TOYOTA RECOGNISES OUTSTANDING DEALERS WITH VIRTUAL AWARDS CEREMONY
The country may be on lockdown but that has not deterred Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) from celebrating its stand-out dealers in style. With Alert Level 4 lockdown still prohibiting public gathering as well as interprovincial travel, TSAM had to contrive creative ways of celebrating the outstanding achievements of its Toyota, Lexus and Hino dealers from 2019.
Awarded annually, the Toyota Dealer Awards are based on a comprehensive set of metrics on which each Toyota/Lexus/Hino dealer is measured throughout the preceding year. These measurements include customer service, environmental protection, financial performance and vehicle sales.
According to President and CEO of TSAM Andrew Kirby: “If anything, the global outbreak of COVID-19 has taught us to be resilient and agile – making us change the way we have been conducting business for years in favour of new ways. It’s been encouraging to see how well everyone has adapted, with dealers across the country preparing their facilities to meet all the operational standards – as stipulated by the government. I am also very pleased to hear that our dealers have all been praised by officials who have inspected their premises, and not one of them has failed to meet the health and safety standards required by authorities.”
Kirby added that he was also grateful to the entire Toyota family for having worked diligently during the lockdown period to ensure that TSAM was ready to resume its operations. “I’m also inspired by the innovative and resourceful approaches that have been taken throughout the company to make our operations a safe place for everyone,” he says.
After the virtual awards evening, individually engraved trophies of the winners will be delivered to their respective dealerships in Scottburgh (KwaZulu-Natal), Bloemfontein (Free State) and Parow (Western Cape). While some of the event elements dealers are accustomed to have to be relinquished this year, entertainment was not one of them. Local songsters Demi Lee Moore, Monique Steyn and Boki Ntsime kept the audience captivated – while the host, broadcaster and producer Ursula Chikane (formerly Stapelfeldt), had everyone engaged throughout the virtual awards evening.
Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing Leon at TSAM Theron told the audience that: “Toyota owes its 40 years of successive market leadership in South Africa to our hard-working dealers as well as our ability to read the changing market needs. We are grateful to the entire dealer network for their contribution to Toyota South Africa Motors’ remarkable market share of 24.2% in 2019. The incredible loyalty shown by our dealers over more than half a century has enabled us to achieve an outstanding share of the local market.
“We are also thankful to our customers, fleet owners and rental companies for their continued support in these trying economic times. Sadly, we all know that all businesses – including ours – will be put through the wringer in the foreseeable future. It is for that reason we would like to urge everyone operating under the Toyota banner to embrace new ways of conducting business – with digitisation inevitably going to be the buzz going forward.”
Please see Theron’s remarks about the winner below:
Toyota Dealer of the Year: Halfway Toyota Scottburgh – Sumen Naidoo
This dealership began their journey towards Dealer of the Year two years ago when a new dealer principal walked through the entrance with a dream in his heart. For those two years he has led his team to excellence.
The journey was not always easy and the route to greatness was not always the one envisaged. However, with perseverance and dedication this team has achieved their ultimate goal. There is not one member who can be excluded from the accolade they are receiving this evening.
This dealership upholds the Toyota values and is an example of what can be achieved through team work and an inspirational leader with a vision.
Lexus Dealer of the Year: Lexus Bloemfontein – Jonathan Stephenson
The Lexus Dealer of the Year Award is awarded to the dealer that performs exceptionally in all aspects of the business. This achievement requires dedicated effort and a balanced approach that is aligned to the new core philosophy of Lexus, namely: Experience Amazing.
Although 2019 was another challenging year for the premium market, this year’s winner overcame all the odds to finish in the top position. They showed they truly understand and identify with the Lexus brand and its values, even during these difficult times. They produced a consistent performance through committed and focused leadership - and not shying away from change.
It is indeed an absolute pleasure to reward their dedication, passion and commitment and to give them recognition that they rightfully deserve.
Hino Dealer of the Year: Hino Parow - Wouter Nel
Although this dealer had a relatively slow start at the beginning of 2019, they re-aligned and soon realised they stand a good chance of walking away with the 2019 Dealer of the Year Award. The management team remained focused and motivated throughout the year to ensure the dealership stay in the running for the 2019 honours.
They achieved 104% of their Hino sales target and on the parts side they achieved 101% of target. The dealership CE (Customer Experience) scores include:
- Sales - 98.44%
- Service – 99.30%
- Parts – 99.17%
On top of these achievements they also won the Hino Service Marketing Certificate for 2019. This is again proof that it is important for a dealer to focus on all departments to remain in the running for Dealer of the Year.
This dealership is a true reflection of Hino Total Support in every aspect and are always willing to walk the extra mile to ensure total customer satisfaction.
Other notable achievements were also recognised at the event, including several President’s Awards for Small, Medium, Large and Mega-sized dealerships, as well as the coveted Chairman’s Achievement Award. Please see table below:
|
President’s Award: Small |
NTT TOYOTA HAZYVIEW |
TERENCE JENKINS |
|
President’s Award: Medium |
THEKWINI TOYOTA KOKSTAD |
DAVE BOTES |
|
President’s Award: Large |
HALFWAY TOYOTA SCOTTBURGH |
SUMEN NAIDOO |
|
President’s Award: Mega |
HALFWAY TOYOTA HONEYDEW |
DIRK VAN ROOY |
|
President’s Award: Group MD - Divisional |
THEKWINI GROUP |
DANNY GOVENDER |
|
President’s Award: Group MD |
HALFWAY GROUP |
SHANE GRANT |
|
Chairman's Achievement Award |
Thekwini Group |
Alfie Rieckhoff |
|
NDAC Chairman |
|
JOHANN SNYMAN |
|
NDAC Secretary |
|
RYAN SEELE |
|
Hino NDAC Chairman |
|
HENNIE DE VILLIERS |
