So says Venesh Dlayalall, Dealer Principal at Hyundai’s new dealership in the Amanzimtoti on the KZN South Coast. Before his appointment at Hyundai Amanzimtoti, he had a career at other Hyundai dealerships in different capacities learning all aspects of the business.

Although the dealership started to function in March this year, it was only fully operational towards June with the official opening held recently.

“Our new premises belonged to another brand, and the building was just a shell when we moved in. We literally started with a chair and an umbrella and within a month and a half our new workshop was completed, and the rest of the showroom and offices followed soon afterwards,” he tells Dealerfloor.

Venesh says their priority when taking over the dealership from another group and moving into a new premises, was to let customers know of the changes and the new location. “We went big on advertising, from social media to handing out flyers at different locations to create awareness.

“The effort paid dividends as more and more people find their way to our new dealership. Our staff complement was originally split between new and existing personnel but now consists of more ex-Hyundai people who understand the culture of the brand,” he says.

“Our customer base consists of middle-class folk in a 20-to-30-kilometre radius around Amanzimtoti, but we also have a loyal following from many other places. We recently had a customer flying in from the Cape to collect his vehicle.

He says they do not leave any stone unturned to get existing as well as new customers to the new dealership. “Building up a relationship with a customer from the moment of first contact is a crucial part in customer care.

“It is also important to stay in touch with customers through regular contact to make them feel welcome as repeat business and referrals play a huge part in consolidating and expanding your customer base. Regular customers are also rewarded, and any gesture from our side to show appreciation to them doing business with us, is vital in the survival of any dealership today.”

Venesh says the last six months they have been experiencing a more positive outlook in their region for business with more approvals and prospects of sales than in other areas because of the more solid customer base. “We do not have specific industries, and our clientele consist of middle-class families more mid-aged between 35 and 45 years. We are thankful for this and the dedication of our team,” he tells Dealerfloor.

And what does the future hold? “Well, we have the dealership up and running and customers are getting to find us at our new location. We still need to make more people aware of our new set-up, continue expanding our high service standards and taking the brand in this part of the province to new heights,” he concludes.