WEST HERR WEDNESDAY: Derrick Fedus

For this week’s West Herr Wednesday, we sat down with Sales Consultant, Derrick Fedus. Derrick has been with West Herr for about five years now selling out of our West Herr Ford of Webster location.

Like many people, Derrick was at a crossroads on what to do with his career during the pandemic. He originally was going to college, but soon realized he wanted something else; he just wasn’t sure what.

He was driving down West Henrietta Road, looking at all of the different car dealerships and decided to bet on himself and take a shot. He only applied to one dealership, and that was West Herr! Derrick was working as a Door Dasher and one day in the middle of an order, he received a call from our Recruiting Manager, Sherri.

He thinks back to his initial interview with the company and laughs because it was perfectly imperfect. At the time of his interview, West Herr had just acquired the Ford store in Webster. After accidentally going to the wrong Ford location at first, he made his way to West Herr Ford of Webster for his interview. Because the building was under construction, there were no desks, tables, chairs, or anything. His interview was standing up in an empty showroom. From there, he accepted a position with West Herr, and the rest is history!

Derrick’s journey at West Herr began as a Lot Attendant, but not for long! After two days of working as a Lot Attendant, Bobby Carlin, who was the General Manager at the time, offered Derrick a promotion. Bobby said the store was in need of an Inventory Manager and asked if Derrick would be interested. Derrick was eager to learn as much as possible, so he took the opportunity with ease. Derrick remained in this role for just under a year, and then he finally ended up in sales where he wanted to be all along.

“I was a little bummed at first,” Derrick says as he speaks on getting hired as a Lot Attendant instead of starting in sales. “But looking back, I’m so thankful. It helped me understand the entire process and made me appreciate the sales role so much more.”

Derrick says this job has truly changed his life. “I’m super thankful to wake up every single day and go to work,” he adds. He says one of the most impressive things of the company is how involved our leadership team is. He mentions how much he appreciates it when our Executive team comes to visit his store and asks about family and life outside of work. Derrick says that although it’s a large company, it really has that small mom & pop feel.

Outside of work, Derrick loves to stay busy. He is very passionate about golf and going to the gym. He has been golfing for as long as he can remember, and it is a huge part of his life! Derrick adds that he lives across the street from a golf course, so he loves to get a round in before work in the mornings. He also is engaged to his fiancé, Sophie, and they have two cats together! He jokes that he was never a cat person before dating his fiancé, but now he can’t live without them! He proposed to his fiancé during a trip to Aruba, and he says Aruba will always hold a very special place in his heart because of that.

Derrick says there are so many people that he could thank for helping him get to where he is today as everyone has been beyond helpful. Some in particular are his previous General Managers, Bobby Carlin (General Manager of BMW of Rochester), Ashley Lanning (General Manager of West Herr Ford of Rochester), and his current General Manager, Ben Austin. He also loves to learn from his fellow Sales Consultants at his store. He wanted to thank John Lombardi and Mikayla Bills, two of his co-workers who he couldn’t live without!

One of the main reasons Derrick loves his job is because he feels like he can really use his problem-solving skills every day. “Every customer has a different story,” he says. He loves to be able to help each customer and their unique situations. Derrick says, “Every customer is my favorite customer.”

Derrick has a signature look that he takes pride in, and that is his suit collection. Derrick loves to ‘look good, feel good,’ and he says first impressions matter. He wants his customers to feel comfortable and confident with the person they are making a large financial decision with. He has around 30 different suits that he swaps between with the help of his fiancé. Derrick’s fiancé Sophia creates a monthly calendar of suit combinations for Derrick so he knows exactly what he is wearing each day!

Looking towards the future, Derrick isn’t slowing down any time soon. He says he is on track to make the 300 club and is working very hard to do so. He wants to climb the ladder with this company and one day aims to be on the executive team! Derrick says, “your brain is the most powerful tool on the face of planet Earth. If you can convince yourself that you can do something and you believe in yourself, you can do whatever you want.” It is that drive and determination that has helped him get to where he is today.

Derrick is such a crucial member of Team West Herr, and we cannot wait to see all that he accomplishes! Keep up the amazing work, Derrick!