| Cortese Automotive Group: Family Affair |
| Automotive | |
| Friday, 30 November 2007 | |
 Patrick Cortese details how he built one of New York’s most successful car dealerships. The general manager appreciated Cortese’s enthusiasm but was reluctant to hire a kid without any sales experience. After a month of pestering, the GM finally caved. Cortese became a salesman by title, but in practice, he had little luck selling anything.  Patrick Cortese It wasn’t until Cortese relaxed, brought his love of cars to the sales transaction, and focused on making the buying experience fun and exciting for the customer that he sold his first Pontiac. Cortese found his sales groove, customers responded, and the rapid rise began. Within two years, the kid was promoted to a management position, and in 1972 he became general manager at nearby Scotty Dodge. By 1975 he was a partner in the business, and then in 1977 he bought out his partner to create Pat Cortese Dodge—his first dealership. Today, there are five Dodge, Ford, Lincoln/Mercury, and Mitsubishi dealerships in the Cortese Automotive Group, more than 200 employees, and the company is generating an estimated $75 million in annual revenue. “I started out with nothing and built this business by making the buying experience fun and providing the best customer service,” Cortese said. “There is an atmosphere we’ve created at our dealerships that customers recognize the minute they walk in the door. It’s a great place to work and a great place to buy a car.” Like father like son Cortese wasn’t the only member of the family to get his start in the business washing cars. When Pat’s son, John, was 13 years old, he spent his summer scrubbing Dodge cars and trucks on his father’s lot. And like father like son, that was just the beginning. Each summer after that, John would return to the dealership and try his hand at a different job, from lot attendant to sales to service. After graduating from high school, John took to the business full time. By the time he was 20 years old, he had worked in every department and was promoted to used car manager. Just five years later, he was named general manager of one of his father’s dealerships. “We had an opening, and I decided to give him a shot,” Pat said. “He jumped in with both feet and really did a great job. As his father, it was wonderful to see.” Today, Pat and John Cortese are partners in the family business—and a family business it is. Pat’s second wife, his two daughters, and their husbands all play major roles within the company. Pat even has a nephew that’s worked at Cortese Auto Group for 27 years. “It’s a big family affair,” Pat said. “All of my children are involved in the business, and they’ve all done a marvelous job. It’s been a joy to work with them.” Having so many members of the Cortese family involved in the business has allowed Pat’s philosophy of fun and customer service to flourish. It’s allowed Cortese Auto Group to establish something that is foreign to many in the business: culture. Everyone in the company, from sales to service to the business office, believes in and actively works to make the dealerships fun, stress-free places to buy cars. The companion piece to the company’s culture is a dedication to developing and retaining employees. Go through the ranks, and you’ll find many of the employees that started at Pat Cortese Dodge are still with Cortese Auto Group today. “People tell us all the time that we’re not like any other car dealership,” Pat said. “Walk in, and you’ll see people smiling, laughing, and enjoying the experience. We strive to make the car buying experience what it should be—a joy.” Proof Saying your dealership is a great place to buy a car is easy. Proving it is another matter. But as a Five Star dealership, as defined by Chrysler/Dodge, and a Blue Oval dealer, as defined by Ford, Cortese Auto has all the proof it needs. To earn the title of Five Star, dealerships must meet specific requirements set by Chrysler in the areas of customer satisfaction, employee training, and customer follow-up. A Five Star dealer must follow up with every single sales and service customer to ensure they are completely satisfied. Blue Oval certified dealerships must be committed to Ford’s highest standards of customer satisfaction. As Ford says, Blue Oval certification isn’t given, it’s something a dealership has to earn. In achieving both of these milestones, the entire family at Cortese Auto has established itself as one of the premier dealers in the nation. “Whether we’re selling a new or used car or providing service, we treat all of our customers like we would want to be treated,” Pat said. “When we provide that great sales or service experience, customers feel like they’re a part of the Cortese Auto family. It’s how we do business, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.” |
|
| < Previous Story | Next Story > |
|---|
© 2008 American Executive - RedCoat Publishing. All rights reserved.
American Executive is a RedCoat Publishing publication.
American Executive is a RedCoat Publishing publication.
