Photography by related images photography
CENTURY BMW
Declared a Center of Excellence for the second year in a row – a designation that ranks it in the top five percent of all BMW dealerships in the country. Century BMW has experienced an epic turn-around. From ranking last in customer service, the BMW dealership has been declared a Center of Excellence for the second year in a row – a designation that ranks it in the top five percent of all BMW dealerships in the country. And it only took two years. How did they do it? General Manager Chad Domonoske says it’s simple enough: “We turned it around by taking care of our customers, making sure they were happy when they came in, happy with the service. And we got involved in the community.” Chad is part of a team of managers brought in from Houston to oversee changes at the ailing dealership. Owned by Sonic Automotive Group, Century BMW is one of more than 100 dealerships nationwide that have benefited from the parent company’s mission to be the best place to work and shop. Employees are such a significant part of the recipe for success that Chad has trained at several outstanding US companies – the Ritz Carlton and Disney World – to study how these companies treat and retain employees. At Century BMW, the managers are evaluated annually by the employees; hiring the right employees and retaining them is a job requirement. The hiring process is slow and thorough, with many interviews and complete background checks. “You can’t build a good store and a good culture if you’re losing 92
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people,” says Chad, who reports that the employee turn-over rate has decreased from 60 percent to under 25 percent. The new car business has doubled, and the pre-owned car business has more than doubled. The service department now ranks at the top in the industry. Century BMW has reached out to the community, participating in the American Cancer Society’s Moonlight and Magnolias Ball this year, and donating to many other non-profits. Chad worked his way up through sales, finance and management at other Sonic Automotive Dealerships in Houston. He was promoted to general manager after Tommy Kuronoff returned to Houston to lead another Sonic Automotive Dealership. For Chad, the move has been a good one. “Greenville is such a clean, safe town, and it’s beautiful. We love it here,” Chad says of his wife and three-year-old daughter. “We look forward to many great years here.”
2934 Laurens Rd., Greenville century-bmw.com | 864.234.6437
Behind The Counter
3/27/15 10:14 PM