Satisfied customers are good for business. This recipe will put your business in a position to shine and reap the benefits and some awards along the way.

Dealerfloor spoke to André Swart, Regional Manager of Suzuki Helderberg and the new Suzuki Cape Town dealership, part of the Trust Auto Group. Both dealerships received various awards at Suzuki Auto South Africa’s recent National Dealer Conference.

André joined the Trust Auto Group two and a half years ago, taking care of both dealerships. He played a vital role in getting the new Suzuki Cape Town dealership off the ground in February 2020, just before the COVID-19 lockdown hit the country.

He had a 14-year career at AMH, Imperial and Motus with his last stint being the Dealer Principal at Kia/Renault in Tygervalley before joining the Trust Auto Group, which is part of the international Japanese Motor Company, VT Holdings.

Trust Auto Group has two more Suzuki dealerships in Northcliff and Bryanston. The group was also recognised with an award by Suzuki for sales of more than a thousand units. Northcliff Suzuki received an Elite Dealer of the Year award.

“With all the obstacles in the way of conducting business, like the pandemic, stock shortages, lockdown restrictions, a struggling economy and loadshedding, running a car dealership takes careful planning.

“I have always considered the staff as the backbone of any business, and taking care of their needs, providing training and having an excellent product to offer are all part of a winning recipe. Managing a business is not only about customer retention, but just as important, is the retention of your staff,” says André.

“Our new Cape Town dealership has so much potential, and I foresee remarkable things for the future. Although our after-sales department and the new vehicles sales division are split and about two kilometres away from each other, it is, like the award we received, ‘The Dealership to Watch’.

“We are immensely proud of our Helderberg dealership, whichreceived many accolades at the conference. It received a Platinum Dealer Award where all aspects of the business are measured against the manufacturer’s strict criteria. It also won the Top Medium Dealer Award for 2020 where the dealerships compete with other Suzuki dealerships in the medium category,” he tells Dealerfloor.

“And last but not the least, we are enormously proud that Owen Adams of Suzuki Helderberg was crowned the Technician of the Year. It is a top honour for a staff member being recognised as an individual for his efforts in successful training and examination by Suzuki and his achievements at the dealership,” says André.

“We are proud of our achievements and honoured by the awards. I am positive that wonderful things are awaiting us,” André concluded.