Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Randy Hoffman. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Randy, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you have any advice regarding quality control and maintaining quality as your brand grows?

The main reason that our 75-year-old family-owned company has been able to grow into 35 dealerships, 76 franchises, 39 locations, and 25 automotive and motorcycle brands… is the importance we put on our employees. Focusing on the employees is the key and a never-ending family commitment from our leader Teddy Morse. Considering that we have close to 2,000 employees and growing is simply amazing.

When you actively appreciate your employees, it is your customers who will benefit the most. By consistently showing appreciation to your employees, they will make customer satisfaction a priority. We’ve always provided fun opportunities to engage our employees with an annual cash bash, sales Olympics and unannounced bonuses. But even more important than monetary benefits is an overall appreciation of each and every employee. A simple thank you goes a long way. Taking an employee out for a lunch is an amazing treat for the employee and the executive. And every executive understands that every single employee is part of the family and needs to be treated that way.

That is why our employees work so hard. Why they strive to succeed. Why they take care of their customers, like the customer is a friend of the employee’s own mother or father. The reason that our quality rating continues to improve is because it is important to our employees, because they know we have their back.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers?

I had no idea of what I was going to do when I left college. A friend suggested selling cars. I thought I’d try it for six months and here I am thirty-five years later. What I didn’t realize at the time was that I was helping people. Of course, there are many reasons why someone needs a car, but if you can help them get the car they want… it’s a great feeling.

The car that changed my life was the Corvette. I remember when our dealership got 13 Corvettes ZR-1s in the store… and even with 100 salespeople… I sold 11 of them. I bought my own ad in an automotive publication and immediately received 80 calls about the Corvettes. With the commissions I was able to buy a house for my family and never wanted to leave the automotive world again.

As COO of one of the most respected automotive dealer brands in the country, my key role is to oversee all operations with a heightened focus on Mergers and Acquisitions. I’ve been busy lately! Not only have we grown throughout the state of Florida, but into Texas, Missouri, Illinois, Oklahoma and Iowa.

The thing I am most proud of are the amount of lives we’ve changed. And I don’t just mean customers, but our employees who have grown with Ed Morse over the years. It’s truly a family considering that if you’ve worked with us for 5 years or less, you are still basically a newbie.

The one thing that I will never lose sight of is that buying a car is a big decision for the customer. It probably will be the second largest purchase they make. Maybe it is someone’s first car, or they need a car to start a business, or they are starting a family. I will never get tired of that feeling of fulfillment to see the excitement of someone driving away in their new car and the adventures it will bring them.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Never put your likes or dislikes into the decision-making process of the customer. What you like or dislike, is probably not the same as the customers. One time I was sure I had found the right car for a customer, and they ended up picking the complete opposite car. Do you know why? Because of the cupholder. And while this might seem like a trivial reason, it may be paramount to the customer; in the car this particular customer was currently driving the cupholder got in the way of the stick shift and they needed it in a different spot. It’s often the little things that make the biggest difference. The key is finding your customer’s hot buttons and figuring out a way to make them excited and satisfied.

Can you talk to us about your experience with selling businesses?

As COO, one of my main jobs is to acquire other businesses. What I love about it is searching for the right dealership that fits our brand. I will look for a profitable business, with long-time employees, but no succession plan for the owners. It worked amazingly well as not only do these brilliant entrepreneurs get to stay on, but “but they also get to have an exit strategy that best suits them and their families. When we were recently doing a deal in Missouri, I spoke with an employee there who said that for over 30 years he had been working for the best employer ever and would call me after a year to tell us how we were doing. Six months later the same employee called me and said, “I don’t need a year… you are now the best employer I’ve ever had.” That right there is the reason we do what we do. It’s a great feeling.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.edmorse.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edmorseauto
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EdMorseAutomotiveGroup/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ed-morse-automotive-group
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/EdMorseAuto

Image Credits
Courtesy of Ed Morse Automotive Group