Bought by George Whiteman in 1972, back before the first national gas crunch, the station evolved with the market by adding a convenience store.
"(But) it's ongoing," laughs Doug Whiteman, who took over for his father about 20 years ago. "Every week when I come in on Monday morning, there's something new, like the (increased) reliability of cars and dealerships being a lot more aggressive toward this part of the market."Whiteman also focused on his front office.
"We try to do everything a dealer's doing, only better," he says. "When you walk in here, you are greeted with a smile. You are not told to hang on, it's clean, and we have a TV, video games and toys for kids. The first impression is so important; if you can make a friend and build trust, the rest of the game is easy. I will put as many people as I need to in that front room during the drop-off period between 8 and 10 (a.m.) to take care of customers so that they are not waiting. That's real important to me and something I learned from my dad."Whiteman likes to relate the story of how when one of his old customers got sick, his service writer Heather took lunch to her.
"Obviously, we didn't make any money there," he explains. "But I think over the years that is what my dad instilled in me, besides being honest and warranting the work."
About the Author
Robert Bravender
Robert Bravender graduated from the University of Memphis (TN) with a bachelor's degree in film and video production. Now working at Masters TV, he produces Motorhead Garage with longtime how-to guys Sam Memmolo and Dave Bowman. Bravender has edited a magazine for the National Muscle Car Association, a member-based race organization, which in turn lead to producing TV shows for ESPN, the Outdoor Life Network and Speedvision. He has produced shows ranging from the Mothers Polish Car Show Series to sport compact racing to Street Rodder TV.