Page 25 - Lets Make Waves December 2018

Community Involvement With seven popular brands, a stable employee structure, award
winning service and a 2.5-acre expansion, the future looks bright
From the day that Classic opened in January 2012, for Classic Auto Group Galveston.
Howie and his team have had a razor focus on
community involvement. Howie serves on the
board of directors for the Galveston Regional
Chamber of Commerce and on the Galveston Economic Devel-
opment board. He also is on the Chevrolet National Dealer
Council and is on the board for the Texas Automobile Dealer
Association. The hallmark of Classic Auto Group Galveston is
their dedication to supporting local schools, churches and chari-
table organizations. The dealership sponsors numerous func-
tions at the Galveston Independent School District, Lemonade
Day Galveston, U.S. Marines Toys for Tots, Meals on Wheels,
Salty Culture, The Salvation Army, Shriners Hospital, The Chil-
dren’s Center, Ronald McDonald House, Ball High School, local
softball and baseball teams as well as many other non-profit or-
ganizations. “We are proud to be a part of this great community
and enjoy every opportunity to give back,” explains Howie. Clas- Classic Chevrolet of Galveston
sic has raised well over $500k for various charities, including
$52,775 from Classic’s 5 Annual Chili Cookoff alone. The 6 th
th
Annual Chili Cookoff is scheduled for April of 2019.

Employee Retention | Professional Staff

If success can also be measured by employee ten-
ure, Classic is far above the industry norm with a
60% employee retention level for 4 or more years
at the dealership. According to Howie Bentley,
“Our goal for everyone from administration to
sales and service is to work together as team but with a high lev-
el of self-motivation. We like to give our employees the autono-
my to do their jobs to the best of their ability without micro-
managing.” Unlike most dealerships, the sales staff at Classic
writes their own deals with the customer with no running back Classic Toyota of Galveston | Team Toyota
and forth to “check with the manager”. This approach to the
sales method takes the confrontation out of process, which in
turn makes the sales experience faster, easier and completely
transparent. “The most common feedback I get from my cus-
tomers is how easy it is to buy at Classic,” says Howie. “We’ve
built a reputation in a relatively short period of time as being fair
and pressure-free.” And unlike many dealerships across the
country, Classic does not tack on high-priced dealer add-ons that
customers don’t want or need, and oftentimes do not even real-
ize what they’re paying for. “We owe so much to our community
that has been there from the very beginning welcoming us with
open arms and supporting us ever since day one. We owe a tre-
mendous amount to them for our success.”

Classic Honda of Galveston
Classic Auto Group Galveston

8020 Broadway Street
Galveston Texas 77554
409-877-1008
www.classicautogroupgalveston.com
Toyota Service Drive Toyota Service Advisor Stations
Waves Magazine | December 2018 Issue | 25