Mazda Bel Air Tech Becomes a Knight in Shining Armor

Customer Maria Milad with technician Billy Gibson

On a cold night in December, Billy Gibson, a tech at Heritage Mazda Bel Air, went above the call of duty when he came to the rescue of Maria Milad who was stranded in a Sam’s Club parking lot.

Billy became Maria’s knight in shining armor when she frantically called Heritage Mazda Bel Air around 6 pm. Unfortunately, her car broke down in the Sam’s Club parking lot a half hour away from the dealership. Billy, who was still at work even though he was done with his day at 5:00 pm, offered to drive to Sam’s Club and work on her car. A loaner agreement was created over the phone, and Billy drove to the Sam’s Club to help resolve her situation.

“Mrs. Milad had recently had a terrible experience at another service department,” explained Billy’s service manager, Mike Ruth. “She worked with us recently on a matter completely separate, so when her car broke down and her husband was in D.C., she immediately called us. When I explained the situation to Billy, he responded with ‘well, let’s go get her!’”

When Billy arrived at Sam’s Club, he assured Mrs. Milad that he would take care of everything. Subsequently, he placed her in the loaner car so she could drive home safely while he stayed in the parking lot to work on the vehicle. After about twenty minutes, the car started and he was able to drive it back to the dealership. Following a full day of work, an hour of travel and fixing a car in cold December weather, Billy finally returned home that night around 8 pm. 

“It didn’t seem like a big deal,” Billy commented while giving a bashful shrug. “If that were my mom or grandma, I would want someone to do the same thing for her. It’s just paying it forward. We were happy to save her a tow bill, and who knows how long it would have taken for the tow truck to get there, leaving her stranded in the freezing cold? It would have been a terrible night for her if we didn’t come and help. No one wants that, especially around the holidays. ”

When Mrs. Milad came to recover her vehicle, the store employees were enjoying their annual Christmas party. She was so happy with the service she received that she joined the festivities and fervently expressed her gratitude to various employees.

“I think she was surprised at the level of dedication and service we gave her, having only worked with her once before,” Mike said. “Having recently had such a terrible customer service experience elsewhere, you can tell she was truly grateful for Billy and his rescue.”

Billy’s gallant actions ensured that Mrs. Malad and her husband were now going to be customers for life.

“It wasn’t just the fact that they came and picked her up,” Mr. Milad said about his wife’s treatment. “It started from the service at the beginning. The manager was great; it was amazing how they took care of my car. Your guys did a really great job. I’ve never met anyone like them in the business. I had a mechanic for forty years, and when he retired, I felt like I got screwed. But Billy and Mike allowed me to trust someone else with my car, and I know I can always come back to them with my vehicle needs.”

These acts of kindness reflect well on the employee, the store, and MileOne as a whole. Thank you Billy for representing MileOne as the best around!