spark360 Behind The Scenes: Friendly Chevrolet

One thing I’ve discovered to be true after 30 years in the broadcasting business: the people who say they have no desire whatsoever to go in front of a camera are the ones who truly look and sound the best on camera.

Such is the case with Chris Malone, the delivery coordinator for Friendly Chevrolet. The owner/CEO of the Dallas Chevrolet dealership, Mark Eddins, had told me that she was a real asset for his company in that she was attractive, well-spoken and fulfilled a unique role at Friendly – she is the employee designated with helping new or used car buyers get acquainted with their purchases. That job usually goes to whoever sold you a car at other dealerships, but Friendly goes the extra mile, so to speak, with Chris’s job. She provides a full personal orientation to customers, giving information on everything from warranties and service contacts to how to program your satellite radio.

Eddins had told me that Chris makes such a good first impression on customers with her charm, her knowledge and her good manners that they often come back to the dealership bearing gifts of flowers, wine and other goodies – and not just the men, mind you. If that doesn’t qualify Chris as a secret customer service weapon for Friendly, then I don’t know what does.

But all you have to do is get her in front of the camera. And then convince her that she’ll be great on camera. This we were able to do, and I credit our producer/director/editor extraordinaire Steve Miller and photographer Tom Graybael with being able to put her at ease during the shoot. The interview went well, and I hope she’s happy with the results. I know Eddins will be pleased; she’s a great spokesperson for his business.

The auto sales business obviously relies on the personal touch; people like to buy from people they like, no matter what is being sold. If the idea is to put customers first, then you couldn’t ask for a better representative – a face for the company on the screen – than Chris Malone.

- Renay San Miguel