Enough cannot be said about good customer service and about our dealership, especially in these challenging times.
So says Francois Robbertse, Dealer Principal and New Vehicles Sales Manager at Honda Hatfield, part of the CMH group, in Pretoria.
“The retention of customers is of the utmost importance to us. You can’t judge a book by its cover and the same principle applies to anyone walking into the dealership, who could be a potential client.
“At our After Sales department a similar situation applies. We have excellent staff in the person of Cynthia van Staden (After Sales Manager), Dennis Ncube (Foreman) and Mary-Jane Hlongoane (Service Adviser) with many years of experience between them keeping customers’ cars in tip top condition,” Francois tells Dealerfloor.
He says the importance of and the challenges on the used side can never be underestimated. “With limited stock on the new side, there are fewer trade-ins and with the number of platforms out there, buying up used vehicles make conditions tough.
“With our used car side, branded Honda Pre-owned Plus, we make sure that all our used stock undergo strict quality checks, and when a vehicle leaves us, it is in a tip-top condition, repaired and serviced. It is important that buyers of used vehicles take note of this as many dealers are simply re-sellers of vehicles no matter what their condition.”
He says they are excited about new Honda models scheduled for launched this year and next year to give the brand a boost like the new BR-V coming around mid-year and the revised HR-V that will show face a bit later.
Francois arrived as DP at the dealership shortly before COVID-19 struck during 2019. Before that he spent time as New Vehicle Sales Manager at Honda Menlyn. He started his career at CMH in 2013 on the Alfa and Fiat side, then moved to Mazda in Menlyn before his career with the group’s Honda franchises started.
“Our dealership and staff, including me, have won numerous awards over the years from different institutions and within our group, raking in a number of important awards for the After Sales department and the New Vehicle Sales division,” he says.
“And how does he feel about the way forward? “I believe in doing the basic things right, to stay positive, make plans and keep your head above the water to achieve success, survive and build your business successfully,” he adds.
Chery South Africa says it is accelerating its growth in the local car-rental industry, with its national passenger vehicle market share reaching 6.2% in the past month. As interest in Chery’s range of vehicles continues to grow for consumers and fleet operators, the brand is seeing increasing interest from rental car companies nationwide.
Ulterio Motiv will exhibit a total of three vehicles at this year’s Hankook Land Cruiser Festival. Held annually, the Land Cruiser Festival caters not only to Toyota Land Cruiser enthusiasts, but also to various companies that supply products, upgrades and equipment for these vehicles.
Following the launch of the family-orientated Ford Territory last year, Ford SA is set to raise the bar for its compact sport utility vehicle (SUV) with a decent value-for-money proposition with the imminent release of the Territory Dark Edition.
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Human beings have an innate inner drive to be autonomous, self-determined, and connected to one another. And when that drive is liberated, people achieve more and live richer lives.
Daniel Pink
Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) recently hosted its annual National Dealer of the Year Awards. The pivotal event marked 45 years of market leadership – a celebration of dedication and resilience of a successful partnership with the Toyota dealer network.
Renault South Africa recently held its annual Dealer of the Year Awards, acknowledging great performance to the brand within the 80-strong Renault Dealer network.
South Africa’s top-performing Finance & Insurance (F&I) professionals in the automotive retail sector were honoured at the prestigious 2025 Lightstone Auto Star Reacher F&I Awards held this past weekend.
