By DEBBIE PALINSKY For the Star Beacon
MADISON — Walking into the lobby of Paquet Auto Sales, the first thing you notice is a bulletin board filled with photos of happy, smiling people with their just purchased vehicle.
Being in the auto sales business for many years isn’t just by chance: “It’s a matter of doing things a little differently,”said sales manager Mike Stark.
Paquet Auto Sales is a family-owned business offering a one-stop shopping place to purchase a high-quality, reliable used vehicle in a relaxed no-pressure atmosphere.
“Our philosophy is that we like to treat people the way we’d want to be treated when purchasing a vehicle,” said Stark. “We’re never forceful, and we’ll never try to sell you something you don’t want.”
The business originally was begun in 1981 by Yves Paquet, who sold large trucks, tractors and the occasional car after moving to Madison in 1971.
Claude Paquet said his father, Yves, had a good reputation for what he sold and was an expert when it came to tractors. Claude, who worked for his father, was good with cars. So when his father retired in 2003, he took over the business and began selling mainly used vehicles and an occasional tractor or large truck. Yves continues to help Claude with the business.
Since then, he continues to earn the same reputation by offering competitive prices, inspected vehicles and a friendly, no-hassle atmosphere, which has earned him steady business with many repeat customers.
“We’re the fairest, most straightforward used-car dealership in the area, without a doubt,” Paquet said. “We have low overhead, and we’re typically cheaper than the bigger guys.”
Paquet said he knows from experience how persistent salespeople can be and the fear of unknown problems when purchasing a used vehicle. Those experiences have led him to do business differently.
“If you buy a vehicle off the side of the road, you’re not going to know anything about it. So when we purchase the cars, we preinspect them to find any problems, repair them and make sure they are reliable before we sell them,” Paquet said.
By taking extra measures to ensure a reliable vehicle is being sold, customers leave happy and return again when another purchase is needed and refer many others looking for vehicles.
“If we miss something, our warranty will back it up,” Paquet said. “We do what we can to make things right for the customers.”
All cars purchased come with a 60-day/ 3,000 mile 100-percent warranty on engines and transmissions, and most warranty items can be repaired at their on-site garage. Extended warranties also can be purchased.
“If something other than that happens within the first week, we generally repair it free of charge,” Stark said. “We are putting our name out there, and we want the customer to be satisfied.”
His ability to find reliable high-quality vehicles oftentimes has people calling him to find specific vehicles for them.
“Many times I can find a vehicle for them right at or below their price range,” he said.
Paquet does not offer in-house financing, but by working with many of the local banks the company is able to help customers secure financing if needed.
“One of the most frequent comments I hear is ‘This was the easiest shopping experience I’ve ever had,’” Paquet said. “That’s what I want to hear. I want this to be a nice experience for the customer.”
By taking the additional measures to ensure the cars are reliable, sold below retail and backed by warranties to ensure customer satisfaction, Paquet said, “Our goal is to take the fear out of buying a used car.”
To see a listing of available vehicles, visit the company’s Web site (www. paquetautosales.com).
Paquet Auto Sales is located at 5791 N. Ridge Road and is open Monday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and by appointment on Sunday.
