Fiat Chrysler Group SA recently bestowed their first awards on newly opened dealerships in SA. Fury Amanzimtoti – where Dealer Principal Dean Lawson added Fiat and Jeep to his stable in December 2020 – won third place among Rural Dealers for vehicle sales.
Dealerfloor visited the busy multi-franchise dealership on the Dolphin Coast where Lawson gave all credit to his staff, adding “the secret sauce” was in the parts department.
Lawson is no stranger to awards, having won the Fury Dealer of the year award three years running up to 2018, while at Suzuki Fourways; and the WesBank Dealer of the year award for Gauteng in 2016 and 2017.
He said while new cars sales are still finding their “new normal” as more people work from home and keep their cars longer after lockdown, servicing levels have returned to almost normal and demand for quality used cars is outstripping supply nationwide.
“The parts department is the secret sauce in any dealership’s success, and the staff deserves all the credit for helping our dealerships survive with prompt service,” he said.
Dealerfloor met with two of the parts room staff members, Thokozani Jele and Sandile Makhanya, who kept interrupting our attempt to take a quick photo to answer calls. (Note the two took their masks off for the photo opportunity.)
Jele, who started at Fury in January, has been selling Jeep parts at NMI-DSM for 13 years, while Makhanya has been with Fury ’Toti for four years. They said their monthly numbers are still recovering, but business was picking up.
Asked what they rate the most important part in a vehicle, both agreed that oil is paramount in any engine. Jele added that while “the nut that holds the wheel” is also an important component when it comes to brakes and transmissions, lubrication is what keeps everything working smoothly.
Makhanya said: “You will keep the engine happy if you keep the oil fresh and air filters clean – these two are like the blood and lungs of your vehicle.”
“We welcome the announcement by the National Treasury to allocate funds to support the local production of new-energy vehicles and batteries, as well as related manufacturing projects,” says Joubert Roux, Founder of CHARGE.
As the world unites to celebrate International Women's Day this March under the theme “Accelerate Action”, Digi Cars Group reaffirms its commitment to championing, supporting and empowering women in the automotive sector.
Chery reached a landmark milestone earlier this month when it exported the one-millionth Tiggo 4 to global markets. The vehicle departed from Dalian Port in China, where a special event celebrated this significant achievement.
Advertisement
Advertisement
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
GWM South Africa hosted its Dealer Conference and Awards, an annual event that not only celebrated the company’s top-performing dealerships but also heralded the arrival of three new vehicles.
The Digi Cars Group opened an Omoda & Jaecoo dealership in Melrose Arch as part of the group’s expansion plans to increase its dealership range.
If treated as a cost, it simply flows through the income statement and once expensed, it generally is forgotten about after the month in which it is expensed. From a tax and accounting perspective it is processed as an expense and when one needs to cut expenses, it is often one of the first expenses to be reduced.
