Isn’t this just another version of Employee of the Month? Not really, because all of the dealership’s 120 employees are eligible all of the time to be rewarded and recognized — not just 12 people a year. “We read the KUDOS weekly, and all the managers take the time to give those employees a pat on the back for their efforts,” he says.
This in turn translates to improved customer service. In the Adamec Customer Care Department, anyone — customer or employee — can identify a problem and request a solution. The program is headed by a director of customer relations who reports directly to the corporation’s vice president of operations and who has authority to make changes. “If this person doesn’t have proper authority,” Adamec notes, “they can’t properly identify the problem and can’t properly work out a solution with another manager.”
The five-year-old program succeeds because it stresses accountability. “The cool thing about this accountability factor, especially as it relates to an individual department, is that it’s who we are. It’s not like some artificial rule book. It’s become part of our DNA.”
Adamec has an extensive customer follow-up program. He uses Victory Solutions, an independent contractor based in Florida, to contact customers in addition to the calls made by staff. Adamec himself also makes customer calls. “It’s incredible what a dealer principal can do by staying involved on a communications level, especially once the process is established,” he says.
Community outreach is part of the Adamec DNA
“We believe our effort to be perceived as a leader in our community is the bedrock of our reputation and image within the community,” says Adamec Harley-Davidson owner Mark Adamec. “Motorcycle sales are a byproduct of that perception.”
But the dealership’s outreach program doesn’t always tie back directly to sales. In fact, nearly every week the business is involved in some event, promotion or charitable activity that returns no direct economic benefit. Take, for example, the Light the City ride, which benefits three police charities. The dealership raised more than $200,000 for these groups.
The dealership also won a Dealernews Customer Service Award in 2012 for its Harley Owners Workshop (HOW), a monthly feature where the chrome and performance consultant conducts workshops on motorcycle care, road safety and bike customization. Adamec credits the HOW program with boosting its P&A sales by 19.5 percent and increasing service revenue by 31.1 percent in 2011.
This story originally appeared in the January 2013 issue of Dealernews.
