Dealer of Excellence
SPOTLIGHT: Jim Hudson Lexus, Columbia
Jim Hudson Lexus, Columbia was recognized as a "2018 J.D. Power Dealer of Excellence for the Customer Sales Experience". In a recent interview with the dealership's General Manager, Robert Yeomans, we were able to extract critical (and extremely creative) ways in which dealership employees interact with customers, fellow colleagues, and the greater community of Columbia, SC.
Q&A with Robert Yeomans, General Manager:
What is your secret to success?
RY: You must have fully engaged and happy employees to have fully engaged and happy customers. Through this priority, we have been fortunate enough to earn #1 CSI ranking in the nation several times which certainly confirms this philosophy resonates with our valued customers.
What do you do to ensure your employees are fully engaged and happy?
RY: We try to know what’s going on in our employees’ lives. We want to be there to support them when things aren’t going well, and we want to be there to recognize and celebrate their victories too – whether it’s a graduation, new home, new baby. We make it a priority to ensure that the connection between the business and each employee is as strong as it could possibly be.
To achieve this, I try to interact with every single employee, regardless of position, at least two to four times per month personally. This level of consistent and open dialog lets them know that they matter, and gives them comfort and security knowing what their future looks like and that they have a good career direction ahead of them.
The effort truly pays off. Many dealerships tend to chase the retail side of the business, always looking for the next customer or the next dollar, when really they’re jumping over the employees that can bring them exponential results. When leaders put more effort and time into each employee, the commitment and engagement drives the results much more than a new widget or marketing expense.
What would you consider your #1 challenge? How are you navigating it?
RY: The biggest challenge that I see for us right now is the IT world. We are in the midst of a major shift where everything is going digital, and you have to be careful with that because, in doing so, you start to lose your commitment and focus on building relationships. In today's digital age, customers can get pretty much anything they want without coming to the dealership. So when you have that chance to interact, you have got to make sure you are building a relationship as that will be the difference maker in terms of longevity and superior results. The #1 goal of any business is to create customers for life and that can only happen by building a true partnership through an unwavering relationship.
What do you and your employees do to build relationships with your customers?
Prior to in-store visit...
RY: If a customer comes in as an Internet or phone lead, we immediately go out and take an unprofessional, raw, walk-around video of the vehicle they are interested in. Within the video, we make it a point to show the sales associate’s face; we want them to see who they are dealing with. We get that video to them as quickly as we possibly can. Because I don't know about you, but when I want to spend money, and someone goes the extra mile to earn my business promptly, efficiently and professionally, that’s a check-mark in that person’s stock value with me and could be the difference between having an opportunity to go further or not.
In addition, we try to find out what they like (e.g. favorite drink, favorite snack, favorite flower, etc.) in casual conversation. We make arrangements to have those favorite items there for when they arrive. This really shows that we’re listening and that we care enough about them to go into their world and focus on what is important to them as an individual through personalization.
During in-store visit...
RY: Then, when they arrive at the dealership, we have a VIP sign ready to greet them. If we know it’s a special occasion, such as an anniversary, birthday, graduation, promotion or even a first-time welcome, that sign is featured prominently at the entrance with their name and what we’re recognizing for them.
We also give them a card up-front that is our commitment to them in writing. Dealerships are famous for a lot of verbal agreements, and so we want to make sure that we’re giving them a written commitment. The card details their complimentary amenities, ways in which our dealership gives back to their beloved community, and recent honors / awards that we take great pride in, including our J.D. Power Dealer of Excellence recognition.
After in-store visit...
RY: After a customer purchases a vehicle from us, we put our active listening to work. We identify things that are important to our guest and we surprise them with something meaningful that truly acknowledges we are interested in them as a person and want them to know they are now part of our family. This is a true WOW factor that takes a transaction and turns it into a personal relationship and creates a customer for life.
What does being a J.D. Power Dealer of Excellence mean to you?
RY: We are very proud of this recognition. In fact, every single employee, from car washer to myself as the GM, wears the J.D. Power lapel pin everyday. To be associated with such a strong, well-known brand, validates that our engagement with customers and employees is truly on the right path. There’s not a customer that doesn’t come in here that doesn’t know about J.D. Power. So for them to see that we are partners with J.D. Power shows them that they can expect world-class service and satisfaction.
J.D. Power 2019 Dealer of Excellence Program recognition is based on achievement of high scores from automotive manufacturer customer research and completion of an in-dealership best practices verification visit. For more information, visit jdpower.com/DOE
