Quality customer service is fundamental at Currie Motors Ford of Valpo. When someone walks into the dealership, their team’s goal is to ensure they walk out satisfied no matter what. General Sales Manager, Mike Davis, is responsible for preserving that experience and coordinating a crew of knowledgeable, compassionate, and trustworthy salespeople.
Davis, who joined the Currie Motors Ford of Valpo team a little over eight years ago, was tapped for his current role in February of this year. He’d been serving as Finance Director for both Valparaiso Currie Motors locations, but returning General Manager, Leo Sfikas, understood the former salesman’s talent for working with customers and wanted him in charge of sales – the backbone of any car dealership.
“In addition to overseeing finance, I oversee the whole sales experience now,” Davis noted. “Leo’s the one who trained me when I first started here as a salesman. His process and emphasis on customer care are what shaped me, and it’s what I think stands out about Currie Motors Ford of Valpo – our emphasis on service after the sale.”
Davis is responsible for managing every aspect of a customer’s sales experience from when they first walk through the door to when they are returning months or years later for service or repairs. That starts with hiring the right people.
“We want people that are upbeat, enthusiastic, and willing to learn,” he explained. “Vehicles are generally the second biggest purchase of someone’s life, so we want our team to be able to provide a very high-level experience and know the product inside and out. It also means they need to be personable and responsible.”
On a day-to-day level, a lot of Davis’ work involves supporting his team minute by minute. He helps them sort through the dealership’s inventory or find numbers that they might need. He also works with Ford when they drop by the dealership and keeps track of the store’s finances. It’s a busy job, but Davis appreciates that it keeps him on his toes.
“No day is really the same, but that’s also part of why I like it,” he said. “Every day is something new.”
Davis loves his job and loves Ford, but his favorite part of working at Currie Motors Ford of Valpo is the people that he works with.
“I really enjoy how we interact and have fun throughout the day,” he said with a smile. ”It doesn’t feel like work since we’re having fun while we’re doing it. We all get along well.”
Having been with the dealership for close to a decade now, Davis often bumps into customers he has helped out in his previous roles.
“Just this week while a customer was buying a vehicle, she saw me and said, ‘You sold me a car!’” he reminisced. “I said, ‘Yeah, it was a silver Expedition!’ It was actually one of my last sales as a salesman. It was a cool moment.”
Davis remembered one interaction he had with a customer that highlighted why high-quality customer service is so essential – because when you treat a customer right, they return that loyalty and kindness right back to you.
“Back when I was in finance, I spoke with a customer who’d been buying vehicles from one of our salesmen at the time, Rick, for about 30 years,” he recalled. “He said he’d been buying vehicles from Rick since 1992, almost as long as I’d been alive. Those kinds of interactions are great to see.”
When he's not working, Davis enjoys spending time with his wife. Together, they've been working on their golf games at the city’s courses.
To learn more about Currie Motors Ford of Valpo, visit fordofvalpo.com.
