Dealer: Dustin Walters

Dealership group: Friendship Family of Dealerships

Full-time employees: 32

General Manager Brandon Caldwell on lessons from the pandemic about being a better employer:
“We are in a era where things can change so quickly, and being able to have extra patience with our team members allows for us to better serve them and support them, as well as reminding them we are a family.”

Caldwell on changing hiring and training because of the pandemic:
“We have implemented social distancing during these processes, as well as requiring team members to wear masks and cleaning high-contact areas more frequently. We also check team members’ temperatures when they enter the dealership. We have also increased using Zoom meetings and conference calls to help lessen face-to-face contact.”

Caldwell on how the accelerated shift to digital retail changed staffing strategy:
“We have trained our more ‘traditional’ salespeople to be able to handle more online traffic. We have given them some extra tools and guidance to allow them to be successful for any customers that prefer to handle the sale digitally.”

Caldwell on making work schedules more balanced or flexible:
“We offer a four-day workweek, with the salesperson working 10 hours each day. For some team members, this works better for their work-life balance during the pandemic and eases their mind, knowing that they are still full time and have that flexibility.”