Not even a tough year, a serious bout of COVID or other issues could keep him from winning Dealer of the Bank for the Non-Franchised category in the Absa Golden Partners Awards.

Hannes has 22 years’ experience in the banking industry and specifically the financing side. The pandemic and its aftermath not only brought the normal chaos experienced by the motor trade today, but six out of eight of his closest friends paid with their lives. Hannes himself was on the brink of death with the illness.

The business he and his sons started in the used car segment in 2005 survived because of his long-time vision about the advantages of Internet marketing and buying on-line with everything done electronically. When many dealerships played catch-up during the pandemic lockdown periods, Trunes Motors was already a leader in this relatively new way of conducting business.

“I believe technology must be used to our advantage and of the prospective customer. It makes life easier for everyone and is a more effective way of conducting business. We still prefer customers picking up their purchased vehicle at the dealership in order to make that all-important personal connection. But everything else could be done from hundreds of miles away.

“Although we recognise the advantages of the Internet as a marketing and business tool, we are also sensitive to the fact that a large percentage of the population do not have free access to the Internet. That is why we do a lot of print media advertising in select publications. We also print our website address and telephone number on the numberplates fitted to the vehicles, covering all possibilities for potential customers to get in touch with us,” Hannes says.

“Instead of us delivering vehicles to their new owners, we fly them up here at our cost to collect their vehicles. It fits our professional approach and helps to minimise risks and costs to us. In one instance, a buyer took an Uber from Lydenburg to collect his new purchase. We were more than happy to pay the Uber’s fee, and the customer was impressed with this service,” Hannes tells Dealerfloor.

Hannes says he started the business with his oldest son who later emigrated to Australia to work for BMW. As soon as his youngest son, Stefan, completed university, he joined Trunes Motors where he is the F&I, and the responsibility of running the dealership is divided between father and son but either one of them can run the complete dealership.

An interesting aspect of their dealership is the name, Trunes. “My wife’s name is Trudi, and we have used the first three letters of her name and the last three of mine (Hannes), which give us Trunes, which means honesty and that is also our slogan – Honesty is our Policy,” Hannes tells us.

“Winning this award from Absa tells us we are on the right track, and all our efforts we put in during these challenging times to be successful in what we do, are recognised. Trunes Motors has become a well-known beacon in this part of Boksburg where there are several businesses in an area surrounded by private schools.

“We assist and take care of our area as this is where we conduct our business on a daily basis, and we are proud of this heritage and our customers,” Hannes says.