50/50 it’s more like 60/40 in favor of building the vehicle without a particular option if it cannot be obtained. And that’s what they’re doing. I guess one could argue a vehicle is a necessity but not all the options are a necessity. You could also argue – will this make my trade-in worth less when I’m ready to replace this vehicle? I could see points on both sides but at the end of the day, people need vehicles, VWoA needs to produce them, we need to sell them.

Transportation needs do not come to a halt over a heated seat option that may not be available on production day (just an example).

I’ve seen other auto manufacturers take a different approach and install the button and the wiring and deliver the vehicle without the guts of the “widget” itself. They tell the customer, to come back when it becomes available, and they’ll install it. This approach does require a bit of a “retrofit” process but does not come with a credit or discount on the window sticker.

I guess both ways can and do work, it’s just a matter of choice. Cars are rolling off the assembly line and yes many are sold as they arrive or prior to arrival but I assure you, vehicles are still being produced.

This may not be “business as usual” but then again, what in our life is these days? It’s just a matter of adjusting, adapting, and moving forward and for that, Volkswagen of America has done a tremendous job.

As always, thank you for your business. Wishing you and your family, a safe and happy 4th.

John Chauvin, General Manager
Hewlett Volkswagen, L.P.

By Samantha Gomez, Service Drive Manager

Patience is something I learned long ago, and it helps during these trying times as we adjust to the growth in our area. With growth comes challenges and change, including crowding, traffic and longer waits. I have encountered this almost everywhere; at the grocery store, the movies, shopping centers and even dining out. The Austin Chamber of Commerce shows that the population of Williamson County grew by 44.1% between 2010 and 2020. Travis County grew by 26%. That’s a lot of growth in a short period of time!

So, what do we do about area growth? Well, we grow with it!

We are experiencing an increase in the volume of guests we serve at Hewlett Volkswagen and we apologize if you have encountered a delay. To meet these demands, we have made some necessary adjustments to help assist with the scheduling and repair process to best accommodate estimated wait times and to minimize the inconvenience.

Our Courtesy Shuttle services have increased, and we are utilizing Uber shuttle services to help with your transportation needs. Our Service Team offers Pit Stop services to our guests that would like to have their fluids and tire pressures checked prior to their scheduled appointment. We are also offering code read scans and battery health tests prior to scheduled appointments if needed.

Many additional processes have been put into place to help with service requests. Please keep in mind that our current appointment scheduling and wait times are temporary as we are working on changes.

What are our upcoming changes?

With excitement, it is my pleasure to say that Hewlett Volkswagen is currently undergoing a building addition. The state-of-the art building remodel and expansion will provide us with more technician bays allowing for faster services and shorter appointment wait times. It will double the size of the waiting area for our guests’ comfort, expand the sales floor allowing for an enhanced customer experience and the addition of an enlarged service drive will make dropping off and picking up your Volkswagen easier. In addition, our Management Team is working diligently on expanding our staff.

We look forward to being able to share this expansion with you. We are here because of you, we appreciate your patience and as always, thank you for your continued business.

Have a great summer,
Samantha

Have you have ever been confused on how to use a new feature on your vehicle? Do you want to learn exactly what your vehicle has to offer? Have questions regarding warranty coverage and maintenance plans? Or are you ready to add on a personalized accessory to your Volkswagen? Well, if you answered yes to at least one of these questions, you need to visit KnowYourVW.com.

Understanding your VW is now easier than ever. On the site, you’ll discover “Quick Start Guides” and “Short Videos” based on the technology features specific to your vehicle’s model and year.

In these tutorials you’ll learn about topics such as:

• Front assist, lane assist and parking assist,

• Blind spot monitor, rear traffic alert, adaptive cruise control,

• Keyless access and remote start,

• Bluetooth, App-Connect,

• Navigation,

• Digital cockpit,

• How to set the clock,

• Car-Net®, and much, more.

I find this site very helpful and use it myself. I have owned a few Volkswagen models in my day including a Passat, Atlas and now an Atlas Cross Sport and each one is slightly different and equipped with more features and technology, which I enjoy. These videos provide you with a better understanding on how everything operates, and they help eliminate user errors saving you valuable time.

You can also find other information on this website including:

 • Warranty information / owner’s manual literature,

 • VW maintenance plans / contracts and maintenance interval checklists,

 • Vehicle recall and service campaign updates,

 • Available parts, accessories, and VW DriverGear,

 • Local service and parts coupons, and

 • Information on the VW service credit card including online applications.

So, when you have extra time, I encourage you to pull up this website on your computer or phone and learn about your vehicle’s features. It is a great tool for any of your Volkswagen needs.

Be safe out there,

Samantha Gomez

Service Drive Manager

As we ring in 2022 and say goodbye to 2021, we reflect on the changes that occurred in the auto industry as well as for us here at Hewlett Volkswagen.

It’s safe to say, 2021 brought more challenges and opportunities than we’ve ever witnessed as an industry. With the micro-chip shortage and supply chain issues causing havoc on the auto industry, we here at Hewlett Volkswagen embraced those challenges and made the best of it.

While we still had inventory shortages, Volkswagen continued to build vehicles. It was up to us to figure out how to get our “unfair” share of those shipments to keep our volume high and take care of our customer base. VW basically went to a turn rate and days-supply algorithm to fairly allocate inventory. Translation, if you had the least amount of inventory and the highest sell rate, you would receive more inventory at a faster pace.

How does that help you? We have the mindset that every car must go. We are making deals on every vehicle we get because, frankly, while it does improve our turn rate and shorten our days-supply, it also takes care of our customers because we can get them into the cars and SUV’s they want at a faster pace.

Of course, while all this has our management team working around the clock to keep tabs on our incoming pipeline, our inventory on the ground and our sell rate for the new car side, we haven’t forgotten about the pre-owned department.

In fact, we’ve increased our inventory on the pre-owned side, more than we’ve ever had actually. Our pre-owned inventory is so robust, we jokingly call ourselves “the pre-owned factory” because almost everyone looking for something pre-owned, drives away with their dream car.

We look for 2022 and maybe even 2023 to be similar with the challenges we’ve seen in 2021 but one thing will be drastically different for us here at Hewlett Volkswagen. Yes, you heard it here first…. We’re putting the final touches on the design of our all-new showroom and service areas. Yes, Hewlett Volkswagen will soon undergo a complete remodel that will knock your socks off. This design is so advanced with technology and EV design elements, one look when you walk in will make you sit back and just say “wow”. It will be beautiful, and we cannot wait. More details to come in my next newsletter so stay tuned.

In the meantime, new inventory is coming in and the pre-owned inventory has its best selection ever so come by and see us, the time to trade is GREAT!

Happy Motoring

John Chauvin – GM

Hewlett Volkswagen