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.
“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 National Automobile Dealers’ Association (NADA) announced the nationwide roll-out of its new dealership decal programme, designed to empower South African consumers in making confident, informed choices about where to purchase or service their vehicles.
As we all know, the profit of a motor dealership comes from several areas and each of them needs to be monitored closely if you want to ensure that your dealership performs well.
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.
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You can't build a reputation on what you are going to do.
Henry Ford
As we all know, the profit of a motor dealership comes from several areas and each of them needs to be monitored closely if you want to ensure that your dealership performs well.
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.
