Automotive News Canada - January 2024 - 9

* JANUARY 2024
9
By doing more,
a store soars
New general
manager seizes
the opportunity
to turn an
AutoCanada
Infiniti dealership
into a top performer
By DOUG FIRBY
CALGARY CORRESPONDENT
THE WILLINGNESS OF
employees to try new strategies
to improve the customer experience
has led to significant
growth for a Calgary Infiniti
store and garnered accolades
from its owner, AutoCanada of
Edmonton.
Innovation is " one of our core
values, " said Jackie Howden,
who became general manager of
Hyatt Infiniti in November 2022.
For the first 11 months of
2023, the dealership increased
new-vehicle sales by 30 per cent
over the same period in 2022.
Sales of used vehicles increased
22 per cent.
AutoCanada, which has 65
dealerships in Canada and 18 in
the United States, ranked Hyatt
Infiniti as the best-achieving
Jackie Howden became general manager of Hyatt Infiniti in Calgary in November 2022 and sales
of new and used vehicles began to climb. Howden credits an innovative staff and attention to the
customer experience. SUPPLIED PHOTOS
store among 12 Infiniti retailers
in western Canada, based
on sales volume, an internal
customer service index and
growth in finance and insurance.
AutoCanada bought
Hyatt Infiniti and several other
Calgary dealerships in 2014.
" I am so proud of the Hyatt
Infiniti team and cannot
wait to see what they accomplish
in 2024, " Jeff Thorpe,
AutoCanada's president of
North America, wrote in a
recent LinkedIn post.
Howden: The majority of
Hyatt Infiniti's sales come
from Internet leads, or i-leads,
which are responded to within
five minutes.
Trim: 10.875 " x 7.375 "
Bleed: 0.125
Notes:
Creative & Production Services, 100 Yonge St., 5th
File: 3267755 Scotia Scene Automotive PRINT_E N
Colours: CMYK
Safety: N/A
'REDEFINE OUR APPROACH'
Howden cut her teeth at several
other Calgary dealerships
before joining Hyatt Infiniti.
Howden said she inherited a
well-established franchise - it
was the city's first Infiniti dealership
when it opened in 1994
- with a solid reputation. Yet
she also saw an opportunity for
improvement.
Floor, Toronto ON, M5C 2W1
She appointed new senior
managers, then set out to " redefine
our approach to the sales
experience. " The dealership
emphasized online tools while
maintaining a personal touch
with customers.
The website was beefed up
with multiple photographs
of vehicles
in inventory.
Transparency
was emphasized,
including extensive
detail of a vehiBEST
PRACTICES
cle's features and the amount of
money the dealership spent on
reconditioning, Howden said.
" We want to make the client
feel that we care, and we want
them to have confidence in us, "
she said.
Workfront #: 3267755
Deadline: Dec, 2023
In Market: Dec, 2023
A quick response to leads was
also deemed critical. " I-leads " -
Hyatt's term for internet-based
sales inquiries - are to be
responded to within five minutes.
Customers interested in a
particular car are sent a video
introducing the sales associate
they will be dealing with,
SPOTLIGHT
followed by a comprehensive
walkaround video of the vehicle.
The majority of the dealership's
sales now come from
i-leads, Howden said, and as
many as 20 per cent of all sales
are completed without
buyers even coming
to the store.
" Over COVID, clients
got really comfortable
with not
being in the store, "
Howden said. " What they want
is convenience, and we're allowing
them the convenience of
buying from home. "
The video of the sales associate
also helps build a personal
relationship, she said.
The dealership refined its
delivery process by providing a
detailed orientation of the vehicle
to ensure customers have
positive memories of taking possession
of it.
Designer: TR Prod: CL
SEE AUTOCANADA PAGE 25
AUTO DEALERS, GET READY TO
REV UP YOUR REWARDS.
The new Scotia Dealer Rewards program now offers Scene+™ points,
which can be redeemed for travel, movies, groceries and more.
Contact your local sales rep to learn more.
® Registered trademark of The Bank of Nova Scotia.
™Scene+ and the Icon Design are trademarks of Scene Plus IP Corporation used under license

https://www.scotiabank.com/ca/en/commercial-banking/industries/automotive/scotiadealerrewards.html?cid=S1eWCCOVE1254-003

Automotive News Canada - January 2024

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