Toyota rewards dealers for customer service

TOYOTA Australia has presented 55 dealerships from its extensive network of 208 retail outlets with a ‘5-Star Customer Service Dealership Award’ for their performance in 2013.

For a dealer to achieve 5-Star status, Toyota says it must have consistently met a strict set of criteria by offering exceptional customer service and routinely exceeding customer expectations.

Customers were independently surveyed throughout the year to determine their level of satisfaction with the sales process as well as their experience with the vehicle service department. The survey results were then averaged over a 12-month period.

Victoria and Queensland proved to be the best-performing regions overall with 15 dealers in each state achieving 5-Star status, followed by nine in Western Australia, eight in South Australia, six in New South Wales and one each in Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory.

Toyota has ranked highly in JD Power’s independent annual Australian Customer Service Index (CSI) study, which measures new-vehicle buyer satisfaction with the aftersales service process. It placed second last year behind Subaru, having topped the table with Honda in 2012.

Toyota Australia’s executive director of sales and marketing Tony Cramb said the 5-Star awards program “demonstrates our commitment to raising the already high standard of customer service across the Toyota dealer network”.

“It’s part of a range of initiatives, which includes our annual National Skills Program, to provide Toyota customers with the best possible service from skilled and knowledgeable staff,” he said.

“The only way a dealer can achieve maximum 5-Star status is with a ‘customer first’ culture and by continuously striving to improve their service and support.”

The Victorian dealers to achieve 5-Star status were: Echuca Toyota, Swan Hill Toyota, Taylor Toyota, Melton Toyota, Warrnambool Toyota, Seymour Toyota, Yarra Valley Toyota, Brighton Toyota, Peter Davey Toyota, Jacob Toyota, Schilling B and Sons, Kyneton Toyota, Colac Toyota, Bendigo Toyota and Berwick Toyota.

The Queensland dealers at this level were: Ian Weigh Toyota, Torque Toyota, Mackay Toyota, Hinterland Toyota, Sci-Fleet Toyota, Ken Mills Toyota Nambour, John Madill Toyota, Downtown Toyota, Mike Carney Toyota, Pacific Toyota, Bill Robertson Toyota, Wide Bay Toyota, Huebner Toyota, Llewellyn Toyota and Sunshine Toyota.

Western Australia’s top-performing dealers for customer service in 2013 were: Geraldton Toyota, Northam Toyota, New Town Toyota, City Toyota, Mandurah Toyota, Busselton Toyota, Toyotaways, Albany Toyota and Bunbury Toyota.

In South Australia the 5-Star dealers were: Errol Matschoss Motors, Adelaide Hills Toyota, Millicent Toyota, Peter Kittle Toyota (Port Lincoln, Whyalla and Para Hills West), Barossa Valley Toyota, CMI Toyota, Kelly Toyota and Northpoint Toyota.

In NSW the standout dealers were: Macquarie Toyota, Armstrong Toyota, Maitland Toyota, Sydney City Toyota, Nowra Toyota and Ballina Toyota.

All three branches of Canberra Toyota reached the 5-Star level, while in Tasmania the most customer-focused dealer last year, according to the in-house program, was Co-Op Toyota.