So says André Pretorius, Dealer Principal at NTT Nissan Klerksdorp. He took home the Dealer of the Year Award in the category for large dealers from the manufacturer. Last year, his dealership was one of the top three in this category.

“This was a team effort, and we also scooped up the top awards for best new vehicle sales and for our workshop. The overall criteria include more than just sales results with aspects such as our general performance in the Customer Service Index (CSI) being included.

“We have a great team at NTT Nissan Klerksdorp. Our workshop manager has 25 years’ experience here, our parts manager seven years, and two of our senior technicians have been here for 10 years. With such experience and being part of the NTT Group, we are a formidable player in the new vehicle scene in our region,” André tells Dealerfloor.

He says ultimately everything centres on the customer. “We believe in giving the customer a unique experience when dealing with us at any level. Making customers part of the family might sound like a cliché, but it is sometimes the small things you do that make a customer part of our Nissan family.

“It might be something that doesn’t seem to be a big deal. It could be lending a customer a vehicle, where possible, when there is an issue with his/her car so that the customer can continue his/her business. It is the fact that we notice and that we care enough to assist them that differentiate us from other dealers.

“Word of mouth is a strong marketing tool that can make or even break you, and the customer centric approach is of the utmost importance to us. They say the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and we have lots of repeat business and referrals from happy customers,” André says.

Asked about the stock issues, he says they are doing well so far with good levels of double cab Navaras and the popular small Magnite-crossover. “Hopefully, by the beginning of next year, we will see more single cab Navaras, which are very scarce at the moment. We also just launched the new Qashqai, which is a remarkable vehicle, and the new X-Trail will be here next year.”

With Klerksdorp known for its very strong and many used car dealerships, André says bloated prices in this segment seem to normalise and that they were careful when buying stock not to be caught out with too many expensive cars on their floor.

“On the used side, our focus is on quality pre-owned vehicles, and we check every car thoroughly, and if necessary, we rather repair than take a chance by selling a vehicle and hoping for the best. Our approach is simply to give customers on the used side a quality vehicle in tip top condition.”

On the issue of the strong used car market in Klerksdorp, which is known countrywide, André says the origin of this might stem from the heydays of the goldmine industry in the region. Later on, with mines closing down and gold losing a bit of its glitter in the local economy, business got tougher. He says there are indications that the mining industry might be getting a second wind.

André says his career with the NTT group started off in White River with NTT Toyota for five years and then as new Vehicle Sales Manager at NTT Nissan in Newcastle for just under five years. NTT Nissan Newcastle also won the Dealer of the Year award in its category during that time. He has now been DP at NTT Nissan Klerksdorp since 2018.

A last word form André about the award they won: “The fact that we have won it, does not mean we have arrived and can now sit back and relax. Every year, you have to work harder than before to achieve this kind of result,” he says.