We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jossan Elias a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jossan, appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the best thing you’ve ever seen (or done yourself) to show a client that you appreciate them?

A common denominator in the luxury service industry is building strong customer loyalty. Customer loyalty drives customer retention and retention is crucial to your product or service. Building loyalty can be very difficult but simultaneously be accomplished in the simplest of ways. Our storage members include car enthusiasts I associate with because I am an enthusiast. This is key to our specific niche. No one will trust you with their million-dollar car if you don’t know what you’re doing. Being an enthusiast, I understand the ins and outs of what is expected from us as a business, which allows me to really pinpoint how I can show my customers I appreciate them hence building that customer loyalty. A perfect example is a client of ours who often takes his car to the racetrack for some weekend fun. A few months ago after one of his track outings, he brought us the car back and I noticed as I was putting it back in storage that the shift knob (shift lever) was a bit loose. The next time he picked up his car he realized the shifter had been fixed and when he realized we had been the ones who fixed it he was beyond happy to know that we care for his vehicles just as much as he does. By simply tightening one screw, I could show this customer that we appreciate him keeping his cars with us, which drives customer loyalty in our business.

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.

My automotive passion began when I was a young kid watching my dad work on cars and passing him tools until I finally was old enough to work on them. From there, learning how to drive was a priority and once I got my license, it solidified this long-growing passion for automotive. Moving forward in life, I always dreamt of finding a way to combine what I love with the ability to make a living. I dedicated myself to finding jobs that allowed me to do so. I started as a valet attendant in high school and early college. While in college, I participated in several automotive events, leading to my first automotive internship in collector vehicle market analysis. My second automotive internship was in manufacturer purchasing until I graduated and became Assistant Manager of Hagerty Garage + Social.

Hagerty Garage + Social serves as a hub for car enthusiasts all over the nation. Our goal is to foster the car community by offering storage options, organizing fun and distinctive social events, and linking collectors to mechanics, detailers, and marketplaces for their vehicles.

Some say I am lucky to have found what I consider a dream job, but I tell them luck is the crossroad between hard work and opportunity. I persisted and chased every opportunity to do what I love.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

In our industry of providing a niche, need-based, concierge and luxury service, one of the most important ways to grow clientele is being available when your clients need you. It usually takes some strategizing to figure out where your target clients are but as a car enthusiast, this becomes a bit easier for me to navigate. The first half of growing clientele is being familiar with the industry and the expectation; The second half is surpassing the expectations. As a car enthusiast, I understand how I expect my car to be taken care of as well as how I would like to be treated if I was a potential customer. By meeting these expectations not only do our customers feel comfortable with us and our business but they encourage their friends and spread the word of how good we are which turns into more business for us.

How do you keep in touch with clients (members) and foster brand loyalty?

At Hagerty Garage + Social, cars are the backbone, and it’s easy to connect over that. There is always something interesting to admire, an event to look forward to, and collectors and enthusiasts to engage with. From global luxury brands to Miami favorites, we emphasize collaboration to keep the activations fresh, unique, and varied to cater to our diverse member and collector base. We foster loyalty and community by keeping it fun, convenient, and reliable by extending our members’ access to the vast experiences and services in the Hagerty ecosystem.

The nature of the storage business keeps us connected and anticipating our member’s needs. We coordinate with preferred transport, detailers, and body shops, assisting with special requests. Our members can store and forget or hang out in the clubhouse, meet in a private workspace, attend a special drive, launch, or watch party. Whether it’s for an event, a joyride, or to change an accessory on their stored car, members come by the garage, allowing us to know and serve them well.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.garageandsocial.com/location/miami/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/garageandsocial/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garageandsocial/

Image Credits
Rad, @iamradskillz