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CRANBROOK
Driving the business
Alpine Toyota has revamped to better serve its clients
by TANYA LAING MOORE
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A GROWING BUSINESS: Toyota is constantly updating its lineup of vehicles to keep up with consumer trends; Alpine Toyota in Cranbrook recently underwent a facelift to bring the corporate look of the dealership up to speed, too.
—Kris Linblad photo |
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SUCCESS WITH A SMILE: Parsons attributed the success of the dealership to a superior line of vehicles, including the world’s best-selling car—the Toyota Corolla—and the full-size Tundra.
—Kris Lindblad photo |
Terry Parsons, owner of Alpine Toyota in Cranbrook since 1988, has seen the business go through many changes since he first joined the company in April of 1981.
“I drove into town from Swan River, Manitoba. Everything I owned was in my car. When I first started working here, when you walked in the front door, the hot water heater and the furnace were right there,” he laughed. “It’s changed a lot.”
A fresh face
Both Parsons and his company have enjoyed success over that time, especially within the last five years. The growth in the business has necessitated Alpine Toyota’s recent upgrades and new look. Toyota dealerships across Canada are part of a facility image program, and the Cranbrook store’s facelift and expansion will ensure image continuity.
“As we grow—and our business is growing by leaps and bounds—we need to upgrade our facilities to facilitate our clientele,” said Parsons. “We have to be able to service them properly and look after them properly, so we have more offices and more service bays and more everything.”
Parsons attributed the success of the dealership to a superior line of vehicles, including the world’s best-selling car—the Toyota Corolla—and the full-size Tundra. He also believes that a more savvy clientele is beneficial to the market.
“Today’s shoppers are more educated than they’ve ever been, which is great for us,” said Parsons. “The more research people do on the Internet, the better it is for our business. They look up consumer reports and they look up crash test websites. They see how our cars are rated—and guess what? Nine times out of 10, they’ll come here and buy a car.
“We want people to make an informed decision.”
The responsibility to customers is one that Parsons and his staff take seriously.
“It’s the second largest investment most people ever make in their lives,” he said. “It’s not something to play around with. We have product advisors that empower people with knowledge to make an informed decision. We respect people’s time and their individual needs.
“They’re in control of the whole process—not us. We’re not buying the car. They are.”
Parsons also believes that the relationship between the dealer and the customer is a long-term one, and he encourages his staff to take this approach as well, and to nurture the positive reputation enjoyed by the dealership.
“When we sell somebody a car, it’s the beginning of the relationship, not the end,” he said. “I used to tell people that I’m in the trunk of that car for as long as you own it—but you have to let me out for air once in a while.”
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