
Asian brands, EVs dominate 2025 Best Buy Awards
The 2025 Best By Awards, announced by Kelley Blue Book, reflect the rapidly shifting landscape of the automotive market not only in the USA, but also elsewhere.
- Industry News
- 17 April 2025
Having to work out of office while the dealership is being fumigated for the Sars-Cov2 virus is just the latest challenge sales staff have had to manage in order to meet targets.
Owner and MD of the Easy Systems, Tim Kinsey, told Dealerfloor his Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system allows sales staff to work 100% remotely via the EasySystems Mobile app.
The Pinetown-based company has been in business for 15 years and lays claim to being South Africa’s market-leading CRM systems designer, with several dealer groups and franchises as clients who post glowing testimonials on the Easy Systems website.
For these reasons and more, Lightstone Auto has partnered with Easy Systems to make this industry-leading software available to its customers.
Kinsey says sales staff use the app to respond to leads, make phone calls on the dealership's account, quote, do OTPs and even get the customer to digitally sign quotes and OTP’s — all from the comfort and safety of their homes.
Kinsey reckons that as more and more deals are concluded remotely, it is essential that dealerships keep up with the trend or face the prospect of falling behind the curve. "As long as there is no immunity or a vaccine for the latest Coronavirus (Sars-Cov2), we will have to keep our regulated social distance to reduce re-infections for a long while to come.
“Easy Systems Mobile enables sales staff to work 100% remotely, it puts the office in their pockets,” said Kinsey.
In the face of a shifting premium automotive market, Audi South Africa is also currently re-aligning its retail operations according to the new reality where the premium vehicle sector has contracted to nearly a third of its size compared to a decade ago, with 2024 marking the lowest level yet.
The Halfway Group has opened the doors to a brand-new Lexus dealership, located in Lynnwood, Pretoria, with Chris Jones as the Dealer Principal.
Stellantis has announced the expansion of its multi-franchise dealer network with the addition of the Fiat and Jeep brands to the existing CMH East Rand dealership in Boksburg, Gauteng.