Started off as a Volvo Technician in 2004. In 2005 I joined the Paul’s Volvo Sales team as a Master Salesperson till August 2019. Joined Smythe Volvo in September 2019. My 14 years of Sales Experience have taught me to listen more to the customers’ needs and then answer these needs directly. As a product of Dale Carnegie training, winning friends & influencing people is a core concept of my Sales process. Understanding my customer’s point of view helps me to answer their vehicle needs/wants effectively.
Read moreDealership Experience
7 yrs, 1 mo
Industry Experience
21 yrs, 6 mos
Languages Spoken
English
329 Reviews
Write a Review329 Reviews of Alon Katende
May 25, 2022
Everyone was welcoming as soon as we stepping in! As a first time buyer, they made the experience very smooth and stress free. I highly recommend to come here and purchase a car! As a first time buyer, they made the experience very smooth and stress free. I highly recommend to come here and purchase a car! More
May 22, 2022
Alon was friendly, courteous and professional. The showroom was clean and receptionist was friendly. Henry, the tech guy that helped set up my phone and show me how to operate the controls was ve The showroom was clean and receptionist was friendly. Henry, the tech guy that helped set up my phone and show me how to operate the controls was very helpful. One item to improve is communicating up front before signing the papers that volvo does not allow any tolerance for minor dings, scratches etc. BMW, Acura and Subuaru allow for this. More
Other Employees Tagged: Henry Zhu , Henry Padilla Jr
April 10, 2022
I was questioning why I should drive two hours all the way from Pennsylvania to NJ to purchase a used Volvo but being able to compare different models and test drive them made it easier to choose. I was way from Pennsylvania to NJ to purchase a used Volvo but being able to compare different models and test drive them made it easier to choose. I was immediately impressed with my sales person Paul who answered my initial questions about specifics on the model I was looking at via email and scheduled me for a test drive . Upon arriving I could see that this place was very busy which was good. This dealership has some very clean cars that were CPOs and Alon, the sales person I was signed to, really was helpful setting me up for the test drive so I felt comfortable driving the car on my own. He explained how to navigate using Volvos version of Navigation. It was a little difficult to set up but I knew I had the benefit of using Apple Car Play. Yes, I was able to drive the car myself which was surprising and very reassuring. As I returned from my drive I was not completely sold because I saw another vehicle that caught my eye there that was a CPO and had more features that appealed to me. The test drive in this car showed me how significant the differences were. Alon also told me the wheels would be refinished to get rid of the curb rash. The car was very clean and only had a small scratch or two. I felt more comfortable after speaking with several employees in the vicinity who were able to answer my questions about care and daily operation of the vehicle. They seemed to operate more as a team here than other dealerships I’ve been to. That moved me to discuss purchasing with Alon who wasn’t pushy. He could sense I was concerned about pricing so he made me aware of a way to save on my current insurance through Dealer Policy Services (Poly) . I didn’t really think this was going to be helpful but as I found out later it was and I was pleasantly surprised. I chose to add additional warranty and maintenance as well as a wheel protection package that included window, paint-less dent repair and key replacement. I already had Safelight with my insurance but the deal was set so you really were getting a decent amount of coverage for other issues that added piece of mind. The key protection option is a big item. I didn’t realize how expensive two keys could be. I can’t say you are really saving much with the maintenance package but having driven a BMW in the past I understood the value of knowing it is prepaid for. I just wish it covered brake pads. I also wish I could have been made aware of the benefit of purchasing 7 vs 5 services up front. It reduces the cost. Rolling them into the price of the car is what helps the most. There’s so much to consider but knowing it’s a CPO I felt more comfortable. The other thing that helped was the consideration of my military service by Henry and the sales staff here . It certainly helped me commit to the deal. I felt good about my purchase the next day which says A Lot if you know me. I gave the staff time to prep the car and picked it up 6 days later because of my schedule and to allow them to refinish the wheels. The hiccups I experienced after I took possession were significant but manageable . I found that keyless entry was not functioning and the plates got lost by UPS causing my temp tags to expire. Once I received my plates I got my state inspection where it was determined by Firestone, that I need new front tires and an alignment because the inside edges are down to 1/32nd and I had a nail in my tire. The Nail could have happened anywhere but the wear on the inside edges of the front tires to 1/32nd was actually closer to 3/ 32nds. At the time I had driven just over 400 mostly highway miles so my contribution to the west was minimal. The possibility that this Firestone technician was trying to sell me tires does exist but I did see inside edge wear. I even went back to Smythe to let the service manager and the sales manager see the condition of the tires and had the cars alignment checked. I was told that 4 new tires were waiting for me. When I got there a quick determination was made that I did not need new tires and the results showed a subtle toe-in that needed correction. He inspection also showed that the current tires were originals, which Firestone noticed based on the date on them, and the wear was acceptable but not extreme on the inside edges. Some retraining and calibration of Firestone’s instruments and staff may be in order because it was clearly not a 1/32nd for inside edge wear, however, A CPO vehicle with a 170 point check list should have noticed this inside edge wear and the Keyless entry problems. I had to take the car to service where I’m located in Scranton Pa for the keys initially, which was a hassle. This dealer felt it was not a warranty problem and it was a damaged key set that didn’t fall under warranty because the prongs were broken but Volvo USA stood by me when I emailed them to get the keys replaced. ( I also had the additional peace of mind knowing I had key replacement) The license plate eventually got to me after communicating the delivery problem with Smythe Volvo. Each response I had during these issues was professional so that says a lot! My keys are being replaced by the local dealer I took the car to thanks to Volvo USA and the car is functional with the damaged keys because the key sensor in the cup holder recognizes them and I can use the side buttons to open and close the doors. License plate delivery can be problematic. A plate can disappear in the sea of packages at these UPS package hubs so getting a tracking number to a customer is critical. This is going to prevent problems . I also recommend checking your key operation more carefully. Time needs to be spent here to avoid future headaches. The pandemic has made all this much more difficult because of the transition form distant to normal operations And Despite the warranty it seems a broken key is not covered. I was fortunate Volvo USA stood by me because it was a CPO. Returning today to speak with Regina, the sales manager, gave me more confidence that my car was properly certified and that the tires were in better shape than Firestone indicated. I likely won’t have to replace them on my next service interval but more likely on the following one. I’m hopeful this is the case. Time and tread wear will tell. More
Other Employees Tagged: Paul Leary, Regina Krauza , Jeff Morocho, Lupita Padilla, Henry Padilla Jr, Val Pereira
March 24, 2022
Alon and the owners of Smythe Volvo are very courteous, helpful and knowledgeable. We were very satisfied with the process of purchasing our new electric car from Smythe Volvo. We recommend them to anyon helpful and knowledgeable. We were very satisfied with the process of purchasing our new electric car from Smythe Volvo. We recommend them to anyone looking to purchase there next car. More
Other Employees Tagged: Kevin Flanagan, Sean Flanagan, Tom Coward, Scott Jackson, Regina Krauza , Mike Mitchko, Francine O'Donnell
February 23, 2022
It was a most pleasant experience leasing a new S60 with the Smythe Volvo team. Alon Katende provided all the details on how the deal would be structured, and spent a very generous amount of time to orient the Smythe Volvo team. Alon Katende provided all the details on how the deal would be structured, and spent a very generous amount of time to orient me the S60’s many features & onboard technologies. All transacted with high respect for the customer, 100% transparency - and completed in less than one day! More
Other Employees Tagged: Kevin Flanagan , Henry - Finance
February 15, 2022
This is our 9th Volvo. We bought our first 740 wagon in 1986 when our first child was born. We got our second with our second child. Since then, we’ve owned or leased the r We bought our first 740 wagon in 1986 when our first child was born. We got our second with our second child. Since then, we’ve owned or leased the rest. It’s safe to say that we’ve been very satisfied with all of our Volvo wagons, sedans and SUVs. At last we now have a Volvo EV XC-40. I liked some of the sport packages we had on other Volvos but this little beast can push you back in the seat with acceleration! And as in our previous Volvos, we have racks and the towing package that comes with both standard flat-four electrical and round Euro. Tows our light boat trailer beautifully… and all is super quiet. Thanks to Kevin and Alon for this terrific new car with features we’re still discovering! More
February 09, 2022
Excellent customer service! Exceeded our expectations! Met our demanding needs! Delivered on their commitment and promises! Met our demanding needs! Delivered on their commitment and promises! More
Other Employees Tagged: Kevin Flanagan, Sean Flanagan , Henry Padilla Jr
February 08, 2022
Professional, courteous and meeting my needs every step of the way. Very happy with today's experience. Alon was very helpful and considerate. I will be coming back for all my services and purchases. of the way. Very happy with today's experience. Alon was very helpful and considerate. I will be coming back for all my services and purchases. More
Other Employees Tagged: Francine O'Donnell, Caitlin Dunlap

