Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1236396
www.HartfordBusiness.com • April 20, 2020 • Hartford Business Journal 9 In a time of uncertainty, you can count on us. Thanks to technology and an ongoing commitment to serve our community, our Commercial Lending & Business Banking teams are ready to assist you with your financial needs, just as we always have. Visit chelseagroton.com or call our hotline at 860-448-4195 to learn more about our secure online Cash Management solutions and other ways we can help. Make the dark clouds of fiduciary responsibility less formidable. hhconsultants.com/fiduciary Bradley Hoffman, co-chairman of the 10-dealership Hoffman Auto Group, which furloughed a major- ity of its staff for now, predicts dealers will increasingly embrace remote sales as consumers get more attuned to the transactions. "What this new environment has done is to create a sense of urgen- cy to fine-tune and accelerate new virtual and remote ways of stream- lining our business and making car buying easier and more convenient for the customer," said Hoffman, adding he's grown fond of having groceries delivered to his home during the ongoing coronavirus crisis. "It may set the course of how we do business in the future." The fact that a time-tested dealer sales tactic — the test drive — is no longer possible with a salesperson in the passenger seat is symbolic, Aiosa said. "They come do the paperwork in a clean office and the sales guy stands outside and walks them through the car," he said. "In a way, it's teaching us to do business in a different way." Outlooks vary Like any business owner, dealers are hoping for a return to normal conditions as soon as possible, and they vary in their predictions. When interviewed for this story, Key's Merriam told HBJ he was hop- ing for a May 1 reopening of his show- rooms, but those hopes were dashed hours later when Lamont announced he would extend business and other shutdowns until at least May 20. Merriam said he may delay the closing of his company's Paycheck Protection Program loan until mid-May, as U.S. Small Business Administration rules say the clock to spend the funds starts ticking the moment money is disbursed. "It's a fluid situation," he said. "My hopes are that as we slide down the curve they relax the on- line-only portion for us and maybe let us open … prior to May 20." CARA's Fleming is worried about damaged consumer confidence, but believes pent-up demand will benefit dealers after the crisis subsides, as a vehicle is a major purchase for most households and one that's not discretionary. "It may come back gangbusters in the summer, I hope it does," Fleming said. Aiosa, the national representative for Connecticut dealers, wants to see a quick economic bounce back, but he's a bit more pessimistic. "We're all fingers crossed for a [V-shaped] recovery, however, I don't see that happening at this point in time," Aiosa said. "I think it's going to be further out than what we were all hoping." Hoffman Auto Group uses plastic covers, face masks and cleaning products to keep employees and customers safe. PHOTOS | CONTRIBUTED