Runde Auto Chat

How did you find Runde Auto Group and this particular vehicle? Through Al Kloft. I told him what I was looking for and he went and found it for me. I bought a Trailblazer and my brother bought a vehicle from Al not too long ago too.

Why did you decide to purchase it here? Because I found what I liked and because I've known Al for a long time. He's a family friend so I trusted him. And I liked it so I said yah I'd buy it. 

Where is the first place you’ll take your new car? I don't know ... probably work. Really? Yah I have have work at 9 o'clock tonight. Where do you work at? At The Barn in Sherrill -- it's a bar and a restaurant up there. I used to go up to the barn a long time ago -- we played a couple gigs up there back in the day. Yah, that was when V.J. owned it and now his son runs the place. (Check out the link to The Barn's FaceBook Page)

Is your vehicle a male or female? Female. And will you give it a name? No. Why not? I don't know. (shrugs) I never named any of my cars.

How many vehicles have you owned so far in your life? Five. How often do you usually trade in your cars? This is the first time I've ever traded and bought something new. So you usually keep your vehicles until they die? Yep.

What’s the best thing about your new ride? It's bigger and it has four-wheel-drive. If you were a vehicle, what vehicle would you want to be? Probably ... I don't know, it's a tough question ... probably a truck because it's big.

Will your friends or anyone be allowed to eat in your new Trailblazer? Yes. Are you sure? Yah. (Wow we've asked that question before to many customers before and we usually get a "Nope" response back. I wasn't expecting that answer.)

How would you rate your vehicle buying experience with Runde Auto Group on a scale of 1 to 35 with 35 being the best? I'd say it was probably a 31.

And Al Kloft was your salesman -- so how would you rate Al? The best. He was awesome, I liked working with Al.

If something unfortunate were to happen to Al and he could no longer be a car salesman, do you think he would make a better News Anchorman, Game Show Host, or State Representative? Definitely a game show host.

And which game show would he be best at hosting? The Price is Right, Deal or No Deal, or that one about being smarter than a 5th grader? The 5th grader one. (she smiles) You know I think just the contestants have to show how smart they are so he'd probably be safe as the host. Yep. (she nods and grins)

What is your favorite movie of all time? Fried Green Tomatoes. Really? Do you like the Fried Green Tomatoes restaurant too? I know that there's a nice restaurant named Fried Green Tomatoes. I haven't been there, but I really like the movie. It's easily my favorite.

Do you have any hobbies? I like to ride horses.

What is currently in the cd player of your vehicle? Seether. Seether? What's that? It's a rock band.

If you could move anywhere else in the world, where would it be and why? Probably Wyoming because I like the country and there's like nothing out there -- like no big cities or anything like that. (I've heard that you haven't really seen the stars until you've looked up at a Wyoming sky on a moonless night.) Have you ever been to Idaho? No. I've heard that's awesome too. Yah me too.

Describe your ideal day – what would you do – where would the road take you? I'd go to a tractor pull. A tractor pull? Yep. (I like asking that question because you never get the same answer twice.)

Lightning Round:

Gaga or Taylor Swift? Taylor Swift.

Transformers or Twilight? Twilight.

Taco Johns or Taco Bell? Taco Bell.

Glass: half empty, half full, or someone just left it sitting there and no one felt like washing it today? Half full.

Target or Walmart? Target.

Ebay or Amazon? Amazon.

Win the lottery or become President? (grinning with confidence) Win the lottery.

We'd like to thank Bridget for taking time out of her schedule to sit down and chat with us. She's a very personable young lady and now she has a sweet new 4wd ride that you just may see her in as she zooms over the hills and valleys of the tri-state area. Let's just hope she never feels the need to drive her new vehicle like Kathy Bates in Fried Green Tomatoes.

Laura Rannals from Area Residential Care dropped in the other day to drop off the Runde's Community Supoprt Truck. Area Residential Care is a non-profit agency that serves people with mental or other devolopmental disabilities. They have grown to serve about 300 adults with disabilites and about 300 staff members in Dubuque (the headqurters), Dyersville, and Manchester. They will soon be moving to the old Econofoods building off of JFK.

The Community Support Truck was used to help move items and goods to and from A.Y. McDonald Park in Dubuque where they held the 2010 Corporate & Community Games. Laura Explains that the Corporate & Community games is the annual fundraiser for Area Residential Care. The event takes place on the second Wednesday of every June. Teams of eight to ten people sign up to play silly games to support Area Residential Care. There were ten games total this year and you may be asking; "what entails a silly game?" How about shooting rubber chickens through a water ballon launcher to score points? As long as you are over 18 you can join a team. This year they had 40 teams and the winning team went home with some goodies.

Money from the event goes towards different needs within Area Residential Care and the support of all of the participants, sponsors and spectators really help the cause. This is the third year that Residential Care has borrowed the Runde's Community Support Truck for help with the event. Laura stresses, "The truck was a HUGE help. It would not have gone as smoothly without it. It gives you that peace of mind that everything is loaded and ready to go for the event when you have other things to worry about."

To learn more about Area Residentail Care visit their website: www.arearesidentialcare.org/ and help support these great non-profit agency's that do everything in their power to help the community.

Richard W Fanning Came to us from Janesville to purchase a brand new Silverado. He was having a great time chatting with the Runde's Staff even though his vehicle was already ready to go. I managed to sit down with Richard and he was ecstatic to share his experiences with the world. Read on to see why Richard was so satisfied.

What led you to Runde's?
Originally I found my way here by word of mouth from friends that suggested this place to me. I was here last year buying a truck. It is one of the most pleasurable dealerships I've ever been at and that's going on 64 years of car and truck buying. I have been suggesting Runde's since I've been here. My friends come here now and my daughter will be coming here to buy as well. I highly recommend Runde's to everyone. Part of the great experience was getting a good deal but even more important is the courtesy here at the dealership - just everything - I can't say enough. Tom is a super salesperson, no pressure tactics, very helpful... you know, I rant everybody about it, I really do.

Great, I'm glad you have had good experiences with us! If you were to rank your experiences on a scale of 1-10 what would you give it?
(without hesitation) 10 - From my experiences I'd give it a 10, I really would.

And your salesperson, Tom Sladky - What did you think about him?
A+. 10. Super. He's a great salesperson, I recommend him as well as Runde's.

What vehicle did you end up buying this time around?
I got a 2010 Silverado. Just an upgrade.

Where are you from?
I live just a few miles East of Janesville, Wisconsin. About 100 miles from Runde's.

Do you always go to Runde's for your vehicle needs?
You know, I have Chevy dealers as close as 3 miles from my house. In experiences with the other dealers, there's just no comparison to Runde's. The bottom line is that no one can compare, I don't think anyone ever will.

What do you use the trucks for?
Well I used to have a 90-acre farm, now it's down to like 10 acre's. Now I use the truck mostly for transportation. I've got a quarter of a mile driveway and in the winter I have problems with the snow so I can't be without a four-wheel drive.

Are you still farming?
I'm retired now, I retired in '95 after working at GM for 30 years.

You worked for GM?
Yep, I did pretty much everything there was to do there.

What do you like to do around the Janesville area?
I like to do pretty much everything - I like to fish, bowl, motorcycle, snowmobiling - pretty much anything you can think about.

Do you have any pets?
I got a German Shepard police dog and a big Doberman. The Shepard stays outside and the Doberman is a house-dog.

Has the Shepard ever caught anyone trying to trespass or anything like that?
I don't have much of a problem with that. Once they see the dog I'm sure they reconsider.

Any kids?
I have two daughters - one's married and one's currently single.

What is your favorite sports team?
Greenbay. That's the only team there is.

Do you have any favorite movies?
I'm a big movie buff... we have a movie store near us and I've seen almost all of the movies there. I can't really pick a favorite because there are too many good ones.

How about the last movie you seen in theaters?
I don't go as often as I used to, but the last one I've seen in theaters is Avatar, it was pretty good.

If you were to win the lottery, what would you do with the money?
I would make sure that I was taken care of and the majority of my family. Anything after that I'd have to see where I'm at as far as the numbers go. I'd donate a lot of it to charity, maybe travel a bit.

Where would you travel to first?
My number one spot to go would be Ireland, I have family there and it's something I definitely want to do in my lifetime.

What is the best invention that came out during your lifetime?
Hmm... that's a good question. Right off the bat I'd have to say a big screen T.V. There have been a lot of health related findings as well.

Are you a believer in online shopping?
I'm very careful with the internet. I never buy anything or pay bills online. It's good for online poker though.

Where's the first place you'll take your truck?
I'll probably just be going home tonight.

Thank you very much for your kind words and for letting us get to know you better Richard. Enjoy your new Silverado and we'll be seeing you soon!

Today I had the pleasure of getting to know Danielle Crandall. This Navy gal was in to find a transportation vehicle between Navy bases and found the perfect car for her! Read on to find out how her experience was at Runde's.

How did you find Runde Auto Group?
My parents had told me about you guys. They have bought from you before and recommended you to me.

What vehicle did you go with? Why that vehicle?
I went with a '07 Saturn Aura. I saw a Saturn Aura at Buffalo Wild Wings one time and since then I wanted one so I thought I'd check to see if you had one on your site and you did!

So you bought a car because you saw it at Buffalo Wild Wings and thought you would look good behind the wheel...?
Yep. Hahaha. Exactly.

Why did you purchase it here instead of a different dealership?
You guys gave me a great deal.

Your salesperson was Sara Dellabella. What would you rank her on a scale of 1-10?
Probably an 11. She's really easy to work. She made it SO easy and stress free.

How about Runde Auto Group? What do you rank us?
I give you a 10. Everything is so straight to the point. you know exactly what you're getting into. "No bull" so to speak.

Is your vehicle a male or a female?
Umm... female...?

Did you give it a name yet?
No, not yet. I intend to though!

How often do you trade-in or buy vehicles?
This actually my first vehicle purchase.

Are you from the area?
I'm from Stockton, Ill.

Are you attending college?
I'm actually in the Navy now. I've been in since November. I am loving it so far.

What will the vehicle be used for?
Mostly for traveling. Going between stations for the Navy, etc.

What is the best thing about your new ride?
The fact that it actually runs good. And it's SO pretty, I absolutely LOVE it!

Do you have a favorite spot to hang out near the Tri-State area?
Buffalo Wild Wings, actually.

Are you going to let your friends eat in the car?
Eat in it? HECK no!

What's your favorite movie of all time?
No question about it - The Notebook.

What kinds of bands do you like?
I like The Main and All Time Low and Paramore. More of the punk type of stuff.

What's the first song you heard in your car?
I think it was "Decode" by Paramore.

What is the first thing you would do if you won the lottery?
Probably pay off my car, haha.

So everything was ok with your transaction, from service to finance?
Yep. Everything was perfect!

That's great. Thank you very much for your time and kind words. Enjoy your new Saturn!

Diana, Robert and little Poco Hedtke recently moved back from Thailand after doing missionary work for 3 years. After going to their home in Atkins, IA they were hungry to get a Duramax that suited their needs so that they could hit the road for some well deserved trips. There was only one problem for these fine folks – no matter where they looked, they couldn’t find any Duramax that had what they needed at a price they couldn’t argue with. That is, until they found Runde’s website…

What brought you to Runde's today?
We have been looking for a Chevrolet Duramax but couldn't find anything in our price bracket that was available. Then, just this morning, I came across your website and discovered a number of Duramax's available.

How did you end up at our website?
I Googled "Chevy Dealerships - Dubuque" and the first one that came up for me was Runde's. From there I went to the site, and it was very useful. Everything was very easy to find in your inventory and we ended up finding exactly what we wanted – the truck we’ve been looking for, for weeks. We sent out an email when we first found the truck that matched our needs, but we were too excited for the truck, so we just headed your way after sending the email without waiting for a response. There will probably an email for us when we get back.

Are you guys from around the area?
We are from Clintonville, WI. Near Green Bay. Recently we moved back from Thailand from doing missionary work for 3 years. It was a fascinating time.

While we were in Bangkok we decided to buy a house back in the states. I had previously served Atkins Iowa as their Pastor in the Lutheran Church at St. Stevens from '76-'85 so we found a house in that area online and bought it through the internet. Lots of people have been looking through the house and we just had pictures, but that was good enough for us so we bought it and had a home to go to when we got out of Thailand.

Wow, so you are pretty keen on the online shopping deal, huh?
Yeah, it's just more convenient for some things. Like your site - you had the mileage and pricing and everything on there, it was very helpful.

What Duaramax did you end up getting?
We got 2007 Silverado Diesel Extended cab.

What will the vehicle be used for?
Mostly for hauling. We hope to buy a fifth wheel and do some touring in retirement.

Where do you plan to go?
...We have no idea. down South, West... a lot of members of our church go to Texas, the Alamo and whatnot; we'd also like to go to Portland out West to visit my brother that lives there.

Any vacation spots you going to?
We are heading to Tucson Arizona very soon.

Sounds like you guys are going to be active in your retirement. Sounds like a lot of adventures and fun.
Yes, we are looking forward to it.

Your Salesperson was Dave Smith, what did you think about Dave?
Oh, Excellent. He is a very intuitive man, he knew right away what we were looking for, and was overall a great help. We give him a 10/10.

Your overall experience with Runde's was pretty good then?
Oh it was great. On a 1-10 scale we'd give it a 10. Everybody we worked with was very helpful. And who is the little guy here? Her name is Poco, she's six months old now. She loves people.

What breed is she exactly?
She's a Schnoodle - a Schnauzer and a Poodle.

Wow, She seems very well behaved. I had a neighbor that had one and it would bark and moan nonstop.Poco hasn't made a peep.
Oh, you've heard of Schnoodles? We've never even heard of them before we researched them online. But yeah, she is well behaved. We actually researched dogs on the internet before we got her, just like most other things it seems, ha-ha.

Do you guys watch movies?
Oh yes. I like action films. I just saw Gladiator and Bravehart - I like those kinds of things. We signed up for Direct TV so we have movies coming in all the time.

Do you guys remember meeting each other?
Oh yeah. We went to the same high school together in Clintonville, Wisconsin. Our families knew each other pretty well. Clintonville is a smaller town of about 4,500 people so everyone knew each other. We lined another couple up for a homecoming date and that left us sitting there. So I asked her what she was doing and she said 'nothin so I asked her if she wanted to do 'nothin together and here we are 41 years later and still doing 'nothin.

So you would recommend Runde's to friends and family?
Yes, definitely. What's nice about it is that you guys have so many makes where as most other dealers doesn't have that much variety. I was surprised and impressed to see that you guys have over 1,200 vehicles in stock. Once I saw all the options we wanted in a Duramax on your site, which I can't stress enough is REALLY rare to come by, I had to come down.

If there was one invention you couldn't live without, what would it be?
I don't know anymore, if I had to say, though, it'd have to be the computer. When we lived in Bangkok we were cut off from family and friends and everything, it was kind of lonely. But with the computer we got to connect to our family and loved ones via Skype and email and whatnot. It really helped us get through.

Do you have any favorite artists or bands?
I love the Big Band music. We grew up in the 60's with the beetles, Dave Clarke V and the Beach Boys – those kinds of bands, and we like them as well. Diana: I like piano music as well.

Do you play yourself?
...No. She does, she just doesn't say it, she's very modest. Well I play with one hand, maybe.

Thanks for stopping by, Good luck with all of your future adventures, sounds like you got quite a bit of them ahead of you. I wish you guys all the best and thanks for thinking Runde's!

It was our pleasure, I assure you.