BEST IN TOWN

 

Objective
Our business process to become "Best in Town" is a Customer Experience Initiative: The Road to Remarkable.

The process focuses on the entire dealership by creating a customer service/hospitality industry driven culture with employees in all departments. We designed a process that is inspiring to our employees, focuses on innovation through teamwork and communication, is constantly evolving and exciting, and provides a customer-friendly way for our customers to purchase or service their New Toyotas.

The Process
The Story
The road to become remarkable truly began in the throes of the Great Recession. We were in a facility that either needed to be remodeled or rebuilt, and our Owner/President, Scott Casebeer, decided to make a dramatic change. The opportunity arose to purchase a new parcel of land in a new part of town, and we took the chance to create a completely different business model.

Shortly after the completion of and move to the new facility, Scott hired a company called Master Connection Associates (MCA) to help craft our new way of life. MCA had not worked with an automotive dealership prior to Capitol, but their experience in shaping the guest experience for five-star resorts, national banks, and large real estate firms was exactly what we were looking for.

Creating a new Vision along with a new set of Values and Standards was where the process began, but it didn't come from the top down. Every single employee working at Capitol Toyota had the opportunity to review, revise, and suggest changes to the new document before it was ever unveiled. The early involvement of our employees allowed them to truly embrace this new culture and be advocates for creating a hospitality driven customer experience. They helped established the Vision of our company: "To be the best at providing a unique, customer-driven automotive experience that includes respect, integrity, and innovation."

The essential element was and always has been employee involvement. It has continued to be an established part of day-to-day operations at Capitol Toyota. The process starts with training and follows with continuous improvement through daily communication. Every new employee is trained on our Vision, Values, and Standards.

Beyond the initial training, we hold Daily Lineups every day in every department. One of our 'Standards' is the topic of discussion for the day, and our managers use it as a time to make announcements about dealership events, employee anniversaries and birthdays, new model year vehicle changes, automotive industry news, and the dealership's community involvement; get everyone on the same page as it relates to their own department, making sure processes and policies are understood; and motivate the staff to create a remarkable customer experience.

Capitol Toyota firmly believes that being the Best In Town starts from the ground up, and we have built a process that not only engages our staff, but also empowers them to make the best decision possible.

Measurable Success
As we introduced hospitality into the Customer Experience in 2012, we needed ways to see if our efforts were paying off. We decided to measure three areas:

1. Sales Volume
Our sales had been steady until we implemented the Vision, Values, and Standards. When our employees truly embraced the customer experience culture, it was easy to see the translation to interactions with our customers. And the numbers prove it:
       • Sales Volume 2011: 942
       • Sales Volume 2014: 1,920

2. Customer Retention
The focus on our customers' needs did indeed cause a rise in Customer Retention for both Sales and Service.
       • Sales Retention 2011: 45%            • Service Retention 2011: 55%
       • Sales Retention 2014: 50%            • Service Retention 2014: 70%

3. Employee Retention
Capitol Toyota has always focused on making the dealership an enjoyable place to work. We have over 25 loyal employees that have been on staff for 15 years or more. But the re-focus on hospitality allowed all employees to be included in every aspect of the customer experience:
        • Employee Retention 2011: 72%
        • Employee Retention 2014: 89%

Intangibles
In addition to Sales Volume, Customer Retention, and Employee Retention, we have the same additional tools provided to every Toyota dealer. We are constantly vigilant of our Customer Satisfaction scores in both Sales and Service; our Sales Efficiency is monitored monthly; and ToyotaCare redemption is a top priority.

But that is not what sets us apart.

Beyond those tangible measures of success, we also have some intangible measures that let us know we are on the Road to Remarkable. Our Daily Lineups, monthly birthday meetings, employee newsletters, and constant and relevant communication has allowed our own employees to help us win a variety of awards over the past couple of years:
                                  2015: #1 Company to Work For in the State of Oregon (Oregon Business Magazine)
                               2013-2014: Top Ten Dealership to Work For in the United States (Automotive News)
                               2013-2015: More than $250,000 donated by employees to local United Way
These awards and recognition are voted by our employees, so we know we have made Capitol Toyota an enjoyable and exciting place to work. From happy employees come satisfied customers, and we have seen that through our increased sales volume, customer retention, and employee retention.

Best In Town
Our Vision includes the words "best" and "innovation" for a reason: we are always striving for ways to improve. Simply selling, servicing, or providing parts for a large number of Toyotas is not enough. We have proven that providing a superior customer experience is what it takes to move from a Great dealership to one that is Remarkable.