Arnold-Baker Chevrolet Finds a Perfect Fit With Autosoft DMS

A Legacy of Family, Community, and Simplicity with Autosoft

When you walk into Arnold-Baker Chevrolet in Magnolia, Arkansas, you’re stepping into a living piece of history. The dealership, founded in 1934 by Mr. Baker himself, has been family-owned and operated for four generations. Today, President Jimmy Arnold still leads the store, while his son, the fourth generation, is preparing to carry on the legacy by learning every corner of the business, from service to sales.

For a town like Magnolia, population 11,000, that legacy matters. “It’s exciting that we’re still going strong after nearly 100 years,” says Deborah Kendall, Business Manager at Arnold-Baker Chevrolet. “Especially for a smaller town, it’s important that we’ve stayed family-owned and not been bought out by a big corporate group.”

Magnolia may be small, but its reach is wide. Customers come not only from this quaint Arkansas town, but also from the surrounding rural communities and cities as far off as Longview, Texas to the west, Shreveport, Louisiana to the south, Monroe, Louisiana and Junction City, Arkansas to our south-east, and Conway, Arkansas, to the north.

The Service Department Is Brought To Life With Autosoft

The dealership’s customers are as hardworking and diverse as the area itself: oilfield workers, plant and factory employees, farmers, and “just good country folks,” as Deborah puts it. Unsurprisingly, trucks make up a large share of the vehicles they sell and service.

With 20 employees across sales, service, parts, and even a tire store next door, Arnold-Baker Chevrolet is truly a community hub. Their seven-bay service department, Deborah notes, “is the lifeblood of the dealership.”

And keeping that lifeblood flowing smoothly has been Autosoft, the dealership’s DMS partner since 1999.

Streamlining Operations with Autosoft

Deborah, who has spent over 8 years working at Arnold-Baker Chevrolet, relies heavily on Autosoft in her role. “As Business Manager, I’m in and out of payroll, payables, receivables, inventory, keying car deals – you name it,” she explains. “I’m also the IT person around here, so when anything goes wrong, I’m the one people come to. That means if it’s a software question, I’m talking with Autosoft support about everything from accounting to technical issues.”

And those support experiences, she says, are what really make Autosoft shine.

“When I started using Autosoft, it was super quick and easy to learn,” Deborah recalls. “And when I have questions, the ability to call and get somebody that speaks English, that I can understand, who is so helpful and patient is so important. I’ve never had to sit on the phone for hours waiting. The customer service is amazing. I just can’t brag enough about the support that comes with Autosoft. That, to me, is worth its weight in gold.”

A Reliable and Responsive Support Team

Deborah especially appreciates Autosoft’s callback feature: “I don’t even have to sit on hold. I just hit a button, and they call me back when it’s my turn in line. Sometimes they call before I even tell my secretary to expect the call! The wait time is nothing.”

It’s not just support, the Autosoft DMS itself makes her job smoother. “Autosoft is super user-friendly,” she says. “I love that you can pull so many different reports in just the blink of an eye. The side-by-side comparison reports are especially awesome because you can cover so much territory in one report. And the fact that service and parts can integrate their daily work directly into our accounting system makes Autosoft a beautiful tool for our business.”

A Cost-Effective DMS That Offers Simplicity and Every Needed Feature

For a dealership that has been serving its community for over 90 years, cost-effectiveness matters too. When asked, Deborah replied, “Yes, absolutely, Autosoft is very cost-effective for our business, which matters to a dealership like ours.”

Looking back on her time with the system, Deborah sums it up simply:

“Autosoft is user-friendly, simplified, and reliable. The accounting side is not complicated at all, and their support team is just impeccable. They meet me where I am and walk me through everything. They don’t make you feel stupid; they make you feel supported. I love that.”

For Arnold-Baker Chevrolet, a dealership rooted in tradition, family, and community, Autosoft has become more than just software. It’s a trusted partner helping them thrive today while preparing for the future.