Holiday a special time of the year for Hendrick teammates
One of the special things about the holidays are all the memories associated with the season. Our teammates at North Charlotte’s (NC) Audi Northlake feel the same, as each enjoy the season from very different perspectives. So, we are sharing a few of their holiday stories and get everyone into the holiday spirit.
Meet Alf George, a sales representative with Audi Northlake. He’s also from a completely different part of the world in Australia, where Christmas time is celebrated in the heart of summer and has a very different feel.
“We would usually be in flip-flops and shorts,” George said.
His view of how the holiday is celebrated changed upon his first visit to the states more than 15 years ago.
“My favorite (Christmas holiday) trip was when I first visited America and it was in December,” George remembers. “We landing in Harrisburg (Pa.), spent a week or so with my soon to be father in law. Then we went to Milwaukee for a couple of weeks, then back to Harrisburg.
“I really saw how it was celebrated over here, and it’s just done differently,” George continued. “It was sort of like a dream. We did it again two years later. Then another couple of years after that, we ended up moving here. We always have a good Christmas here.”
The brisk weather of winter in the United States brought the holiday to life for George.
“There are people in Australia who never get the opportunity to see the snow,” he said. “When you go to a place where there is snow, Christmas is a lot more real. When you see it, you realize what it is about.
“It was also a different environment when we went into stores to do our Christmas shopping,” George continued. “There is a person with a bucket (Salvation Army annual fundraiser) out front, you walk in the snow and sludge and you feel like you’re in a movie. It was fantastic. That is one of the things I always love.”
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Charlotte During Christmas
Sales representative Ryle Scott of Audi Northlake also enjoys the holiday season, but in a very different way. With much of his family in and around the Charlotte region, he feels a special connection to the area he currently lives and works.
“All my family lives here and Christmas for me is usually very busy,” Scott said. “I’m very lucky to have everyone here because I get to see everybody. Sometimes, I forget how lucky I am. For me, going to see everyone that lives here in Charlotte is really special. I get to see my whole family whenever the holidays are around.
“One of my oldest memories is going ice skating at (now shuttered) Eastland Mall,” Scott continued. “I must have been six or seven years old. I’m not really an ice skater, but I do (like to go every year) to get into the holiday spirit.”
Charlotte has recently emerged as a holiday destination. From the “Light the Knight” celebration at Uptown Charlotte’s Truist Field -- home of Charlotte Knights Triple A baseball franchise -- to the numerous light shows, musical performances, holiday theatres and Christmas markets, the Queen City is abuzz with yule tide cheer.
“My wife and I, we like to go and hit as many spots as we can in the city. Whether it’s a pop-up Christmas village in Charlotte, or whatever it may be, we try to go and attend those. Knights Stadium also has their setup and that’s really cool.”
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A Helping Hand Leads to a Favorite Holiday Memory
While some memories are big in scale, maybe the best come from special moments of friendship and conversation. Long-time Audi Northlake sales representative Mark Johnson has one of those memories. It’s a memory that will be with him for the rest of his life.
“I was in college in the late 80s and we were done with our exams and everything, and I ran into a friend of mine I played football with in high school,” Johnson said. “I had another day or two before we were going home (Shelby, NC), however I noticed he was hanging out and I asked him what was going on.
“’I don’t have a ride.’ he said,’” Johnson recalled. “His mom was waiting for him, his sister was waiting, so we piled in my car and made the trip. It was about 2.5 hours from school. I think about that time a lot because we spent the time catching up. I ended up driving by my parent’s house without them knowing I was in town to drop him off at his place. We just had the best conversation.”
The Season of Giving … and Fun!
Audi Northlake teammates have embraced the value of serving others. The dealership’s annual “Toys for Tots” gift drive is a terrific example of this, a charity Johnson has been very active with this year.
“We have teams within our store and I just really went crazy this year,” Johnson said, who purchased numerous holiday gifts for children in need. “It comes from the top. Mr. Rick Hendrick (Hendrick Automotive Group Chairman and CEO.) gives to others in so many different ways. He’s always had a nice Christmas card for everybody and I have kept all of them. The little things that count. There’s really a sense of family here”
“You do have a feeling of the season, as we’re also giving gifts and helping others,” George said. “As a team, we all work together pooling all these gifts and giving them to deserving kids.”
The festiveness doesn’t stop there, as Hendrick Automotive Group dealerships are also committed to making the holiday season a memorable one for its customers.
“The tree is up in the showroom and we’re playing music,” Johnson said. “We have all-white cars on the showroom floor, so it looks really good with all the red bows on top. Hendrick is a special place to work during Christmas. There’s such a family atmosphere.”
“One of my favorite memories is when we brought in a snow machine for the building,” Scott added. “It was up top (second floor mezzanine). We were blowing snow out into the showroom. That was when I first started here and was a porter. I just remember how much fun it made the environment here. It is a lot of fun at the workplace around the holidays. Being around people that make it fun is great -- and it makes you want to come to work.”
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Special Moments for Everyone
For some customers, Christmas is the time for families to give very meaningful gifts. These moments are tremendous for teammates to also share and participate; as the occasion is something families never forget.
“A lot of gifts are given, which is something I really enjoy being a part of,” Scott said. “Especially when it’s a first car. Whenever someone is getting a car on Christmas, and especially when it’s a surprise. It feels like a commercial. The fact we are able to bring that to life is really cool, especially with an Audi. Just to know they are walking out, into the driveway to a nice Audi with a red bow on it.
“We’ve also sent bows home in cars and they’ll do it at their house,” Scott continued. “Sometimes that surprise is here. They will tell them (the recipient) they are coming here to look at a car – not that they had already bought it – so when they come in, the car’s already purchased and they have it in there. The family presents it and says, “This is yours!” The (recipient) freaks out. It’s so much fun. We’re making Christmas wishes come true.”
It's also a great time for Hendrick Automotive Group team members as well, as Audi Northlake team goes all out during the holidays.
“They do some really cool things here at Audi Northlake,” George said. “Our (December) luncheon is the best, and our second best luncheon is during Thanksgiving. We have a standing rib roast for lunch, and we do these raffles. It’s a luncheon you do not want to miss because you can win so many terrific prizes. (For example,) I won a trip for two. It was a weekend for two in Charleston (South Carolina) and it was fantastic.”
As we close out 2023, the team here at Hendrick Automotive Group want to wish you a “Merry Christmas,” “Happy Holidays” and a terrific New Year.
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