Automobile dealerships are considered essential businesses as Virginia grapples with the novel coronavirus epidemic, but Carter Myers Automotive’s operations are looking a little different than usual.
“Our service department is staying busy keeping first responder vehicles repaired and running,” CMA president and CEO Liza Borches said. “The sales side of the dealership is slower than normal and we asked ourselves what we could do to help our community and neighbors.”
The company established a dedicated help line and used social media and its website to offer {span}assistance to those who are elderly, have underlying health issues or simply need help getting items they need.
CMA associates are offering to help pick up up and deliver groceries and prescriptions, check on loved ones and give rides to medical appointments.{
“A lady from northern Virginia had seen our post and reached out to us because her mother in Crozet was unable to find a very specific type of milk that she needs in her diet and the Crozet stores were all out,” Borches said. “We went to Wegmans and found the milk and delivered it to Crozet with the promise to bring more every two weeks.”
The dealership also has sent associates to help with Meals on Wheels of Charlottesville-Albemarle deliveries, and to the PB&J Fund, making and delivering sandwiches.
“One of our customers needed to have a document notarized and due to banks being partially closed to walk-in lobby customers, we were happy to offer the services of a member of our accounting department,” Borches said.
In partnership with the United Way of Greater Charlottesville, CMA’s Nissan showroom has become a collection point for personal protective equipment and supplies that local providers such as dentists, are donating from their inventory. Those items are then sent to points of greatest need.
“We are willing to help in any way we can,” Borches said.
In January, CMA chose “Courage” as its 2020 word to live by. Little did they know just how much courage it would take to keep moving forward in such a precarious business world.
Borches said she sees four key elements in practicing courage: the courage to live the dealership’s mission of “Moving Lives Forward” for customers, associates and the community; courage to create trust; courage to be better tomorrow than we are today; and courage to change what is not broken by constantly planning and evaluating what business will look like in the future.
The CMA Helpline can be reached at (434) 220-8885.
Source: www.dailyprogress.com
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