Lee Johnson Chevrolet- Mazda strives to create a relaxing, comfortable atmosphere to help employees and customers feel at home.
"From the pictures on the walls to the coffee in the waiting room, you can feel it when you walk in."


"We want you to feel like family, and we want our staff to look forward to coming to work each day." Apparently this goal has been achieved, as nearly half of the staff has worked for the company at least 15 years. Not only is the staff at Lee Johnson’s loyal, it is also diverse. "We hire family people with multitudes of interests, and feel that being well rounded outside of the work environment helps associates relate to customers."

Fleet manager Bob Mikolasy has been a fixture at Johnson’s Kirkland dealership for 27 years. When asked why he has stayed with the company for so long, he laughed and replied, "I’m still having fun. I’ve been working with great men like Dick Meyer and Lee Johnson for all this time. Where else would I want to go?"

Many people are surprised by the honest, low-pressure sales approach at Lee Johnson Chevrolet-Mazda. "Customers have an opportunity to check out their environment without pressure, while knowing there is someone nearby if they have a question," explains Mikolasy. "When they’re ready, then our job is to ask the right questions. We learn a customer’s needs by getting to know them, and finding out what worked or didn’t work with a previous vehicle." He adds, "We want to know what they want from us. Anything from discounts to higher trade-in prices, we’ll do it if we can. It’s always about the customer."



Bob continues, "People are much more knowledgeable now than ever before. However, it is still our job to offer education and never assume what a customer knows or doesn’t know. If someone leaves here without all the pertinent information, then we haven’t done our job."

The management at Lee Johnson’s examines the buying process from the customer’s perspective. One recent improvement designed to make the buying process easier is the 24-hour test drive. "This is a program where qualified buyers trade cars with us for one day. It’s much more realistic than trying to make such a big decision based on a drive around the block. We’ve had great response," explains Bob.

The customer relationship is far from over once the sale is complete. Gratitude is expressed with a care package containing everything from calendars; to coupon books offering discounted services, and even free referral gifts. Customers also receive a follow up call to address any questions that they may have, and to request feedback for ongoing service improvements.

"We predicate our business on referrals and repeat customers," Bob says. "We don’t want to sell someone one car, we want to sell them all of their cars. We believe if a customer leaves happy, they’ll be happy with the whole buying experience. Then they’ll tell others about us."