Kevin Chaffee, a resident of Delavan, is the general manager at Elizabeth Chevrolet, the former Mel Carlson Chevrolet which is located in Truman.

There was a time when Faribault County had many new car dealerships, but that time has come and gone.

Kevin Chaffee, who lives southwest of Delavan, is the general manager of Elizabeth Chevrolet in Truman which was formerly Mel Carlson Chevrolet.

“Mel Carlson started his dealership in the mid-1960s and built a good reputation for his business,” Chaffee says. “One of the things he was known for was outfitting pickups in the way farmers liked.”

Chaffee, who also has duties as the sales manager and finance manager, shares it is important for their business to be able to provide the best customer service possible.

He has been with Elizabeth Chevrolet since they took over the dealership in 2015. Prior to this job, the 1984 graduate of Delavan High School worked in sales for Edwards Manufacturing in Albert Lea.

“We do not have a fancy building here in Truman,” he comments. “We do, however, take care of our customers.”

A unique service Chaffee provides is picking up cars for customers who live in Faribault County and taking them to the dealership for service.

“I will travel to the customer’s place and leave the person a loaner which they can use all day,” Chaffee explains. “Then, once their vehicle is serviced or repaired, I will deliver it back to their dooryard and pick up the loaner.”

He shares the dealership normally has five or six loaners available.

“And if we don’t, I will grab a new vehicle off of the lot,” Chaffee mentions.

He explains how on one occurrence he picked up an older lady’s SUV and left her with a brand new pickup.

“She said, ‘Oh, I can’t drive that, it’s too nice,'” Chaffee says. “I told her she was welcome to use it. Well, when I brought her SUV back to her she had the biggest smile on her face. She told me she had put five miles on the pickup and had gone out for coffee with her friends.”

Chaffee notes the most common types of services he sees people wanting are oil changes, rotating the tires and other general maintenance items.

“Sometimes there are more major issues but usually the service work is for relatively simple items,” he says.

He shares people looking to get into a different vehicle have seen their options improve lately.

“The used vehicle market price has settled – it is still higher than pre-COVID but it has come down off of the highs we had been seeing,” Chaffee comments. “If someone is looking for a new vehicle, there are still many incentives out there for people to consider.”

Then, there is the problem of getting computer chips for vehicles.

“Chips are still an issue,” he confesses. “Our ability to get vehicles varies from week to week.”

Another service Chaffee shares the dealership offers is a service contract.

“I am not talking about ones that are offered over the phone or by mail. Stay away from those,” he says with a laugh. “The reality is with all of the computer hardware that is present in today’s vehicles, repair cost can be expensive, so a service contract can be a very good investment for some people.”

He notes there are many different options available when buying a service contract.

“We offer everything from a 48-month, 48,000 mile contract to a full bumper-to-bumper option to something to cover the powertrain,” Chaffee comments. “It all depends on the individual’s needs.”

SUVs continue to be the most sought-after vehicle right now, according to Chaffee.

“It’s not just having four-wheel drive in the winter,” he explains. “Many older people prefer them for the ease of getting in and out of the vehicle.”

He mentions pickups are also popular, whether it is half-ton, three quarter ton or one ton models.

“Many farmers and people who are pulling big campers want the one-ton models,” he says. “And many people still want a pickup with a regular cab. I can’t keep those on the lot. They want the full-length box without getting a pickup that is so long. Plus, the people who buy pickups with the regular cabs know they are purchasing them for work and not to haul people around.”

Based on what he sees in current technology, Chaffee does not believe electric vehicles will really take off in the Faribault County Area anytime soon.

“We would have to invest so much money in infrastructure at our shop just to be able to support them,” he explains.

So, while the future of electric cars in this area may remain uncertain, Chaffee is determined to continue providing the best available customer service possible to keep his customers driving down the road.