From picker packer to DP: Justin le Roux's Toyota journey

Justin le Roux has taken over the reins at the Sandton dealership, part of the Mortimer Motor Group (MMG). His automotive journey began at Limpopo Toyota around two decades ago.

"My career kicked off at the bottom when I started as what was called a picker packer. I spent eight years at this dealership, learning all there is to know about parts and the broader service departments, working my way up the ladder," Justin tells Dealerfloor.

"I then went to Toyota in Nelspruit, also in the parts department, for another three years before being appointed parts manager at Toyota Mokopane (Potgietersrus), then off to Toyota in Witrivier as used vehicle sales manager, followed by being appointed new vehicle manager at Toyota in Hazyview," Justin tells us. After that, he moved into the top spot as Dealer Principal at Volkswagen in Heidelberg for close to a year and a half, before his latest appointment.

Asked whether his long experience in the after-sales department holds any advantages, Justin says he believes his knowledge and experience there will certainly work to his and the dealership's advantage.

"Selling parts might not be the most glamorous position, but it is just as vital for a dealership's survival and profitability as any other department. Your inventory consists of hundreds of parts, and among your biggest customers are the likes of panel beaters, repair shops and other similar customers. You need to build a special relationship with them to keep them coming back to you.

"Just as important are your customers who service their vehicles with you, and you need to be up to speed so as not to keep them waiting. Also in this category are customers with older vehicles that might be out of warranty but still need genuine parts and good service. That is why I invite customers to visit the dealership and meet me and our team," he says.

To him, getting customers into the showroom to buy starts at the parts and service departments. "Good service is the base for people to keep coming back and eventually buying their next vehicle from you. It is also crucial that we get the Toyota owners in our area to service with us, and buy from us. We will build this relationship in the strongest fashion possible. I invite customers to visit the dealership and come and meet me and our team," he tells Dealerfloor.

Justin says the success of any dealership rests on departments with good leadership. "I do not micromanage. Everybody must understand their role. For me to manage the team, it is important to understand what makes each employee tick. It is also important for me to get all the departments to function in tandem to optimise results."

For the rest, Justin says he is ready for the challenge, and that he feels at home with Toyota, as it is the brand with which he has spent most of his automotive career. "It is like coming home. I know the brand very well, and MMG is a formidable player in the vehicle retail space."