Employee of the Month

Mike Barham

Please join us in congratulating our newest Eckert Hyundai Employee of the Month for December, Mike Barham.

Mike was nominated by his colleagues for his outstanding attitude and willingness to do whatever is necessary to ensure that our customers are happy. One of his coworkers commented that “Mike is always, ALWAYS smiling. He is upbeat, positive, friendly, and helpful at all times.”

Mike has worked for Eckert Hyundai since July of 1997 and manages our Sales and Make Ready departments, however, over the years he has learned just about every working aspect of the dealership and is always willing to help out where needed.

Thank you Mike, for your service, your excellent attitude and extra efforts!

Meet Joe Becker

A banker, lawyer, and used car salesman walk into a bar...

The salesman orders a beer for himself and a white wine for his pretty and talented fiance of 1 week.  The happy couple shares stories of their recent engagement at the Sears Tower observation deck and they make plans for their upcoming weekend.

Still waiting for the punchline?

Car salesmen are often the butt of the joke but they are also living, breathing people with friends, family, and even feelings!

Today we are highlighting the humanity of Joseph Becker.  Joe has worked at Eckert Hyundai for almost 2 years, following in the footsteps of his father, Stan Becker, one of the most loved salesmen in Eckert Hyundai history.  Recently, Joe took a week off work for a good old-fashioned road trip to Chicago with his girlfriend Marisa.  The trip reached its peak (literally) when Joe proposed on the 103rd story of the Sears Tower and she said YES!  Joe says he loves everything about Marisa and she loves how "awesome" he is at "everything".  Together they enjoy completing Disney puzzles, their most recent accomplishment being a 2,000 piece Jiminy Cricket puzzle.  Joe also enjoys painting abstract art, bowling, and visiting the gun range.

Joe and Marisa, congratulations from everyone at Eckert Hyundai.  We think you make a great couple and hope you live Happily Ever After!

Employee of the Month

Nancy Sweigart

Nancy has worked at Eckert Hyundai processing accounting, payroll, vehicle registrations, supply requests, bills and more for the past 2 years.  She has worked on almost every task inside the office and manages everything gracefully and efficiently.  Nancy has recently been deemed "Most Knowledgeable" by her coworkers due to her outstanding memory, aptitude for learning quickly, and friendly demeanor.

Another Eckert employee said it best, "she pretty much knows the answer to any question I have ever asked her and if she doesn't, she has notes that she can reference to find out. She is very organized and always willing to help solve any issues that arise."

Nancy, thanks for being a hard worker and excellent problem-solver!

We Have Some to Sell

This cartoon came out recently in an automotive industry publication in August.  At the time it was true- we had low inventory like most Hyundai dealers and you might have had to settle with a Harbor Gray Sonata when you really wanted Shimmering Silver.

But settle no more!  Come back now!  We have some to sell and we have a great selection!

And since holding a large inventory costs us money, we are offering great deals and really good prices.  See what we have here or call (940) 243-6222 to speak to a salesman.

See if you Qualify for a Refund

MPG Reimbursement Instructions

Our dealership dreads drawing attention to the procedural errors at Hyundai that caused overstated fuel economy ratings on many recent models.  However, Eckert Hyundai is anxious to show you that we can admit our faults and be transparent about our mistakes.

If your vehicle has an adjusted fuel economy estimate, you are eligible for reimbursement based on your odometer reading and the average gas price in your area.  Here are the steps to getting a refund:

1) Determine that your vehicle is an affected model here.
2) Register by following the prompts.
3) Obtain a current mileage reading from the Eckert Hyundai service department Monday-Friday 7:30-6:00 or Saturday 8:00-1:00.
4) Receive a debit card in the mail.

For more information and FAQ, visit ttps://hyundaimpginfo.com/

Taxation Summation

Have you ever ordered a milkshake at your favorite diner?  You know, the kind in the metal shaker with real whipped cream topping, the kind that is so good you ordered a kids meal so you would have room to drink the whole thing?  But before the waiter can set it down, your 3 kids are asking for a bite and your husband just wants a taste.  All of a sudden, there are 4 straws in my milkshake besides my own!  Sometimes this is how I feel about taxes.  Separately, each tax just takes a few sips of my milkshake and I'm left wondering how much of it I really got to enjoy for myself.

To be clear, I am not taking a political position here.  I have always been curious what my aggregate tax rate is when you factor in payroll taxes, property tax, sales tax and income tax.  The recent political dialogue surrounding taxation did prompt me to figure the numbers but I will simply present the numbers and leave the conclusion to each individual.

Here are the assumptions and calculations I made:
* Based on US Census Bureau data, the median gross income for a family in Denton County is $85,000. 
* Social Security (4.2% of $85,000) and medicare (1.45% of $85,000) taxes total to $4,803.  The medicare base has no limit and the social security tax base is $106,800.
* For income taxes, I assumed a four person family who takes the standard deduction.  The highest tax bracket for a married-filing-jointly couple with $58,600 adjusted gross income is 15%.  Their tax comes to $7,944.
* I assumed the family put 6% into savings and (since I am familiar with the prices of non-table items for a four person family) I guesstimated the cost of non-taxable costs like a mortgage, groceries, home insurance, etc.  This is probably the roughest figure I have but it is also the smallest and comes to $2,312 or 2.7% of gross income.
* I also assumed home ownership for this family.  The Census Bureau provided a median home value of $180,000 for Denton County.  Using an average for the municipal tax rate and ISD tax rate plus Denton County's .277357 rate, property taxes amount to $4,067.

The total federal, state, and local taxes paid by this fictitious family amount to $19,126 or 22.5 percent of their gross income.

Are you surprised by this number?
Is it higher or lower than you expected?
Is it higher or lower than you think it should be?
I did not factor in annual fees like registration or state inspection on vehicles.  Can you think of anything else I neglected in my calculation?

October Employee of the Month

Farren Burchett

Please welcome Farren into the Eckert Hyundai Employee of the Month Club.  Farren has worked at Eckert Hyundai since January of 2006.  He is not only one of our most knowledgeable Hyundai technicians, but has also become a great leader and advice-giver in the service department.  He is appreciated for his dependability, great attitude, and good communication skills.  According to another employee, "He always has a great attitude and knows how to tell you what he can do or not do for you."

Farren, thanks for all your hard work!