DCH Tustin Acura joins in quake relief effort
By LOIS EVEZICH
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Esquire Magazine called the new Acura ZDX the “Lady Gaga” of new cars. Lady Gaga may be the star of the future, and that’s how the magazine thinks of Acura’s new model. It’s come “…out of nowhere, time warped from the future, icy cool, hard to define, fascinating and gorgeous,” wrote Dan Neil about the car.
It’s so advanced that you can control temperatures separately for your passengers and yourself in the car with your voice. Satellites beam down to give driver’s reports on weather, and you can get real-time traffic reports, all with the sound of your voice. All you have to do is ask.
These features help to sell cars, even in this poor economy. But DCH Tustin Acura’s General Manager Dick Hsu says his 24-year-old dealership was hit with a 30 percent decrease in sales in 2009.
In spite of that, Hsu’s dealership continues to participate in charitable causes in Orange County, he says. Now his efforts are directed to earthquake victims in Haiti and in Chile, and by mid-March this Acura dealership will send donations to Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres.
“We wanted to do something immediately,” Hsu says. “Giving personally was fine, but we wanted the business to get involved. I went on the Doctors Without Borders Web site and found a way we as a company could give to those people in need.
“Even my own doctor belongs to the organization and traveled overseas to help,” he said.
Doctors Without Borders is a nonprofit international organization that has helped people in many countries who are victims of violence or catastrophe. Doctors and nurses are committed to quality medical care for people in crisis regardless of race, religion or politics.
DCH Tustin Acura has also participated in the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Second Harvest Food Bank and this last holiday season they contributed to the Orange County Rescue Mission.
A big pink box with a slot on the top at the receptionist’s desk, beside a vase of fresh carnations, is where employees and customers can drop money for relief aid in Haiti and other earth quake victims. Donors recieve a carnation in recognition, and the dealership will match the proceeds earned doubling the total amount collected.
One of the dealership’s major efforts is for Students Against Destructive Decisions – or SADD. It’s a national organization and Tustin Acura sends drivers to talk to high-schoolers about risky driving. It used to be Students Against Drunk Driving, but the focus has changed.
“We want them to drive,” Hsu says. “But we want them to drive safely.”
“We’re unique,” Hsu says. “We are the only dealer awarded the ‘Dealer of Excellence’ award six times by J.D. Powers. Customers vote for dealerships in that case. We were also awarded Acura’s ‘Dealership of Distinction’ again this year for the seventh time.
“Our customers return to us when they buy another Acura, because they are loyal and know we take care of our customers consistently,” Hsu says. “Our managers’ average tenure here is 20 years.”
Photo courtecy of DCH Tustin Acura: Martha Borreal, cashier at Tustin Acura, and General Manager Dick Hsu are encouraging folks to donate to Haiti and Chile relief efforts through the dealership.
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