Lydenburg: Turning the tide to scoop up top award

Within a space of two years, Adelene le Roux turned the tide and brought a brand back to its former glory.

23 Andelen Nissan1

As they say, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Morgan Nissan Lydenburg recently won the title as top dealer in the manufacturer’s Dealer of the Year awards for small dealerships.

Adelene was appointed as the Dealer Principal at Morgan Nissan in Lydenburg (nowadays called Mashishing) when the motor group bought the dealership. Dealerfloor reported on her appointment as DP towards the end of the COVID period in 2020.

Seen here are Andorette Spykerman (Parts Manager), Adelene le Roux (Dealer Principal) and Frikkie Venter (After Sales Manager).

And a mere two years later, walking away with a top award outshining others, was no small feat as the category champion for 2022.

She was tasked to revive the brand in this important tourism, fly-fishing and agricultural town in Mpumalanga, close to neighbouring Limpopo province. And seeing that the opposition is well established in the town and broader region, Adelene had a specific plan to achieve the group’s goals with the new dealership.

The staff at Morgan Nissan in Lydenburg.

After a successful career as a Sales Manager at another well-established motor group in Lydenburg, Adelene decided to take on the challenge and accept the new job offer.

“First order of business was to get everyone on the same page. We had to change direction to survive. Some individuals left but the majority stayed and bought into the plan to make it work. I can only lead and assist, but the success of the dealership and specific good customer relations, will always be up to each team member.

“Our success is not my success, but the team’s success. I am only a part of that team, and my position is to lead and motivate them. In this regard, I cannot stress enough the importance of the assistance I received from the group’s owner, Hugh Morgan, and my regional manager, Dicky Roux,” she says.

Faced with the strong position of competitors, she decided to win back the trust of the people. Making the customer king again.

“We started with small things like painting the dealership, making it neat to show potential and existing customers that something is happening on the Nissan side. We also consolidated and slowly but surely got all our ducks in a row in terms of processes and how we would move forward,” Adelene tells Dealerfloor.

“For us to gain ground, we had to bring a new focus and attention to customer service. We contacted all our existing customers and potential new ones, we ran campaigns relating to service and after-sales, safety checks before holidays and went out of our way to assist customers like never before.

The award-winning Nissan dealership.

“We also realised that we had to be involved in the community in various forms and got the message out that Nissan is back and that we mean business. We have a product range that suits a variety of needs.

“Although one of our best sellers, the NP200, will be no more soon, we have other products that can do the same and better. Yes, the price difference between the Navara single cabs and the NP200 is vast. The Navara is not only bigger, but safer and offers a lot more in terms of specifications and equipment. We have no choice but to make this work,” according to her.

She says they want to retain the title and expand on it, doing even better. “Our team knows what to do, and we will execute our plan with precision to stay profitable and grow more. Our message got out and the results are more than promising,” Adelene says.

More Dealer News stories

Updated Magnite, the jewel in the Nissan crown

Updated Magnite, the jewel in the Nissan crown

The Nissan Magnite seems to have captured the imagination of traditional as well as new buyers of the brand. With an updated Magnite recently launched and arriving at dealerships currently, there is good interest from prospective buyers of small Crossovers with a strong SUV character.

  • 11 December 2024
The year 2024 under review

The year 2024 under review

As 2024 draws to a close, I think it is pertinent to look back at some of the articles that I have written this year. I always try to concentrate on the basics and very often they are the areas of a dealership that need continuous and regular focus.

  • 10 December 2024
Foton ready to tackle the market, says DP

Foton ready to tackle the market, says DP

"Let the product speak for itself," says William Roberts (main photo), Dealer Principal at Supergroup Dealerships’ Foton branch in Springs, discussing the arrival of the new Chinese brand expanding across South Africa.

  • 9 December 2024