Sales agent’s good turn yields a Hyundai purchase

Centennial Hyundai sales agent Rick Walker knows all about doing a favor for someone. Purchasing breakfast for a stranger at the Santa Fe Station Casino led to a car deal in July.

Walker had a two-for-one buffet coupon, and offered to buy Todd Wheelan breakfast. The next thing he knew, Wheelan was buying a 2014 Hyundai Elantra from Walker, who has been in the car business for almost 19 years.

“I hate to see coupons go to waste, so I looked behind me and offered the man breakfast,” Walker explained. “We got to talking about cars and also found out that he had been looking for a Hyundai. When I told Todd that I worked at Centennial, we set up an appointment.

“I’m a poker player (Wheelan also plays poker) and you have to believe in karma,” Walker said. “There couldn’t be any better example than buying someone breakfast and then selling them a car.”

Wheelan’s Elantra is indigo blue with a 1.8-liter, 145-horsepower engine, power windows, power locks, a CD player and gets 37 miles per gallon on the highway (27 miles to the gallon in town).

“Todd bought a base-model Elantra and still got lots of goodies,” Walker said. “Hyundai has revolutionized the car business with what it includes in the purchase of every car.” Walker also pointed out that JD Power rated the 2014 Elantra the No. 1 vehicle in compacts in June while also naming the Hyundai Accent the No. 1 vehicle in the sub-compact division.

“You have to prospect or network in the car business,” said Walker, a 58-year-old native of Denver who has lived in Las Vegas for the past nine years. “In our business, a successful car salesperson knows they must always be in front of a potential customer. “In my case, I was in front of a potential customer in the buffet line at the Santa Fe.”

Wheelan, an 11-year resident of Las Vegas who moved from Long Beach, Calif., was owned a 1984 Hyundai and said that the difference in today’s Hyundai products is “unbelievable.”

“They weren’t what you usually find in a car dealership,” Wheelan said. “There was no pressure and I got what I wanted. The strides that Hyundai has taken today with their vehicles is quite impressive.”

Wheelan also lauded the warranty, which includes a 10-year, 100,000-mile power-train warranty along with a five-year, 60,000-mile bumper to bumper warranty.

“Being a pensioner, I don’t like unexpected surprises of costly repairs,” Wheelan said. Centennial Hyundai is at 6200 Centennial Center Blvd. in the northwest valley. It is part of a locally owned operation that also includes Planet Hyundai Sahara at 7150 W. Sahara Ave. and the Planet Hyundai Used Car Superstore at 7100 W. Sahara Ave.

Further information regarding the dealerships can be found at www.planetlv.com or by calling 702-938-1400 (Sahara); or 702-483-2200 (Centennial) and by visiting the Centennial website at www.centennialhyundailasvegas.com.