Triton brings the challenge to competitors
The bakkie war has intensified with the local launch of Mitsubishi’s next-generation Triton, an evolution in the iconic bakkie’s 46-year legacy.
- Product News
- 21 November 2024
One of five Rola Ford branches serving the Cape Winelands, Overstrand, Overberg and the Garden Route, Rola Ford Caledon, under Dealer Principal Marco Calitz, has been going the extra mile serving the local farmers and broader community for several years now.
One of five Rola Ford branches serving the Cape Winelands, Overstrand, Overberg and the Garden Route, Rola Ford Caledon, under Dealer Principal Marco Calitz, has been going the extra mile serving the local farmers and broader community for several years now.
We caught up with Marco to chat about what makes him tick:
Dealerfloor: When did you join Rola?
Marco Calitz: I joined the Rola Motor Group as the Group Internal Auditor in January 2011 after paying my dues as an Internal Auditor for six years. The role evolved into me becoming the “key individual” of the Rola Motor Group and overseeing the F&I Business Manager and Supplier relationships. I left the Rola Motor Group for a short time in July 2017 but returned in October 2018 as Dealer Principal of Rola Ford Caledon.
DF: How has the State of Disaster affected the dealership?
MC: Getting back to a ‘’new normal’’ and being able to again meet one-on-one with our customers. Working in a rural dealership gives us the opportunity to really treat each and every customer as family. We understand the importance of service and continuously strive to improve this side of our business. We do our utmost to enhance the overall customer experience at every touchpoint, be it at the dealership, telephonically or in the virtual world (website/social media).
DF: What are the challenges that enhancing customer service at your dealership?
MC: A rural dealership is different to the big city shop floors. Customers must be looked after throughout their involvement with the brand. They must be friends. Improved communication with the friends driving our cars and bakkies is key; this includes aftersales and the support the OEM provides. This means we at the dealership need all the help and efficient support we can get from the banks, other stakeholders and manufacturers.
DF: What are your ambitions for Rola Ford Caledon?
MC: I want to grow the footprint of Rola Motor Group and of Rola Ford Caledon within as well as outside our area to ensure that all customers experience the feeling of being treated as “one of the family”.
DF: Speaking of which – who is in the dealership family?
MC: Our Financial Manager is Wiehan Grobbelaar. Looking after both new and used car sales is Lean de Wet, while very importantly, Vernon Scheepers manages the aftersales and Paul Adonis looks after the driveway.
Calitz says enhancing the culture of achievement and pride in the Rola and Ford brands and improving the overall customer experience are his top priorities.
“I could not do it without Liezel, with whom I have been in a relationship since 2017.”
The couple are in Hermanus from 2019 and live in the most beautiful Hemel & Aarde Valley. Marco’s son, Liam, is seventeen and is currently in grade eleven in Paul Roos Gymnasium.
Marco Calitz is a true Bolander having grown up in Worcester, matriculated in 1992 and studied at Tygerberg College (now Northlink College) from 1993 to 1995.
Rola Ford Caledon serves the whole Overberg, from Grabouw to Riviersonderend and beyond.
The bakkie war has intensified with the local launch of Mitsubishi’s next-generation Triton, an evolution in the iconic bakkie’s 46-year legacy.
Unlike in the past, when dealerships primarily waited for customers to come to them, we now take a more proactive approach, bringing our vehicles directly to places where people gather, allowing them to experience the product first-hand, including offering test drives,” says Gerrie van der Kaay, Dealer Principal at Supergroup Dealerships Jetour Midrand.
JAC Motors added ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) to its X200 2.8L TDI 1.5-tonne single-cab, enhancing safety for both the crew and cargo. This latest upgrade complements the ABS-equipped X200 1.3-tonne double-cab targeted at organisations with labour-intensive crews.
Advertisement
Advertisement
You can't build a reputation on what you are going to do.
Henry Ford
Unlike in the past, when dealerships primarily waited for customers to come to them, we now take a more proactive approach, bringing our vehicles directly to places where people gather, allowing them to experience the product first-hand, including offering test drives,” says Gerrie van der Kaay, Dealer Principal at Supergroup Dealerships Jetour Midrand.
One of the latest Chinese automotive brands to establish itself in South Africa, GAC Motor, is benefitting from the expertise of well-known motor groups in the country, like the BB Motor Group.
Stellantis has announced the expansion of its multi-franchise dealer network with the addition of the Fiat and Jeep brands to the existing Westvaal Motor Group dealership in Klerksdorp in North West Province.