Pub. 1 2019-2020 Issue 4

Issue 4 2020 15 WVADA himself. The other one was a driver work - ing in Virginia. They didn’t come in to work while waiting for results, and when the results were positive, they were treated promptly. They both recovered at home. What effect do you think this crisis will have on the auto in - dustry going forward? MIKE: It’s going to make us much more appreciative of the things we do. We’ve got to work smarter and quickly adapt to people working from home, whether per - manently or part-time, and focus on how we build our relationships with our custom - ers. For example, some customers will feel more comfortable dealing electronically as much as possible, as opposed to face time, and some people are going to limit the amount of in-person face time. We need to be in tune with what each one wants. TIM: There’s not much time with parts and service. As far as the sales process is concerned, that’s probably changed for - ever. The internet has been such a prev- alent factor in the last 10 years anyway, and people are still wary after the March shutdown. They are not even coming to the dealership, and everyone has less personal contact. Even when a cus- tomer test-drives a vehicle, we may take it to their house and leave it over - night so they can drive it. That makes them feel a little safer. As a small business owner and leader, what is the takeaway from this extraordinary experience that will guide future business decisions? MIKE: No. 1would be don’t take anything for granted. We have to work smarter and find different ways to communicate with employees and with customers to even it out. TIM: You always think you can expect something like a catastrophe to hap - pen, and you think you are prepared, but every situation is different. Our model, for now, includes possibly working remotely more; in some cas - es, that’s a good way to do it. We are also watching expenses more because every dollar matters now. From the management of expenses to just how we conduct our day to day business, we’ve changed how we will do busi- ness in the future. Most of the financing institutions we do business with have worked hard to help us, but a couple of the larger, non-local banks haven’t had the per - sonal touch they needed. We’ve forged better relationships with the banks and OEM financing companies that have worked with us, and from now on, may - be we just need to work with the peo - ple who have been good to us. What is the most rewarding part of your career? MIKE: For me, it’s when I can help out a customer who needs help. For example, maybe a customer has a vehicle down at 4 a.m., and I can get him going by getting him the part he needs. That is true, one- on-one help in an emergency. I just like being able to help keep customers going. TIM: A lot of our growth has been in the last 10 years, especially as we’ve made some acquisitions. When I started, we had 30 people, and now we have more than 350 employees. During that time, my dad worked with me behind the scenes, so our work has been a joint effort, but I find it rewarding to build teams in different business units. Over time, I’ve worked with employees and helped them excel in their positions. Many of our employees have longev - ity with the company, and I can see how they’ve grown. That’s been my biggest reward, working successfully with such a great group of people. What do you think will be some of the dominant trends within the auto industry in the next 5-10 years? MIKE: The things experts talk about are electric type vehicles or hydrogen fu - el-celled vehicles. In the long term, hydro - Over time, I’ve worked with employees and helped them excel in their positions. Many of our employees have longevity with the company, and I can see how they’ve grown. That’s been my biggest reward , working successfully with such a great group of people. continued on the next page