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Ever notice how you feel when you’re shopping in a place with a great company culture?
It’s obvious when culture is lacking—often customers are left feeling like an imposition to the salesperson. Who wants to shop—or even work day after day—in a place like that? But when the company culture is great, customers walk in and are greeted with sincere warmth. When the salesperson asks what brought you—the customer or client—in for a visit, he or she really seems interested in learning the reason. At Mercedes-Benz of Baton Rouge, they sincerely greet guests, “We hope you love it here as much as we do”—you see, the better their culture, the better your experience.
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When employees feel valued at their job, they are happier. Happiness radiates and shines through every interaction. This creates a memorable experience for customers, as most of us would prefer to be in a positively charged environment rather than one with mopey people who care zero about our needs or expectations. A great local example of culture in action is on display every day at Mercedes-Benz of Baton Rouge. We checked in with General Manager and Co-owner, Nick Pentas, to uncover the company’s secret to ensuring every customer experience is pleasurable.
“It is not the product you sell or service you deliver, but rather the people you care for.”
Nick Pentas
General Manager/Co-Owner Mercedes-Benz of Baton Rouge
Nick remains committed to taking care of his team because he knows how much it impacts his guests. Mercedes-Benz of Baton Rouge has several employee programs in action that create a winning culture and encourages everyone to hold their peers accountable. For example, every week employees share “Wow” stories to recognize a teammate who went above and beyond. This directly impacts the Mercedes-Benz client experience, because when people are focused on spotting the good that co-workers do, it reinforces positive behavior and creates a more positive atmosphere overall. They want to be noticed giving you the very best experience and are rewarded handsomely for doing so. Pentas gives employees $50,000 in culture prizes annually for taking care of their guests and portraying exemplary character and high integrity.
Also making an impact: An involved and accessible leadership team. Many companies have managers who hide in the back, hardly involved with their team, and even less so with their customers. The entire leadership team at Mercedes-Benz of Baton Rouge makes itself available to address any customer concern—though they are most often responding to delighted customers offering compliments about their experience and leaving 5 Star Reviews.
Mercedes-Benz of Baton Rouge
creates a culture of giving:
Johnny Mac Soldiers Fund
Hollydays with the Junior League
Dream Teachers
Time off for work with charities
Taking an active role in the community also gives a company team a more grounded perspective, connecting them personally to the city in which they live and its people. Mercedes-Benz of Baton Rouge, for example, provides its employees with one paid day per quarter to volunteer with local charities.
Personal growth is also imperative. Mercedes-Benz recognizes this and gives its employees a variety of opportunities to improve themselves:
—Fitness and Wellness contests
—Monthly Employee Appreciation Days
—Quarterly Employee team-building excursions
—Coaching and Mentoring
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—Employee engagement and feedback surveys
—Empathy for co-workers. MBOBR employees spend time learning other aspects of the business and how it impacts their guest’s experience. Understanding how very thorough and time-consuming the inspection, detail, finance and delivery processes can be helps the sales team better communicate why that process is advantageous and is worth the wait.
To learn more about—or experience—the culture Nick and his team create, simply stop by Mercedes-Benz of Baton Rouge or click here.