“We are extremely proud here at Joe Morgan Honda of this accomplishment for six years in a row and invite you to experience for yourself the advantage of doing business with an award-winning Honda dealership,” said Dick Lange, Joe Morgan Honda’s general manager.
“It’s very unusual for a new dealership to win the President’s Award,” said general manager Dick Lange. “We were lucky.”
Consistent management is key to a dealership’s success, Lange said.
“Our stores help each other out. There is pride on both ends. Voss Honda wants to continue its winning streak – it’s won the President’s Award 20 years in a row – and Joe Morgan Honda wants to catch up. There is definitely competition with our sister store,” he added.
Joe Morgan understandably is proud of his dealership’s achievements.
“The employees are the secret. They know they represent me. I don’t want somebody coming to the ballpark saying they didn’t get treated fairly at Joe Morgan Honda. … I’ve had thousands of compliments. I attribute this to the employees, the people I was able to hire when I first started,” he said.
Like his employees, the former Cincinnati Reds second basement genuinely enjoys meeting people.
“I think my dealership shows that. … Every business I have owned has been customer-service oriented. I enjoy doing what I do. The guys say I come in, shake hands and kiss babies,” he laughed.
Morgan said he enjoys coming to the dealership, sitting in his office and leaving his door open so employees, customers and fans can come by to say hello.
That “open door policy” is something former Reds manager Sparky Anderson taught him, he claimed.
“Sparky Anderson’s door was always open. He said, ‘You can always come in here and talk to me. … I do appreciate that because our guys come in and talk. I like to think I’m approachable,” Morgan said.
Taking college courses in business was one thing, he added, but running businesses is a lesson in reality, and an auto dealership in particular.
“People are the business. The people are what make that business successful. I’ve learned that even more than I did before. I learn something every day.
“And every time I’m with John Voss, Greg Stout, Dick Lange and others, I learn. I’m kind of a sponge. I tell them, ‘If there’s anything you want to know about what happens on a baseball field, I feel like I can answer that.’”
Owning the dealership has been a “fun experience, but nothing replaces baseball,” Morgan said. “But this has been very, very rewarding for me. When we won the President’s Award again this year, I told somebody it was about the people. When I won my MVP award with Cincinnati, it was about Bench, Rose, Perez and the other guys helping me. Here I have different Benches and Roses, but it’s the same thing. They are the ones who make me look good.”
To qualify for the President’s Award, a dealership must meet all award criteria and fully achieve its new-vehicle sales objective. Joe Morgan Honda received the President’s Award trophy from Roger Quandt, American Honda Motor Co. Inc., Central Zone parts and service manager, on May 16.
Joe Morgan Honda, located off State Route 63 at 176 Garver Road, Monroe, carries the Accord, Civic, Fit, Insight and Clarity passenger cars; CR-V, HR-V, Passport and Pilot sport-utility vehicles; Ridgeline pickup; and Odyssey minivan. It also has a full-service department, parts department and award-winning collision center. For more information about Joe Morgan Honda, call 513-360-2700.
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