Sustaining a dealership at the top of a competitive market requires more than volume. For Antione Burks, General Manager of Mac Haik Chevrolet, it comes down to building a culture where employees understand expectations, remain open to coaching and work to improve every single day.
During today’s CBT Live segment, Burks discusses the store’s six consecutive years as Houston’s No. 1 Chevrolet dealer by volume and how the dealership uses technology to enhance, rather than replace, its people.
According to Burks, Mac Haik Chevrolet looks for employees whose values fit the organization and who are willing to be coached and improve. Employees are given clear daily expectations, while high-performing salespeople earn greater autonomy. Burks says the goal is to make everyone “1% better each day” rather than allowing individual performance to come at the expense of the broader team.
Since Mac Haik Chevrolet uses AI in areas like CRM follow-up, service-drive engagement, vehicle acquisition, and customer touchpoints, Burks notes that the dealership evaluates technology based on whether it fits its culture and processes and whether it improves productivity. Simultaneously, he emphasizes that customers still want knowledgeable people who can answer questions and guide them through the purchase process.
Nevertheless, Burks says Mac Haik Chevrolet adopted transparent pricing more than two years ago because the dealership didn’t want customers to arrive with one expectation and encounter something different in the store. He also credits the decision not to charge above sticker during the inventory shortage with helping the dealership turn inventory faster, receive more vehicles from the factory and widen its volume lead.
