Six Sigma is a famous business process that builds excellent organizations. Business excellence seems harder to come by as technology wraps around us more each day.
Marcus Withers of Withers Automotive LLC does not like it. He likes to look at adding one more Sigma and never looking back when he thinks of what he wants to build. More importantly, his business delivers excellence because his name is on the door.
Withers started three years ago in his first auto dealership with a stack of legacy complaints that seemed a milehigh. He ended up becoming friends with what seemed like half the staff in the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office. One by one Wither’s fixed the problems and now the in box for complaints is empty, the way Withers likes it.
“Business process starts with that first interaction and moves step by step to the sale of a vehicle, which for most of our customers is the first or second largest purchase they will make in their lifetime.” Withers finds that every customer who is treated well does two things; tell the digital world and the manufacturer that they are happy and refer friends and family and everyone to us to buy cars.
Customer satisfaction with products and services has been getting worse over time. The aptly named National Customer Rage Survey found that 74% of customers had an issue with a product or service in 2022. Since 1976, that number has more than doubled. Withers sees this as a great prospect for his organization, “We know how to be an added value to our buyer and our service customer. The worse the world gets, the more we see opportunities to excel”
Marcus Withers has seen the issue progress over the years he’s been in business. The Louisville, Kentucky-based entrepreneur and philanthropist with over 30 years of experience in industries ranging from entertainment and hospitality to real estate and automotive has also seen it get worse lately. And while it might be all too easy to chalk it up to a change of generations, fixing the issue would require a more constructive approach.
“I want to be a leader,” Withers notes. “ We show our employees how important they are, sending them to learn
more, giving them tools to connect better, and empowering each of them to build a business inside the Withers organization so they feel like they are the hero of their business story. We stand behind them and are out in front generating the best opportunities for them to build our business to its potential.”
Withers’ style, for example, emphasizes his strong communication skills. When the business must strive for excellence — and Withers is constantly searching for excellence — being clear with expectations and instructions can be the best way to foster an open and transparent workplace.
“Something as simple as going to check on the people in the line or going to the one who’s placing the order and telling them it’s my pleasure to serve you,” he explains. “Simple things like that make me tick because everything else falls in line if you do that. You’re not going to have an issue with customer retention. You’re not going to have a problem with customer acquisition.”
“Family always comes first for me, my wife, and our three kids,” Withers explains. “That’s what drives me and keeps me focused, the idea of building a legacy for them to continue if they choose.” Withers adds, “I will not rest until the business is large enough, strong enough and positioned to last forever. Generational wealth is harvested from the seeds of excellence and the care and attention of leadership over the cycles and challenges that business will always face.”
His idea of putting people first and giving back to the community has helped Withers build quite a legacy to pass on to the next generation. Withers Automotive serves people from Lawrenceburg and the surrounding area when they need a car from one of Chrysler’s brands. He’ll soon have another one in Salem, Indiana. Through his real estate dealings, Withers has worked on building affordable housing. And that’s not nearly all.