A massive physical transformation is currently underway on Old Country Road, where heavy construction equipment is putting the finishing touches on a brand-new showroom set to debut later this month. Yet inside the temporary sales trailer, Assistant General Manager and co-owner Sonya Lucki is leading an even more significant structural buildout. Alongside her brother, General Manager Michael Lucki, she is actively dismantling the traditional auto dealership framework by intentionally recruiting and elevating women into front-of-house sales, operations, and mechanical roles.

The strategy stems from a simple, data-driven observation: while women influence a vast majority of vehicle purchasing decisions, they rarely see themselves represented on the showroom floor. Industry data shows female dealership employees are historically funneled into back-office administrative and billing positions. To bridge this gap, the multigenerational family business has completely overhauled standard operating procedures. They began by replacing high-pressure commission structures with stable salaries, transforming the staff’s core motivation from aggressive pricing to genuine customer assistance.

Because a traditional pipeline for women in automotive retail essentially does not exist, Lucki deliberately recruits talent from non-traditional backgrounds like hospitality, retail, and local agriculture. She encourages new hires to view the profession not as a transactional car sale, but as finding an authentic fit for a client’s lifestyle. Embracing a philosophy inspired by the hospitality industry, every team member studies client-first leadership methods to turn customer service into an art form.

Lucki has even collaborated with independent designers to replace rigid corporate apparel with functional, confidence-building custom uniforms tailored specifically for female professionals. Moving through the current 2026 season, this cultural shift is yielding major dividends, with women now making up a quarter of the entire workforce. Backed by her executive training from the National Automobile Dealers Association Academy, Lucki’s modern approach is proving that challenging legacy industry norms can create a highly successful, inclusive business model on the East End.

🔗 https://northforksun.com/at-riverhead-mazda-women-are-driving-a-new-sales-model/

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