A focus on transparency, training, and convenience is helping dealerships thrive in a market where customer expectations are rapidly shifting. On today’s episode of Training Camp, Jeremy Soileau, managing partner at Bolton Auto Group, shares how his team is elevating the customer experience through transparency and servant leadership.
The Bolton Auto Group is having an excellent 2025. This year, they acquired a Volkswagen store in Lake Charles. Soileau will primarily operate out of the new location and has reassigned several long-standing employees to ensure it aligns with Bolton’s culture and processes.
Retail automotive is a rapidly changing industry, with each year bringing new challenges and changing customer expectations. After the pandemic, Soileau noticed that customers increasingly demand transparency and flexibility. To meet these needs, he encourages dealers to invest in technology that simplifies transactions and to incorporate mobile service options that increase customer convenience.
The Bolton group implemented new platforms, such as Tekion DMS, DriveCentric and Vincue, to make the transactions smoother. To further enhance the customer experience, they began independently offering Service Pickup & Delivery and mobile service at their Ford location before the OEM rolled out its official program. Today, Bolton Ford ranks as the No. 2 Pickup & Delivery dealer in the U.S. for Ford, completing an average of 700 Service Pickup & Delivery transactions per month. The service has generated over $500,000 in gross revenue so far, and the dealership’s CSI has grown exponentially. For dealers who prefer to start with a single option, Soileau recommends starting with Service Pickup & Delivery.
"We really embraced the fact that we saw an opportunity that we felt like we could give a customer a better experience without coming into the dealership."
Regarding digital retailing, the Bolton group will deliver vehicles to any location within the United States. Despite offering this convenience, the dealership has not seen many transactions start and finish online without human interaction.
Soileau encourages his team to treat every customer experience as if they were working at the Ritz-Carlton, renowned for its superb service. This includes paying attention to all details and consistently putting the customer first.
The most successful professionals continuously invest in themselves and maintain structure and discipline. Soileau credits his own success to a structured morning routine that starts at 5 a.m. Motivated by his two sons, he spends that time with them before school, making it a non-negotiable part of his day.
At the dealership, the Bolton team begins its day with a 15-minute meeting. These brief sessions establish clarity, allow team members to communicate their needs and ensure alignment across the organization.
He continuously pushes his team to learn and grow by conducting a daily 15-minute training with the sales team. He finds that these quick activities help maintain the carefully curated dealership culture and keep his team’s energy and enthusiasm elevated.
A cornerstone of Soileau’s approach is transparency. He sees a common gap in retail automotive: processes are overly complicated and misleading. He urges dealers to handle each transaction with transparency, avoiding relying on add-ons and hidden fees when upselling to customers.
Looking ahead, Soileau and the Bolton Auto Group plan to continue driving growth by leveraging internal talent. He is committed to coaching and promoting the next generation of leaders from within the organization.
