Digital Dealer - August 2019 - 19

Digital Dealer 27 | August 19-21, 2019 | Las Vegas

P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y M AT T B U R N

Opening its ﬁrst Ford store in 1938, the Titus-Will Automotive Group,
a family-owned and operated group of companies, today consists of
2 Ford, 3 Chevrolet, 1 Toyota, 1 GMC/Buick/Cadillac and 1 Hyundai
dealerships with over 500 employees in the Puget Sound area of Western
Washington. Titus-Will Ford and Titus-Will Toyota are among an elite
group of dealerships to be recognized with The President's Award. The
prestigious award honors dealerships that have excelled in automotive
retailing through exceptional customer care in all aspects.
Dawn Walston is the VP and general manager of the Titus-Will
Toyota operation. After three decades with Titus-Will, she has held just
about every job in the store, from service scheduler, customer relations
manager, Ford service manager, Ford general manager, and in 2011, she
was asked to take over their Toyota store. Titus-Will Toyota currently
carries about 600 vehicles and employs 210 and includes a collision
center that she also oversees.
In our interview, Dawn talks about
her amazing journey of three decades
in the car business working with the
same auto group and rising through the
ranks. She also talks about her store's
commitment to fairness, integrity,
and in changing the perception of car
dealers.
DEALER MAGAZINE: Thanks for
agreeing to talk with us, Dawn. You've
been in retail automotive for more than
three decades and are currently the VP
and general manager of a busy Toyota
store in the Seattle area. How did you
get your start?
DAWN: Somebody mentioned that
Titus-Will was looking for a service
cashier. In November of 1984, I walked
in and interviewed and started what
I never imagined would be a lifetime
of passion and love for the business.
No one grows up thinking, I want to
work at a car dealership. I had always
worked in restaurants, where I took on

additional roles such as management
at a young age. My parents knew
people who owned restaurants, so I
sort of grew up in the restaurant service
business, from the time I was 14 when I
had my ﬁrst job, and always in Tacoma.
I started at Titus-Will scheduling
service and processing work orders.
Everything was manual back then,
even the advisors worked outside in
the elements, with a little heater over
their head. I was 21 years old and, like
a sponge, I was absorbing everything
I could. I learned how to order
parts for Ford and Toyota, process
warranty, write service, and so on.
Paul Titus requested my help calling
on outstanding accounts. Learning
that part of the business, led me to
address any customer concerns and
employee concerns. All the while I was
still working in the service department.
When we acquired Hyundai, they were
brand new in the country and wanted a

stand-alone. As a result, a parts person
and myself were asked to transfer
and oversee the parts and service
department for them. Our service
manager was busy with Ford and
Toyota, so I was given the opportunity
to work with Hyundai reps, customers
and employees.
Toyota opened a new position called
the customer relations manager and
Mr. Titus oﬀered me the role, which
I accepted. As a customer relations
manager, I immersed myself in
education, training classes oﬀered
through Toyota, Ford, JD Powers
and more. In the 90's most customer
concerns were related to quality and
service, which put me in a something
of a partnership with the service
managers on both the Toyota and
Ford sides of our business, as well
as the manufacturers. During this
time our Tacoma location had Ford,

D I G I TA L D E A L E R . C O M

Continued on pg. 20

AUGUST 2019

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Digital Dealer - August 2019

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