40 Under 40

Dale Haines is not the kind of guy who easily gets rattled when dealing with an angry customer, reeling in a giant marlin in the Gulf of Mexico or smacking a tough golf shot.

Tumultuous changes are coming to Jaguar, one of the brands his store sells. In just 18 months, all of Jag's models will fade away and be replaced by three all-new and very expensive electric vehicles that compete with Bentley, Aston Martin and upper-end Mercedes models.

Decades of experience with the current lineup and relationships with loyal customers will be tested like never before. But Haines has a blueprint he's sure will work. He obsesses over customer satisfaction. He is determined that no customer leaves his store unless they have a good experience — even if it costs money.

Haines relies on three things to make that happen: empowering his employees, constant learning and timely communication with customers.

Each of his employees is authorized to ensure no customer has a negative experience after they answer these three questions: Is it good for the customer? Is it good for me? Is it good for the store? Haines said if the answer is yes, the employee can do whatever they believe is right to turn a negative experience into a positive one.

That strategy has led to explosive growth in the store's profits and customer satisfaction ratings.

Haines views the massive change coming to the Jaguar brand as another opportunity to continue his mission of satisfying customers at his Boerne, Texas, store.

"It's exciting. We've got a whole new opportunity to impress. On the fixed ops side, we're still going to have internal combustion engine cars to fix for the foreseeable future. The EV side brings an exciting new chapter," he said.

Haines, an avid golfer and fisherman, is a flexible manager who often changes plans based on how the day unfolds. The guiding principle: keeping customers happy. "Staying focused is pretty simple. It's based on urgency. If it is important and urgent, it gets my time. We plan out the day as best we can. Whenever we get a curveball, we adjust and we make a new plan," he said.

— Richard Truett