Automotive News Canada - November 2020 - 20

* N O V E M B E R 2020

Lots of heart
When the pandemic
made life difficult for
Brampton residents,
local dealers dug deep
for solutions

Business has
rebounded since the
spring, but when
sales were down, the
team searched the
city for gaps in social
services that had
been amplified by
the virus.
By GLORIA GALLOWAY
" We're very
AUTOMOTIVE NEWS CANADA
involved in the community, " Romero
RETAILERS IN A CITY HARD HIT
said. " So we decided to put some of our
by COVID-19 have channeled their
focus toward that because that's where
energies into helping both their comour efforts were going to be most appremunity and employees.
ciated at that time. "
Brampton, in the Peel
The staff took to the phones
region northwest of Toronto,
and sourced two Sprinter
had some of the highest case
cargo vans full of personal
numbers in Ontario during
protective equipment, hand
the first wave of the pandemic
sanitizer, disinfectants, blanin March. And even in early
kets, first-aid kits and other
fall, it was outpacing other
pandemic necessities that
parts of the province as a hot
were almost impossible to find
spot.
during the first weeks of the
At the beginning of the
pandemic.
When
pandemic, Mercedes-Benz
Those supplies were donatMercedesBrampton ensured that its
ed to Regeneration Outreach
Benz Brampton and the Knights Table, two
130 employees had basic food
and household supplies when realized
Brampton centres for homeworkers
shortages plagued shelves,
less people.
wouldn't have
said Nicole Romero, the dealIn addition, Jonathan Eltes,
time to go to
ership's human-resources
Mercedes-Benz
Brampton's
the grocery
director.
dealer principal, donatstore, the
In the initial government
ed $5,000 to help the centres
dealership
lockdown, when auto dealerreplenish their food supply.
went to the
ships were declared essential, store for them,
The shelters were caught
management realized that
off-guard by the pandemsaid Nicole
" employees didn't have time
ic, just like everyone else,
Romero, the
to run to the grocery store, "
Romero said. " Homelessness
dealership's
Romero said. " So a couple of
doesn't stop during COVID,
HR director.
us went to the grocery store,
and a lot of positions at this
PHOTO VIA
NICOLE ROMERO
and we stocked up on some
company were at a standstill,
essential items. "
so they were able to take the time to
Each employee received a package
help out. "
worth $70 that included such products
At Bramgate Automotive - which
as canned goods, flour and toilet paper.
runs an Audi and a Volkswagen store

A van loaded with supplies heads to two Brampton-area homeless shelters.
PHOTO: MERCEDES-BENZ BRAMPTON

in Brampton and another Audi dealership in nearby Mississauga - business is also returning to normal,
said Roberto Fazio, vice-president of
finance and administration.
But even as it grappled with the
economic impact of the shutdown,
Bramgate decided to donate $50 for
every vehicle sold to the foundations

Nicole Romero distributes
care packages to employees at
Mercedes-Benz Brampton.

PHOTO: MERCEDES-BENZ BRAMPTON

of two hospitals, Fazio said.
" We're a small business, just like
many other small businesses, and we
need the health and good economy
locally to continue to operate, " he said.
" We want to support people in
whatever way that we can. It's a twoway street. We need to help them, and
they need to help us for us to continue
to be important members of the community. "
In addition, Bramgate began collecting food donations from customers and then matching them before
delivering the loads to the local food
bank. It also allowed a customer shuttle to be used for distributing food to
the needy.
The company, begun by Bill
Johnston in 1967 and now owned by two
of his sons, wanted to give back to the
community where it has been a fixture
for more than 50 years, Fazio said.
The Johnstons " had quite a discussion internally about what's the best
way to recognize both our longevity
in the region and to say thanks to the
people of the region for helping us to
be the solid business that we are. "
- ANC

High-visibility cleaning
Showing customers
the sanitization
procedures is
essential to proving
they're being done

By STEPHANIE WALLCRAFT
AUTOMOTIVE NEWS CANADA

DEALERSHIPS ACROSS THE
country have implemented essential safety measures
during COVID-19 such as distributing personal protective equipment and installing
plexiglass partitions.
However, some have gone
above and beyond to help customers retain a sense of comfort during trying times.
Lockwood Kia in Oakville,
Ont., has kept its customer
lounge operating as much as
possible, complete with use of
the coffee machine, by increasing the space between seats
and implementing additional sanitization measures. This
helps customers feel safe while
they continue to enjoy every-

day comforts, said General
Manager Michael Defreitas.
" We have a couple of staff
members who offered to come
in two hours early every single day and do a deep sanitization of the entire dealership,
including . . . all door handles
and light switches, cars in the
showroom, work surfaces, anything that can be touched.
" Our coffee station has a
digital display and you can
choose the type of beverage
that you want. . . . That's being
disinfected by our receptionist
each time after somebody uses
it, and we're using disposable
cups instead of our reusable
mugs. "

CUSTOMER CONFIDENCE
Volvo of Edmonton had fulltime cleaning staff pre-pandemic, but having those staff
members visible during operating hours has increased customer comfort levels during
COVID-19, according to Dealer
Principal Mike Norris.
" You see them actively
cleaning all the time. We sanitize the same [amount] as some

hospitals. That gives people
confidence. "
Among the measures
taken for customer safety at
Roadsport Auto Group, which
has dealerships in Toronto,
Ont., and Fredericton, N.B.,
owners who bring their vehicles in for service are instructed to drop their keys into a
zip-top bag so that dealership
employees don't need to handle the key fob directly. This
is in response to public-health
advice that the coronavirus
can live on surfaces for several
hours, said the group's human
resources consultant, Roger
Guy Baguley.
Communicating safety measures to customers is
just as important as implementing them. Mike Currie,
general manager of Steele
Hyundai in Halifax, N.S., said
via email that Steele Auto
Group shared its efforts with
the public through coordinated social media campaigns,
which included videos from
each general manager outlining the measures undertaken
at each store to ensure cus-

Lockwood Kia staff regularly
clean and sanitize the
dealership, including the
customer lounge area, top,
and beverage stations, said
General Manager Michael
Defreitas.
PHOTOS: LOCKWOOD KIA

tomer safety. The group operates 41 dealerships, including
one in Texas.

" [We also recorded] videos
to thank first responders and
[explained] how we were there
to help keep them moving
during the pandemic so they
could carry out the important
work necessary to keep us safe
and healthy, " Currie said.
- ANC

Automotive News Canada - November 2020

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