Only a handful of Honda dealers have celebrated a golden anniversary. In March, O’Donnell Honda of Ellicott City, Maryland, joined the club.
“I started representing Honda in 1973,†says founder and owner Tom O’Donnell. “I was only the second Honda dealer in the entire state of Maryland. Since then, we’ve sold more than 100,000 vehicles.â€
We spoke with O’Donnell; his wife and senior vice president, Lynne O’Donnell; and Brian Schwenk, general manager, about what makes O’Donnell Honda special.
Tom: First and foremost, it’s our people. They are the heart and soul of O’Donnell Honda.
Brian: We have 112 employees, and more than half of them have been with us for more than 10 years. We work hard to make sure our employees know they matter to us. Everyone contributes to our success.
Lynne: We treat our employees fairly and pay them well. We acknowledge their hard work, and, in turn, they do a great job for us. When you have employees with longevity, your customers see the same people when they come back to do business. People like familiarity.
Tom: But we also have great support from Honda. I remember when we were in a small office and used to work with American Honda Finance Corporation. We’ve both grown since then, but they’ve always supported us. They’re involved in our business, and they help us do a better job for our customers.
Lynne: Tom had a GM dealership when he started with Honda, and he sold everything out of the same building. But in 1984 he decided to build a separate dealership for Honda. Since then, we’ve expanded and remodeled twice, and he divested GM in 1997 to focus on Honda. Now we have a Gen 4 showroom and a service department that handles 120 vehicles a day.
Brian: Technology has been the biggest change. Everything’s digital; we have electronic contracting, which provides funding within hours of the sale. Customers are better informed as well as savvy. They research before coming in, so they receive a quicker transaction and an overall great experience. It’s also easier for people to find us, and they’ll travel here if we have the vehicle they want.
Lynne: Our integrity and customer service. We’re transparent, and our labor rates are the most competitive in the area. There are no secrets here.
Brian: We also think long-term, beyond the sale. We’re in it for the future, and we want customers to come back to us. We don’t spend a lot on advertising. When customers have a good experience, they’ll return for service, parts and another new vehicle. They tell their family and friends. Our customer base now spans generations.
Tom: Is the customer always right? No. But we never tell them that. We just do what we can to make them happy. It might cost us a bit, but it’s an investment in our future.
