Auto Dealer Monthly, February 2014

Showroom magazine was a fi nalist for Small Business Person of the Year by the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce won the Association of Finance Insurance Professionals AFIP s Eagle Award and received multiple Quality Dealer of the Year awards from the NIADA including last years top prize To those who know him the accolades and McCloskeys characteristically modest response come as no surprise Matt Bitler has been the groups principal contact at SouthWest Dealer Services since they signed the group in 2002 He says McCloskeys success is the direct result of the founders focus on customer service Joe is one of the foremost experts on pre owned cars Hes certainly one of the best Ive seen at managing inventory and reconditioning the inventory Bitler says But whatever MIKE PHILLIPS happens Joes fi rst concern is to take care of the customer If something happens to the car Joe stands behind what he sells DONE sign the contract But we always try to make it as fair as possible A lot of times that means they get the car they bought In rare cases well unwind usually because they thought theyd have the down payment but didnt He adds that many if not most of the fi nance staff is prior military themselves Th e group thrives on hiring staff from other industries and teaching them the McCloskey approach to selling vehicles Probably 80 percent of our staff is new to the automotive business says Joe McCloskey We sometimes dont get the quick sales at the outset but in six months we have salespeople who only know one way to do business AWARDS AND ACCOLADES McCloskeys way of doing business has paid off in more ways than one Th e operation has been showered with performance and communityservice awards In recent years McCloskey was named an F I Pacesetter by F I and Phillips says he and the rest of the staff enjoy the same level of dependability McCloskey takes an active role in inspiring the entire team to succeed he says from the mundane tasks of reporting numbers to his weekly leadership training sessions It really is focused a lot on how to leverage our most important asset the staff Everyone will take something home Its his business and hes awesome at it Th e specter of Big Joes retirement is a running joke Th om McCloskey says with a laugh Joe says he still loves to come to work and will continue to work for the group and the community for as long as his health allows Aft er all he says perfection is a goal worth striving for Im here almost every day and so is my wife he says I do most of the buying of the inventory and a lot of the interaction with co workers and customers Th ere are a lot of dealers that are hands on For me its more the thrill of working side by side with great people Were a team on a crusade to be the best ONLY 37 OF TRADE IN CUSTOMERS ARE HAPPY WITH THE PROCESS Thats why some dealers use AutoTrader coms Trade In Marketplace This unique tool helps you make the most out of every customer interaction through our Instant Cash Offer The more you help your customers understand how you determine trade in prices the more likely they are to transact and walk away happy To learn more visit http TIMfordealers AutoTrader com