The first time I walked through the doors at Lester Glenn as an employee, I was already dubbed the “New” Ryan. You see in the short time the Social Media job has been here, it was filled by the very capable “Old” or “Original” Ryan. Part of me wonders if they hired me just so they wouldn’t have to remember the new guys name.
My first day was full of excitement and nervousness of the unknown. I had just left a small company of nine to go to a company of over 250 employees. As I walked up to the service door entrance I was greeted with a smile and hello by a few sales employees, as well as the receptionist as I made my way to the front desk. I knew the feel as a customer of Lester Glenn having bought my car here only a few months before, but this time I was there as an employee. I asked the receptionist where to go for the new employee orientation. She politely directed me upstairs.
One of the first co-workers I met was Sylvia, one of the bookkeepers. She took on the job of ensuring that all new employees that day completed the training program and filled out the proper paperwork. The paperwork was a lot more than expected but Sylvia walked us through everything that needed to be done with encouraging words and a smile on her face the whole time.
After the training and paperwork, it was off to the office I will be spending a good majority of my time in. I am convinced my manager, Chris, is part Eskimo. The office is kept cold, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. I made a very quick mental note to bring a fleece in the next day. Chris introduced me to Stacy, Kyle and Joe, whom I would be sharing the office with, and then Chris showed me what projects were in the works and gave me an idea of what was expected of my position. After a bit of familiarizing myself with the programs and researching ideas, the day came quickly to an end and my first day came to a close.
I know a lot of friends that say their first day was something they will never forget. For me, it was a day of uncertainty met with a sense of home. Everyone I had met made it feel like I had been here for years. I am one of the few customers that gets to not only experience the high regard this company has for its customers, but also the respect and appreciation Lester Glenn Auto Group has for its employees, no matter if they have been there for years or in my case hours.
We have been putting together virtual “walk arounds” to show you certain popular models that Lester Glenn Auto Group sells. Please watch as Stan Goldinger (star sales professional) displays the all new redesigned 2010 Buick Lacrosse. We hope you enjoy and come for a test drive in person!
There’s a coat rack next to the refrigerator in my office. Yes, my current office has a fridge. It’s technically the lunch room as well, which I don’t mind because I love the people I work with. Anyway, back to the coat rack.
Lester Glenn Auto Group has been in this particular building since 1956, which was year one of the business. I wouldn’t be surprised by the following two possibilities:
1. The coat rack has been here since 1956
2. The coat rack has not been used since 1956
If the coat rack could talk, what would it tell us about the past 50+ years? Would it tell stories of salespeople who’ve come and gone? Of good times? Of hard times? Although this has little to do with Lester Glenn’s usual business, I’d like to honor the coat rack with the following poem. The spoken word was provided by Bill “T.S”. Mallek, a Lester Glenn employee/poet who shares my appreciation for the little things.
It was a moment of clarity when following a dangerous storm, Dorothy, in ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ realized things were no longer the same. This must have been a similar experience for Joan and Gene, two sisters that came from far away to test drive a Subaru during a torrential downpour. “We went looking on the internet to see who had cars available to test drive,” Joan said to me. Lester Glenn happens to have one of the largest inventory of Subarus on on the East Coast; large enough to leave Kansas (or Brooklyn) for a road trip to Toms River, NJ. Without lights, computers or phone service, Mr. Handy, a Subaru salesman at Lester Glenn, connected with Joan and Gene in such a way that you have to have to see it to believe it. Watch the video below!
Two guys; a pair of microphones. The attending crowd is here for their favorites: Frank Sinatra, The Beach Boys and the Lester Glenn theme song. Since 1956, Lester Glenn has built a solid reputation sprinkled with local fame in the Ocean County area. So much so that this duo at Artisan’s in Toms River rocks out to the Lester Glenn theme song by request.
“Give it to the new guy,” suggested a receptionist. “Are you ready?” Jerry asked. “Ready for what?” I replied. “It’s a challenge. And everyone so far has failed,” Jerry answered.
Jerry is a salesman at our GM/Buick dealership. He’s been here for quite a while; long enough to amuse himself at the expense of others. I took the Jerry Challenge my first week as an employee. Needless to say, I failed. But failing is winning and winning is failing because it’s not really a challenge. Nor is it a riddle. Rather, it’s a practical joke disguised as an intellectual battle between man and beast.
The challenge was so amusing, we decided to make it bigger. So we dared our fans on Facebook to come in to take the challenge. Win or lose, we gave the first person to come in $100 gift cards to an Italian Specialities Market. Enter Joanne.
Joanne’s daughter follows us on Facebook and heard about the Jerry Challenge, so she convinced her mother to come in. “I’m here for the Jerry Challenge,” she said with a print-out her daughter provided. Camera in hand, we documented our first ever internet-driven contest. Click here to see Joanne take the Jerry Challenge.
“These two hooks ain’t gonna do it,” said one of the crew members. For the Big Man, who is a General Manager at Lester Glenn Auto Group, defeat is not an option. “It’s going up! Now pull!” The Big Man leads his men in raising a 20 by 40 foot flag on the front lawn of Lester Glenn’s new Mazda/Subaru/Hyundai dealership. The weight from the flag sways the group back and forth. And then… lift off! “It’s like a parasail,” said the Big Man. A massive flag that can be seen throughout Toms River. A reminder of where we are and where we’ve been: America. And we’re proud to be a part of it. Click here to watch the raising of the flag!
Have you heard our Lester Glenn radio commercials? If so, you may have heard Adam (the head honcho) and John (GM at Toms River Hyundai) going back and forth over our most recent promotion. We thought it was a good idea to take the audio from one of our radio spots and put images to it. This is the first of possibly more “Lester Dub-Overs”. Click here to see it yourself.
“Please throw me a ball!” screamed every little kid at Seaside’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade. This year, we decided to throw Lester Glenn beach balls. Although tossing beach balls while zoom zooming in a new Mazda was a great idea, it was also last-minute. The air pump averaged 4 minutes a ball and doing it manually was a dizzying experience. The Enforcer, who is the Corporate Comptroller at Lester Glenn Auto Group, her niece and I did our best, making sure as many kids as possible got a beach ball. Old-fashioned cars, officers, giant dogs, people in green, and of course… men in skirts. Thank you, Seaside, for having us! We’ll see you next year! Click here to see the Lester Glenn St. Patty’s Day video!
