RUSTENBURG HERALD - RUSTENBURG - When you think about buying a new (or used) set of wheels, replacing parts on a public transport vehicle or getting your car serviced, having a 5-star luxury hotel experience is not necessarily at the forefront of your mind - but this is the experience that new Dealer Principal, Nico Pretorius, at Toyota Rustenburg, wants for all of their clients.
“When you enter a 5-star hotel, everyone, from the doorman to the cleaners, greet the guests - and this is what I aim for at my dealership - service must improve, staff development is a big part of this, clients must want to return because of our excellent standards of operation, we have to keep up with technological changes, the workshop must operate efficiently. We have to operate focused on the client experience.”
Pretorius (37) is an “old hand” in the world of Toyota, starting his career with them straight after completing his studies in the field of finance. He progressed through the ranks from a salesperson to sales manager at Rustenburg Toyota and then as Dealer Principal (DP) at Lichtenburg Toyota (since 2017). Now, he is set to make his mark at the only mega dealership in the North West province.
He officially took over the reins from Johann Snyman as DP on 1 June. He considers Snyman a mentor and attributes much of his success to Snyman, as well as his own father, who also worked in the motor industry (at Toyota) as he was growing up.
You could say working at Toyota is the “family business” and the way that Pretorius talks about his future goals and plans for Toyota Rustenburg, you could only assume that things will be bigger and better, very soon.
Speaking of family business, Pretorius’ wife, Jeanthé also works as a consultant for Toyota in her capacity as a lawyer, dealing with compliance related matters.
Pretorius is father to two youngsters, Lara (3) and Phillip (1) and he speaks of his children with a sparkle in his eye and a genuine smile when he mentions the fact that “payama drills” are currently part of his daily (or nightly) routine.
He has a sincere appreciation for spending time in the “great outdoors”, enjoying fishing and hunting, but he also considers himself a staunch “petrol head. It’s in my blood,” he affirms of his passion for anything and everything auto industry related.
Pretorius invites all clients, new and old, to visit Rustenburg Toyota and experience his hands-on approach for themselves. “A new telephone system has already been installed to improve our service, but it will take time to upscale a group of 130 staff to the standard of service I aim for. I believe in “living” close to my staff and being out on the floor. I don’t sit in my office - clients will see me actively participating in the daily running of the dealership.
