Toyota of Poway thrives following move
By Emily Sorensen
Toyota of Poway has seen some impressive growth since moving to its new location, something the staff attributes to great employees.
“The whole culture of the dealership has changed with the move,” said general sales manager Rufus Keller. “We’ve gone back to being your hometown car dealership. We’re friendly, and not focused on how many cars we sell, but on keeping our customers happy.”
Toyota of Poway opened its new dealership location in January 2013, moving across the street to 13631 Poway Road. The move allowed the dealership to not only expand its services, but to hire additional employees.
The owners and management have refocused on making sure the dealership’s employees are well-trained and happy. “First, you have to take care of the employees,” said Keller, “so they will be able to do what they need to do when customers come in.”
Dennis Cooper, senior sales associate at Toyota of Poway, said that management has become friendlier to the needs of employees, which has helped create an excellent culture at the dealership. “Satisfaction starts at the top,” said Cooper. This includes recognizing employees for their good work on a regular basis. “It helps you take pride in where you work,” said Keller.
Owner Vince Castro’s hands-on nature is also a morale booster for the employees. “The owner is very involved in the day-to-day operations [of Toyota of Poway],” said Keller. “He’s not the kind of owner who shows up once a month to check on the business.”
“[Castro] is the kind of owner who will always acknowledge you, even if he’s walking through [the room] with someone,” said Cooper. “That’s important because it shows that he appreciates his employees.”
Keller said Toyota of Poway also works to nurture its employees, even if they’re not the best salespeople right off the bat. “We help develop struggling sales people, rather than discard them,” said Keller. “We’d rather start off with good people, and develop them into sales people.”
That dedication to having a happy, friendly staff has resulted in higher customer satisfaction, said Keller. The dealership is up to a 95 percent customer satisfaction rate in their new location, and it is on track to be awarded the President’s Award, which is for the top 10 percent of dealerships with regards to sales, customer satisfaction and community involvement.
“We take out customers very seriously,” said Cooper. “We give them all the attention they deserve. There’s lots of Toyota dealerships in town, and we’re off the beaten path. People kind of have to go out of their way to come to us, and it’s very important in how we treat the customer. It’s not just about selling cars, but how we treat all their needs.”
Their service department is also working to treat customer needs. It has grown to handling about 180 cars per day, up from about 140 in their old location.
The dealership has also worked to expand it’s online presence. “The business has really moved toward the internet, rather than driving up to the store,” said Keller. On Toyota of Poway’s website, a customer can view cars, make a selection and even purchase their vehicle, all without ever having to step foot into the dealership. Toyota of Poway also offers a concierge service that will deliver your new car right to your door.
“We want to be ahead of the curve,” said Keller. “[Buying cars online] is where the future is.”
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