On a recent visit to interview the Dealer Principal and other staff at Thorp Motors in Tableview, Dealerfloor shared the waiting room with an older customer, patiently waiting for his car, which was being serviced there.
Share with friends
“You know, I’ve been coming here for many years, still driving the same car I bought back in 2009 from Suzuki Helderberg,” the friendly Tony Carvounes starts up a conversation.
Tony, a partner at Candytron in the nearby Montague Gardens, looks like the retired businessman he is – neatly but casually dressed for the out-of-the-norm warm, windless day in the middle of July; relaxed and patient.
He starts chatting about what he calls “the great service”: “I brought in my car for a quick service and they said it would be ready within the hour,” he says as we were approached by a young man dressed in overalls, holding the keys in his hand.
“She’s ready, Mr Carvounes,” he says from behind his mask.
But Tony wants to chat more. “Thanks,” he says, taking the keys and holding them in his hand, but not moving to get up and into his car quite yet.
“Eleven years ago, I went to another Suzuki branch to look at the SX4. They said they’d call me back. I’m still waiting for the call,” he recalls. “I then approached Helderberg Suzuki where I bought the SX4. What a lovely car. I brought it here for every service, and I still bring it here today. She’s a bit older now, but still the car of choice for me!”
Tony’s brother and his wife have a Grand Vitara and a Swift, he says.
“To me the car is great, but the service is better – that’s why my family and I are still here.”
Tony’s staff at Candytron, local importers and distributors of quality products such as candy, liquorice as well as olives and olive oil, also use a Suzuki Swift, while his niece drives “a smaller one”, the Suzuki Ignis.
“I love the Suzuki brand and their products, but the reason is the people here at my dealership.”
The service department is run by Service Manager Moosa Toffar.
If you think Golf in South Africa, you think GTI or even the quicker Golf R. Volkswagen, however, has just introduced a new entry-level Golf consisting of four models slotting in below its twin performance siblings.
DFSK’s current vehicle line-up in the country will expand with the addition of new petrol versions of the DFSK K01S Bakkie and the DFSK C35 Panel Van while on the electric vehicle side, the DFSK EC35 and EC31 are already familiar ‘faces’ locally.
Kia South Africa this weekend rewarded its top-performing dealerships across the country with prizes for outstanding achievements in sales, after-sales and service operations.
Kia South Africa this weekend rewarded its top-performing dealerships across the country with prizes for outstanding achievements in sales, after-sales and service operations.
SA's automotive market is shifting. Hybrid sales nearly doubled in 2024, EV views surged 77%, and sedan sales continued to slide, dropping 13.57%. Here’s how these trends can drive dealership strategies forward.