Business
News
Treating
customers fairly drives his business
By Christie L. Chicoine
CS&T Staff Writer
PHILADELPHIA — Childhood mischief involving a rock,
a car and a reprimand helped steer 10-year-old Mike Rocchi
— now 53 and the president of Faulkner Mazda —
down the right road.
Rocchi recently recalled the incident, which occurred after
his sister’s first holy Communion more than 40 years
ago. According to Rocchi, he and more than a dozen of his
childhood cousins were playing outside his house —
all were throwing rocks in the street.
One of the rocks hit a car and broke its windshield. The
driver of the damaged car stopped his vehicle, knocked on
the Rocchi family door and reported the incident to Rocchi’s
father, Mario.
Mario Rocchi questioned all the boys but only Mike Rocchi
admitted his role in the rock-throwing incident.
Rocchi said his father paid for the damaged windshield and
reprimanded him — but he also assured him he did the
right thing by telling the truth.
The lessons Rocchi learned that day — “be
honest” and be attentive to other people’s feelings
and situations — are lessons he takes with him
to work at Faulkner Mazda, 11500 Roosevelt Blvd. in Northeast
Philadelphia.
The second of six children of Rita and the late Mario, Rocchi
belongs to St. Robert Bellarmine Parish in Warrington, Bucks
County. Because the car dealership is close to Maternity
B.V.M. Church in Northeast Philadelphia — he is a
graduate of Maternity B.V.M. School — Rocchi also
attends Mass there.
He and his wife, Regina, are the parents of three grown
children — Michael, Lisa and Anthony.
Founded in 1932 by Henry Faulkner Sr., the business today
encompasses 27 dealerships in Pennsylvania, including Saturn,
Chrysler, Pontiac, Cadillac, Buick and GMC dealerships.
Rocchi began as an auto mechanic and this month marks his
third decade in the business. For the past 20 years he has
been headquartered at the Roosevelt Boulevard location.
Ten years ago, he was named president.
Rocchi said he has always been treated like family at Faulkner,
and the same could be said of the company’s customers.
“People come back because they’re treated right,
and they see the same faces. …,” he said. “The
bottom line is, when you come here, you’re treated
fairly. When I give you a number, it’s a real number.
If I have a rebate, I give you the rebate. I don’t
play games.”
In working with people, Rocchi meets them where they are
— in good economic times and bad. If someone does
not have the financial means to buy a car, he’ll gently
tell them so.
“I’m here to sell cars — and I’ve
honestly told people, ‘You can’t afford to trade
your car right now,’” he said. “I’ve
always said to my people — whether in sales or in
service — ‘When you go home at night and you
put your head on the pillow, you’re going to fall
asleep with a clear conscience.’”
Some of the same, but now much older, customers whose cars
Rocchi worked on when he was a mechanic still drop in to
see him — a testament to the warm, trustworthy atmosphere
Rocchi, and Faulkner Mazda, value so highly.
For more information, contact Faulkner Mazda at (215) 673-4444
or visit the Web site www.faulknermazda.com
CS&T Staff Writer Christie L. Chicoine may be reached
at (215) 587-2468 or cchicoin@adphila.org.
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