If you are in charge of purchasing vehicles for a small fleet, you are, no doubt, faced with a plethora of questions including "Where should I buy? What should I buy? When should I buy?"

Some good answers to these and other questions can be found by talking to a fleet sales specialist such as Roland Cardenas, fleet sales manager at Bob Bomer Oldsmobile in San Antonio and at Bob Bomer Chevrolet in Bandera, TX.

A company doesn't have to purchase dozens or even hundreds of vehicles at a time to benefit from individualized attention and follow-up service from their auto dealership. When the dealership is chosen carefully, even small fleet purchasers can find the convenience, the prices, and the service that they need.

"We concentrate on fleet retail when a company doesn't buy enough to qualify for true fleet," Cardenas said. "When small business owners are trying to make their business grow, they don't have time to come to the dealer. We let them make one visit, come in and sign the papers, and take delivery, whether they buy one, two, three, or 100 vehicles."

According to Cardenas, Bomer Oldsmobile, like a number of car dealerships nationwide, realizes the value of catering to smaller fleet customers, a growing market segment. "We are trying to capture small business accounts," Cardenas said. "We try to make it as easy as we can, because of their hours. They are always busy, so we take that into account and make it as convenient and easy as possible for them," Cardenas said.

Consider Service and Convenience

Price is, of course, a major factor in all fleet purchases, including small fleet buys. But small fleet purchasers should consider other very important aspects as well. "They should consider not only the price, but the service and the convenience," Cardenas said. "Small fleet purchasers need to find a dealer who's going to be willing to not just sell the car and go about his business; they need a dealer who will be there when something goes wrong.

"We'll run out there when they need us; we'll take the vehicle to them. They need to find someone who's willing to help them with the whole process of finding, purchasing, and maintaining a vehicle."

Dealer follow-up is especially important for the small business owner or fleet manager who is pressed for time.  "It's going to be harder for a small businessman to break away when it's time for repairs or when something comes up," Cardenas points out. That's when the advantages of a doing business with a dealer who is willing to work around your schedule, and even in some cases to come pick up your fleet vehicles, become obvious.

Large Quantity Purchases Help, But Not Necessary

Cardenas would like to clear up one common misconception among small fleet purchasers. "They think they have to buy a large quantity - 20, 30, or 40 cars. We cater to those who buy as few as one vehicle. We'll work with anyone and everyone," Cardenas said.

Small fleet purchasers should look for dealers who are willing to go the extra mile to make selecting and purchasing fleet vehicles convenient. "For instance, we have presentations for real estate agents in which they can take one of our cars on a real estate sales outing, so that they can get the feel and performance of the vehicle in a work setting," he said.

The differences between dealerships, both in pricing and the willingness to provide follow-up service, make shopping around a good idea when practical.

"When the volume of their purchase doesn't qualify for true fleet, if they don't take time to research, time to check out what each dealership has to offer, then they're not going to get the best price and the best service," Cardenas said.

"At some dealerships, they get service, but not individual attention. They should be willing to take advantage of the dealer that wants to cater to them, who will go the extra mile to get them the vehicle they want and the follow-up service that they need. We have a lot there for them; they really need to be aware that service is very important," he said.

Haggle-Free Purchasing

According to Cardenas, Bob Bomer Oldsmobile and Bob Bomer Chevrolet gear their sales approach to the businessperson or small fleet purchaser who doesn't have any time to waste.

"We go out and find out what they want, what their needs are. We just give them a low price up front so there's no haggling," Cardenas said. "We're going to take over the process for them at that point. All they have to tell us is 'Yes, I like the color and that's what I want.' I want to make the sale as comfortable and as easy for them as I can."

Look Ahead When Purchasing

Small fleet purchasers should consider not just their immediate needs when purchasing vehicles. Rather than replacing vehicles one by one as they need replacing, they should look ahead at their possible needs over the next few months or the next year.

"Don't just buy; when you're ready to buy, check your needs completely," Cardenas said. "At that point, they should ask themselves, could they use two or three vehicles? Don't just replace vehicles one at the time; look at what's coming due in the next six months; at that point, maybe they could buy several vehicles," Cardenas said. "Buying a larger quantity of vehicles could make additional savings possible, so it pays to look ahead at your coming needs for the next few months."

Making it Easy

Cardenas visits area fleet purchasers and lets them specify the exact vehicle and features they are looking for. "I've got a laptop computer; I go out to the companies. When they describe their needs to me, I can generate a vehicle for them," he said.

"I can build for them the package that they need; it will give the price, optional equipment, residuals, rates; I can even do quotes for them. They can take a look at the vehicle on-screen and I can give them printouts on the spot. We can zero in on exactly what they need, and we can get it for them."