Newcastle Chrysler owner Randall Miller and his co-workers have been awarded the Customer Experience Elite Dealer Award for the second time in two years.

Awarded annually, the honor was bestowed upon the car dealership for registering sales and service advocacy scores above 90 percent in 2014, as it was in 2013.

In a letter sent to Miller, FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) Corporation, who hands out the awards, praised Miller and his co-workers: “You understand the value of creating advocates with your customers, and your consistent processes in both sales and service demonstrate your commitment.”

The letter goes on to say: “We thank you for delivering the world class dealership experience they deserve.” It was signed by Vice President of Network Development Peter M. Grady and President & CEO of Mopar Service and Customer Care, Pietro Gorlier.

Miller said it is a huge honor.

“Achieving a 90 percent satisfaction rate for sales, service, parts and all aspects of the dealership for a whole year can be pretty difficult to do. A lot of customers require more attention than others. When someone buys a very expensive vehicle today you have to really take care of them.”

In addition to Chrysler, the dealership sells Dodge, Jeep and Ram vehicles.

Last year was the first year FCA announced the new award. Miller said his is the only Maine dealership that has received the award two years in a row. “It's huge.”

Miller wasn't always an auto dealer.

“I grew up on my parents' farm, in Ohio,” he said. “I went on to study marine biology and was going to go to veterinary school.”

After graduating from college, he saw an ad in the paper for a salesman at the local Chrysler dealership.

“The sales manager didn't want to hire me because my dad was a doctor. I had lived on my parents' farm by myself from the time I was 13. (They lived on the other side of town.) I farmed that farm, doing everything. He didn't know how hard a worker I was.

“I had graduated from a really good school, The University of the South in Swanee, Tennessee. I was tired of school and I always knew every car, even when I was little.”

He got the job and started working at the dealership when he was 22. He loved it.

“I was the top salesman in Ohio and Kentucky my first two years,” he said. “It was just meant to be.”

Before moving here permanently, Miller had a summer home in West Bath. The previous owner of his dealership died in a plane crash around 18 years ago. Miller had a flower farm in Ohio at that time.

“I was thinking of moving to Maine, and then this became available, and the rest is history,” he said.

Miller doesn't call the people who work for him employees. “They're co-workers,” he said.

There are around 25 full-time and 15 part-time co-workers.

He attributes the award in large part to them.

“We have this award because all of my co-workers here have the same ideals as me. It's about long-term commitment and customer satisfaction and exceeding peoples' expectations. And we have,” he said. “We have exceeded their expectations.”

There are in excess of 20 new Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram dealers in Maine. Miller's dealership sells both new and used cars, and services them. There is a reconditioning department that cleans and custom details peoples' cars, and they do express lubes with no appointment necessary. Miller said the business also rents out new vehicles.

Service and Parts Director Eric Brewer called it a “one stop shop.”

Miller has owned the dealership for 18 and a half years.