A good, solid business relationship and great service from ABSA saw Suzuki Zululand scooping up a Golden Partner Award.
The dealer won this award from the bank in the Franchised Small category earlier this year, and it was more recently also awarded Platinum dealer status by Suzuki.
Dealerfloor had a chat with Roland Witthoft, Dealer Principal of the Suzuki Zululand as well as the Chery and Haval dealerships in Richards Bay on the KwaZulu-Natal north coast.
Roland and his brother, Dieter, are the owners and directors of the East Motor Group with seven dealerships in total. The dealerships include Toyota and Ford in Eshowe and another Suzuki and Chery dealership in Salt Rock.
“My brother started out with the Toyota dealership in 2001, and I joined when the Suzuki dealership was added to the portfolio. We have been in the used and new car business for many years and have built up a good reputation.
“Except for the addition of new personnel, my original staff members when we started with Suzuki are still with us, and we boast very good teams at all our dealerships,” says Roland.
“Yes we are honoured with the awards, and some of our other dealerships have also won various awards over the years. We are a family business and believe to be hands-on in all respects. We put great emphasis on personal service, and customer care is an absolute priority for us,” Roland tells us.
Asked about the obstacles the motor retail business faces today and especially in KwaZulu-Natal, Roland says although the floods and unrest in the province had a serious effect on business conditions, they were fortunately spared physical harm and damage.
“We are glad to see an improvement in stock availability across the spectrum. On the Suzuki side, we are privileged that the manufacturer could deliver a good stock supply even during the more difficult times. It did not only help at dealership level, but also put the brand on the podium in terms of overall sales and market share in the country.
“The Suzuki range starts at real entry level models, and a wide variety of offerings are really doing great while our Chinese brands like Chery and Haval are also shining in the market segment in which they do battle. And it is no surprise that in the more rural and agricultural settings of Eshowe, our Ford and Toyota dealerships’ pick-up range is immensely popular,” he says.
And what does the future hold in terms of expansion? “I think where we are, the market is saturated, but in Salt Rock there is room for growing our footprint, and we look at numerous possibilities,” Roland concludes.
Volkswagen has expanded the new Tiguan model line-up with the addition of two new engines, a 2.0 TDI with 110kW and a 2.0 TSI with 140kW. Both engines are offered with a 7-speed DSG transmission.
DFSK South Africa announced that effective immediately, DFSK will be extending its warranty offering on its new DSFK KO1S Bakkie and DSFK C35 Panel Van to a 50 000km / 2-year warranty for all new customers ensuring greater peace of mind and customer satisfaction.
The challenge for us is to maintain our Dealer of the Year status in the future as it symbolises the effort we put in to create the best environment for our customers and our staff.
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You can't build a reputation on what you are going to do.
Henry Ford
The challenge for us is to maintain our Dealer of the Year status in the future as it symbolises the effort we put in to create the best environment for our customers and our staff.
The team at Jetour Alberton recently took to heart the manufacturer’s pledge to engage in corporate social responsibility initiatives. The dealership visited Umkhathizwe and Nageng primary schools to make a tangible difference in the lives of school children.
BMW Group South Africa hosted its 2024 Retailer of the Year Awards recognising the achievements of its retail network across the BMW, MINI and BMW Motorrad brands.
