Dealer Highlight: Justin Akin On Building A Culture And Exceeding Expectations
Justin Akin is on a mission. And it’s not just to sell cars. It’s to help people, whether it’s the vacationer who broke down while driving through St. Louis or it’s a cancer patient in desperate need of a bone marrow transplant. It’s Justin’s way of giving back to a community who tried so hard to help him and his family in their hour of need.
And while building a successful dealership with Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep and Ram is all well and good, it’s this mission to help people that really drives him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjVQqfs5Ca4&t=2s
WHAT PATH DID YOU TAKE TO GET INTO THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY?
In 2002, my wife and I were living in Dallas, TX, both working for advertising agencies. I was on the American Airlines and Dr. Pepper accounts while she was on Coors Light. My father-in-law, Vince Capatosta, flew into town and asked me if I was interested in moving to St. Louis to eventually take over his Dodge dealership, Westport Dodge. His business partner at the time was concerned of how the Internet was going to change the business and wanted out. So, my wife and I moved to St. Louis and I started working in the Body Shop office before I moved to the Service, Parts and then the Sales Department. In 2006, we moved the dealership, picked up the Chrysler and Jeep brands and changed our name to All Star Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram. At that point, I became the General Manager and then the co-owner with my father-in-law.
HOW DOES YOUR DEALERSHIP’S STAFF WORK TOGETHER TO SOLVE PROBLEM AND TACKLE OBSTACLES?
Communication is key. This business is very unique in that the Sales, Service and Parts Departments are all very different business models, but work hand in hand on a daily basis and are very reliant upon each other. We have a great team of managers here at the dealership who work well with each other and are willing to jump in when obstacles arise and handle them quickly.
WHAT’S THE BEST PART ABOUT BEING IN THE MISSOURI AUTO INDUSTRY?
I love being able to help people. Whether it is seeing the smile on the face of a customer accepting the delivery of their dream vehicle or fixing a broken-down vehicle for a customer driving through St. Louis while on vacation. This business provides many opportunities to exceed customers’ expectations and make their day better.
HOW INVOLVED IS YOUR DEALERSHIP IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY?
My wife and I run a foundation in memory of our sons out of our dealership. We lost Matthew, age 5, and Andrew, age 2, to an immune disorder called Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis, also known as HLH. Between them, they underwent four bone marrow transplants spread out over three years. Since 2010, we’ve held two blood drives at our dealership every year and have now collected 620 units of blood for the American Red Cross. We’ve also held yearly bone marrow drives at the dealership where we’ve been able to get hundreds of people on the Be The Match bone marrow registry. From those drives, numerous people have gotten the call to donate their marrow and save someone’s life. We even know of one person who got on the registry at one of our drives and ultimately saved the life of a baby with Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis. Most of our employees donate blood at our drives and many have gotten on the bone marrow registry. I like providing this opportunity for our employees to give back and help others in need.
WHAT’S CHANGED IN THE AUTO INDUSTRY SINCE YOU STARTED?
I think it would actually be easier to answer, “What hasn’t changed?” because almost everything has changed since I started in this business in 2002. The Internet and technology are the primary driving forces of that change and it is more important than ever to constantly educate yourself and adapt quickly. The quote, “if you’re not moving forward, you’re falling back” has never been more applicable than it is today. Customers are now purchasing vehicles through our website and we’re delivering those vehicles without the customer ever stepping foot in the dealership. Through our All Star Valet Service, we’re picking customers’ vehicles up at their homes or businesses, repairing them at our dealership and then delivering the vehicle back to them. Our Parts Department now ships out over 2,000 orders per month to locations all across the United States from sales generated through our online parts store. When my father-in-law and his partner purchased the dealership 40 years ago, I don’t think they could have ever imagined the business turning into what it is today.
DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR SOMEONE LOOKING TO JOIN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY?
The dealership environment offers a vast array of jobs. I think it is important to realize what type of job is best for you and matches your personality. There are a lot of success stories of employees who started in entry level positions at dealerships and worked their way up to being an owner. As long as you have an eagerness to learn and a willingness to work hard, there is no ceiling to how successful you can be in this business.
WHAT ABOUT YOUR DEALERSHIP MAKES YOU THE MOST PROUD?
I’m most proud of the culture we’ve created. Our mission statement is, “to be an honest and passionate family-oriented company where fun and innovation come together to build long term relationships,” and I think we’re accomplishing our mission. I want our employees to have fun at work and enjoy their jobs. We spend a lot of time at the dealership, and I want our employees to be happy. My hope is that our customers can sense and experience the culture we have at our dealership which ultimately provides them with the best sales or service experience they have ever received.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CAR OF ALL TIME?
While I was in college at the University of Texas, I owned my first Jeep Wrangler. Some of my favorite memories are driving around Austin in the early ’90s with my friends and the top off that Wrangler.
WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU CAN GIVE TO A CONSUMER MAKING THEIR FIRST CAR PURCHASE?
It is important to purchase a vehicle within your budget and you’re going to want to keep for a number of years. This is a big purchase, so educate yourself to make sure you’re buying the vehicle that is going to meet the needs for your everyday life. Too often, we see consumers who want to trade a vehicle and purchase a different one within the first year because the monthly payment is a little more than they can handle or the vehicle is either too big or too small for their needs.
WHICH VEHICLE SERVICE REPAIR DO YOU FEEL IS MOST ESSENTIAL TO YOUR VEHICLE’S LONGEVITY?
The most essential repair is an oil change for your vehicle. We see way too many vehicles where the customer has neglected this simple service and is now facing major repair costs which could have been avoided.
WHAT’S THE BIGGEST LESSON YOU’VE LEARNED IN YOUR CAREER?
The number one thing I have learned is that it is all about the people. The key is to hire the best people possible and provide them with the vision and tools necessary to be successful in their jobs. I wish I had learned this lesson much earlier in my career.
TELL US AN IMPORTANT STORY OR MEMORY DURING YOUR TIME AT THE DEALERSHIP.
Our son Andrew was diagnosed with HLH in 2007, just weeks after he was born. In an effort to find a match for him on the national bone marrow registry, we held our first bone marrow drive at our dealership. It was very heartwarming seeing hundreds of our employees, customers, vendors, friends, etc… all coming to the dealership for a simple swab of their cheek to see if they could possibly save my son’s life. None of the people who joined the registry that day were a match for Andrew but a few were matches for other patients in need of a bone marrow transplant who were battling cancer or an immune deficiency. Ultimately, the dealership was a “vehicle” that day that helped us save lives.
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