Page 120 - Cityview Jan-Feb 2017

118JANUARY FEBRUARY 2017The phrase you see on billboards and hear on television commercials is not his own; as with many other elements of the business, he chooses to delegate marketing strategy to others. But when asked to de ne “where the drive is always world class,” he notes that “world class” is part of the entire Harper experience. “The vast majority of cars I sell, they’re not toasters,” he explains. “You go into a store because you needa new toaster,” which is a practical purchase. With a luxury automobile, “the emotional appeal is di erent . . . a lot more thought-provoking.” Even his least expensive Volkswagen, he notes, is a fun car to drive. “‘The Drive is World Class’ is contingent upon how I take care of you in service through the whole ownership of that car you bought from me.”And to create that world class notion, Harper attempts to establish “an environment in the dealership that’s stress-free.” He means for it to be free of assumptions as well, where each customer is treated equally no mattertheir appearance. Harper relates astory from early in the business, wherea “big ol’ guy, bib overalls on, looked like he just come out of the mountain,” came in the door. The salesperson wasa young woman, and “he was a little taken aback by having this young lady.” He was interested in a Porsche 928, at the time the most expensive car they o ered. “He said, ‘honey I’ll take this one,’” Harper relates. “’I don’t need to test drive it or anything. I’ll take it. Write it up.’ And then this guy, he pulls out of his bib overalls rolls and rolls of hundred dollar bills and pays us in cash for the car.” Harper recalls this as a constant reminder to never quantify anybody coming in by appearance.“I’ve always been a car nut,” Harper says. His passion for cars started when he was small, building model cars. “The rst car I bought I paid 25 dollars for. It was a model A Ford. I always messed around and enjoyed cars.” He graduated college with an engineering degree and some ten years later, a er brief stints‘THE DRIVE IS WORLD CLASS’ IS CONTINGENT UPON HOW I TAKE CARE OF YOU IN SERVICE THROUGH THE WHOLE OWNERSHIP OF THAT CAR YOU BOUGHT FROM ME.as a founding partner in starting Ruby Tuesday, studying law at Vanderbilt, and pursuing a few business opportunities with his brother in Pittsburgh, he took advantage of an opportunity to start his rst dealership. One of his partners in the dealership was Sandy Beall, “the guy who originally founded Ruby Tuesday’s. . . and really helped me get [the dealership] going.”Harper began in the automobile business with opening Porsche, Audi, and Jaguar dealerships in 1981. With the opening of Harper Maserati in 2013— Harper Auto Square now comprises nine brands, a “progression based on opportunity more than anything else.”A conversation with Harper is punctuated by laughter as moves between self-deprecation and a light- hearted seriousness about how hetreats his employees and customers.He wants one of his employees to sell you a car, sure, but not at the expenseof integrity. His rule is honesty, and his mantra is balance. “Don’t take it home if you had a shitty day” he tells his sta . “Let it go. Just do the best you can,” but “you’ve gotta be honest; if you’re not, you’re history.” At work, however, he gives his employees, whom he refers to as his people, a “huge breadth of what they can or can’t do for the customers,” encouraging them to settle discrepancies themselves. “You empower these people to do the best they can and make the best decisions they can at the time.