There is an African proverb that says “if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”. This year’s winner in the Toyota category has managed to balance both ends of this equation through collective dedication and commitment to continuously be the best at what they do.
With Kefemetswe Ntshwabi at the helm of Halfway Toyota Chobe, their story comes to life from a peaceful village that bustles with tourists travelling from far and wide to see the famed Big 5, where a Toyota dealership started from humble beginnings. This dealership embodies all the principles of family – a family that works together, strives together and together finds innovative ways to achieve all their targets. Here customers are treated as a part of that family, and the staff pulls together to create customer smiles, leading the way in customer service.
“It is true that dynamite comes in small packages. This year’s Toyota Dealer of the Year recipient is one where Leopard, Buffalo and Warthog inspecting the new models in the Toyota showroom is not an uncommon sight. Congratulations Kefemetswe and thank you for your dedication to the Toyota brand,” says Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Toyota South Africa Motors, Leon Theron.
Other outstanding dealers who were celebrated on the night include:
Lexus Dealer of the Year: Christopher Jones of Lexus Fourways
The Lexus Dealer of the Year Award is awarded to the dealer that performs exceptionally in all aspects of the business. This achievement requires dedicated effort and a balanced approach that is aligned with the core philosophy of the Lexus Brand namely, Experience Amazing. 2022 had been yet another challenging year with tough trading conditions. This year’s winner, for the third consecutive year, not only managed to grow their new vehicle sales by 11% through a focus on available models and innovative marketing but also managed to achieve a pre-owned to new vehicle sales ratio of more than 1.6 to 1. From a customer services perspective, they managed to grow their service business by 16%. All of this was supported by an overall improvement in their Customer Experience rating.
“A performance like this, for the third consecutive year, requires visionary leadership and a passionate, dedicated team, key attributes that are firmly entrenched in this dealer’s DNA. It is an absolute pleasure to reward this outstanding performance and give this team the recognition they so rightfully deserve,” says Theron.
Hino Dealer of the Year: Robert Pringle of Hino Isando
As a first-time winner, this Hino dealership is committed and strives for perfection while challenging the status quo. They achieved between 106% and 109% of their Sales, Parts and Service targets, although they were not winners in any of the categories, they were always a top contender in each category.
“The Dealer Principal is a Hino ambassador and continuously motivates his team. He embraces Hino Total Support and the team at the dealership is always willing to walk the extra mile to ensure total customer satisfaction,” concludes Theron.
Toyota South Africa’s Dealer of the year awards were held at the prestigious Sandton Convention Centre Friday, 10 March.
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