From week to week, Isaac Helvin never knows where he’s going to be or who he’s going to meet.
“That’s the excitement of it,” he said.
Isaac works as a client trainer at Cox Automotive. While he’s based in Enterprise, AL, he travels around the country, visiting auto dealerships and helping them migrate from old computer systems to Cox Automotive products, including Xtime and Dealertrack.
He joined the company in 2023 after several years of working in dealerships. Isaac said being a client trainer is rewarding and challenging, but that’s exactly what he loves.
Here, Isaac talked about what he likes most about his role as a client trainer at Cox, from the excitement of weekly travel to enjoying a better work-life balance.
The journey to his job at Cox
Isaac worked at an auto dealership for about 12 years, where he moved up from “sweeping the floors in the shop” to service manager to fixed operations director. There, he used several Cox Automotive products (the ones he now trains others to use), so he knows how well they can contribute to a dealership’s success.
He then worked as director of operations at an information technology company, where he managed computer technicians and customer expectations.
“But I got bored of the role,” Isaac said. “That’s what led me to look for something more fulfilling on a day-to-day basis, and that’s when I explored this position.”
When he joined Cox Automotive, he trained with a mentor for six weeks and was certified in Xtime and Dealertrack as part of his onboarding.
Setting clients up for success
Learning and adjusting to new software can be daunting for some clients. Isaac compares the process to learning how to use Apple products after only using Windows or Android systems, and vice versa.
“You have to have a soft approach, and you have to tailor that approach because each week is different,” he said. “Our goal is to get in, make it as good of an experience as possible and help them understand the benefits.”
He typically spends four days with each new client, helping them migrate to Cox Automotive software and learn to use the new systems. He strives to balance coaching dealership staff and giving them space to learn and experiment on their own, too.
Having the experience of working in dealerships — including transitioning from outdated software to Dealertrack — makes a huge difference in how Isaac relates to clients.
“I can build that rapport with them. I tell them I’ve been in their shoes.”
Enjoying a different kind of work-life balance
Even though his job involves traveling 100% of the time, Isaac said he feels like he has a better work-life balance at Cox than he’s had at any other job. He attributes that to having a four-day workweek.
“This being a full-time travel role is wildly different than anything I’ve ever done in my life,” he said.
Before accepting this role at Cox, Isaac and his wife discussed whether a job with so much travel would be the right fit for their family
“In the end, this has been the best decision I’ve made,” he said. In fact, his wife also found a job at Cox Automotive.
Isaac credited the company’s “team mentality” for his success. Even though he works remotely and may go months without seeing his coworkers, he knows that he can call anyone at any time to ask questions or get support. They also have ongoing Teams chats to stay connected.
Most of all, he loves the “feeling of accomplishment” that his job brings. Isaac said that it’s been especially rewarding when a client’s initially hesitant about changing to a new software and seeing how he’s able to completely turn their experience around over the course of those four days working with them on-site.
“It’s been an amazing company to work for,” he said.
