For Billy Crozier, general manager of Cannon Honda of Vicksburg and Cannon Toyota of Vicksburg, customer service is not a department — it is the culture that drives every part of the business.
That commitment recently earned both dealerships one of the automotive industry’s most respected honors: the J.D. Power Dealer of Excellence Award, recognizing dealerships that provide exceptional customer service and sales experiences. The achievement places Cannon Honda and Cannon Toyota among an elite group of dealerships nationwide and marks the first time two dealerships under the same ownership in Mississippi have earned the distinction simultaneously.
“It was pretty humbling being the first two dealerships in the state to receive the award,” Billy said. However, the recognition is less about trophies and more about people.
Billy has spent more than three decades in the automotive industry, beginning his career in 1994. After moving to Vicksburg in 2012 to run the Toyota dealership, he remained when owner Michael Joe Cannon, current NADA director for Mississippi, acquired the store in 2013. He later purchased the Honda dealership in 2016, followed by the construction of two new facilities in 2017. More recently, the group expanded again with the addition of a GMC dealership.
Today, Billy oversees all three Vicksburg dealerships, but he credits their success to a shared philosophy known internally as the “Cannon Culture.” The culture is built around six core principles:
- Communication
- Attitude starts with us
- Negatives into positives
- Now instead of later
- Offense instead of defense
- Nobody beats a Cannon deal
According to Billy, that final phrase is often misunderstood. “So many people think it’s about price, and it really isn’t,” he said. “It’s first and foremost about taking care of the customer.” That philosophy is woven into every dealership process, from sales to service to collision repair.
Billy shared one story that perfectly illustrates the dealership group’s approach to customer care. Shortly after Toyota redesigned the Tundra in 2014, a customer began experiencing an issue with a sensor that would incorrectly activate whenever he stopped at intersections. At the time, Toyota had not yet released replacement parts.
Instead of waiting for the situation to escalate, Michael Joe instructed Billy, the service manager, the parts manager and the sales manager to personally visit the customer’s home. “Michael Joe said, ‘Don’t call him first, just show up at his house,’” Billy recalled. Visiting customers at home was something that just didn’t happen before Michael Joe took over.
Unsure of what would happen, the management team knocked on the customer’s door and began to talk to him. Initially, the customer was frustrated and did not want to talk to the team, but his wife encouraged him to hear them out. The customer eventually invited the team inside. The group sat together, discussed the issue and ultimately resolved the problem by removing the required part from a new truck inventory unit while waiting for the official replacement.
The customer became one of the dealership’s most loyal supporters.
That mindset extends throughout the organization. Whether it involves driving to Monroe, Louisiana, to meet a dissatisfied customer face-to-face or personally responding to a negative review, leadership believes service recovery is an opportunity to strengthen relationships. “It’s not the fact that you make a mistake,” Billy explained. “It’s how you deal with it — being transparent, being honest, giving full disclosures.”
“One of the big things we talk about in our group is how important it is to take good care of your employees,” he said. “A satisfied employee is absolutely going to make a satisfied customer.” That philosophy has helped create remarkable employee retention and internal growth opportunities across the dealerships.
Billy proudly shared that the Toyota service manager began with the company in 2013 as an oil changer and worked his way into leadership. The organization also prioritizes promoting from within, requiring employees to train their own replacements before advancing to new positions. “We really talk a lot with people when we hire them about their career path,” Billy said. “It’s fun to watch people grow.” That succession-focused approach has helped build what Billy describes as a true team environment rather than separate departments operating independently.
“Our parts and service departments work so well together, along with our collision center and our new and used departments,” he said. “It’s really a team concept, and they all have the same goals in mind — taking care of the customer.”
In addition to the J.D. Power Dealer of Excellence recognition, both dealerships also earned manufacturer honors in 2024, including the Honda President’s Award and Toyota President’s Award. Cannon Honda was the only Honda dealership in Mississippi to receive the President’s Award that year.
While awards and recognition are meaningful, Billy says the true reward comes from seeing employees succeed and customers remain loyal year after year. Their investment in people continues to define their success and set a standard for dealership excellence across Mississippi.
Congratulations, Cannon Honda and Cannon Toyota of Vicksburg, on your well-deserved award!
