Blog: Love at Lexus
Love at Lexus
Jun 30, 2023
When Hurricane Ian hit, it left devastation in its wake, but for two people living on Sanibel Island, the destructive storm presented a surprising silver lining.
You’ve heard the term love at first sight, but for Chuck, it was a little like love at first Lexus. Little did he know his new car and his new love interest would end up right before his eyes at Scanlon Lexus. Patricia was car shopping because the Hurricane destroyed her car. She was admiring a Lexus LC500 convertible but admits she wasn’t her normal well-kept self. That’s when she heard a voice behind her say “I think you should buy that car. I think you’d look great in it.”
That was Chuck. He was also at Scanlon Lexus to purchase a new car but discovered he and Patricia already had something in common—they both lost cars and much of their belongings in the devastating storm. Patricia had evacuated but Chuck stayed behind to witness 8 feet of water rushing into his house and tossing his 4-month-old Mercedes into the swimming pool. Eventually Chuck was plucked from his rooftop by a helicopter. All he managed to get out with was a duffel bag containing his razor, toothbrush, and Grandfather’s clock (that’s a story for another ‘time’ – no pun intended.)
Fast forward to standing on the showroom floor at Scanlon Lexus at the same time, on the same day, with the same goal in mind; getting a new vehicle and getting back on the road to recovery. Little did they know they’d also be on the path to a new relationship.
That’s how Chuck and Patricia both ended up at the desk of Lexus Certified Sales & Leasing Consultant, Melissa Hartle. It’s not often one sales consultant helps two different clients at the same time, but they made it easy by each purchasing the exact same Lexus RX 350L SUV in white. It was car Kismet!
They exchanged numbers there at Melissa’s desk, but it would be months before the phone rang. Patricia jumped into renovating her house while living on the second floor. Chuck sold his house and bought a condo. He also was healing from a leg infection caused by the water from Hurricane Ian, and a bout of Covid.
In February, Patricia’s phone rang, and it was Chuck inviting her to lunch. They had a 3.5-hour lunch that day and say they’re “still having fun, laughing and giggling.”
Chuck and Patricia both say Melissa was a superstar when it came to getting into their new vehicles. Hurricane Ian may have caused a lot of destruction and chaos, but together, Chuck and Patricia feel they can weather any storm.