“ I was so excited!” says Lee Maas.“I have always liked cars. I was born in Detroit. Detroit is the automobile capital of the world. And I think everyone there felt like you had to be involved with cars. My wife and I decided that for weather and the economy, we were going to do a better job in the Sunbelt. Therefore, we chose Dallas; and it has turned out to be pretty good.”
Pretty good may be a modest statement when you factor in that this once one car showroom and single technician operation has become one of the world’s largest BMW dealers.
“We started off small,” says Maas. “And I think that once we proved to our customers that BMW was unique, we had convinced them.”
“I remember my first BMW was a 1971 S series.” Say Hansford Worline a BMW owner. “It was sharp. I remember one day I let my mother drive it and she came back and said ‘Sweetheart, I didn’t let anyone pass me’. It was absolutely incredible”.
Classic BMW which is now located on the corner of Spring Creek and the Dallas North Tollway in Plano, Texas, spans four city blocks. Since its move in March of 2007, it has increased its sales by 30% and services over 15, 000 BMW customers per year.
“There is no such thing as a slow season for us says Byron Gabriel, service advisor of BMW. “For most traditional car lots, January, April, and December are typically your high seasons. However, with the majority of our customers if they want a car, it doesn’t matter what month it is, if they can afford it, they are going to get it.”
Because of its vast customer base, like most other businesses known for its customer service, Classic ranks among the very top. Not only are customers privileged to an open juice and coffee bar along with many other refreshments and snacks while their cars are being serviced, they can also enjoy the computer facility and a 62 inch flat-screen television in the waiting area.
“I believe in discipline and when it comes to employees, we interviewee every potential employee very carefully,” says Maas. “We look at their past experiences to see if their work ethics coincides with everything our company stands for. And if it does, we bring that person on board with us. Of course he would have to be very technical and knowledgeable of our cars. Because of that, we do not have a lot of turnover. Good service doesn’t come cheap”.
“The Maas’ are very good people to work for” says Gabriel. “They take care of us. Mr. Maas is very laid back and approachable. He’s like that with us and the customers. He’s a good man”.
Although many customers are unaware what BMW actually stands for, one thing they are aware of is BMW’s quality and performance.
“The old timers over in Germany from time to time will remind you that BMW stands for Bavarian Motor Works”, says Maas. [They] started off making engines for aircrafts. Their claim to fame is their engines. And they make the best automobile engines in the world. [On our logo] The blue represents the sky and the white represents the propeller.”
Classic BMW continues to be one of the world’s best automobile companies. Superior in customer service, it’s attention to detail and unwillingness to subdue to anything less than perfection, they continue to provide its customers with a sophisticated and exciting experience.
