march/april2017 THE MAGAZINE FOR TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS Connected Customer Online car buying made easy with Toyota Marin Express 7 1 DEALER DOINGS: 0 McDonough Toyota 2 Keeping Kids Safe with Operation Kidsafe by Dan Nied Stars of the Day At McDonough Toyota’s Operation Kidsafe event, Sheriff Donald Smith, Nivia Tedesco, Kidsafe’s march/april Safety Pup and Officer James Snyder saw 200 kids and their parents participate. 7 1 2018 RAV4 Adventure 0 2 march/april 2 2 Dealer Doings 9 Above and Beyond McDonough Toyota holds Operation Kidsafe event Toyota of Knoxville Service Writer Connor Reis drove M cDonough Toyota aims to do its part to help the To spread the word, McDonough Toyota marketed the today for parents and Scion for Soldiers rewards deserving through a wildfire to deliver a customer’s car so she ota Staunton, Va., community, this time reaching out to a oy event to two local school districts through social media, t drivers. could flee her Gatlinburg, Tenn., home. decidedly younger demographic. along with radio and television ads and neighborhood fliers. Their latest venture was in conjunction with Operation 4 Connected Customer Mirai Moxie They also invited local first responders from the police 13 Kidsafe, an organization that aims to help parents of children Toyota Marin Express technology and transparency What’s it like to own a Mirai? Customer Jim Martellotti and fire departments. who are lost or abducted. to make online purchases easy for customers. tells why he’s a big advocate of the hydrogen fuel-cell Even though the subject of the event was serious, In November, Operation Kidsafe set up shop at powered sedan. that doesn’t mean it couldn’t be part of a weekend of fun. the dealership on a raucous Saturday, offering free 7 Making a Difference Tedesco brought in food trucks and a DJ from a local radio fingerprinting and 8×11 photos of kids, to give parents a Peterson Toyota’s command center during Hurricane station, along with a face painting booth, plenty of balloons Matthew helped flood victims through a difficult time. head start should the unthinkable happen to their children. and coloring. “We don’t want any parent to have to go through “We just want to make it as fun as can be,” Tedesco that kind of emergency,” says Nivia Tedesco, McDonough’s says. “We’re trying to prevent a problem, but we’re also social media director. “But if we can give a parent the tools trying to make sure the kids have a good time while EDITORIAL STAFF toyotatoday.com to react to a kidnapping, that’s all we can hope for.” Published six times per year for Toyota dealers and dealership personnel by the Corporate Communications they’re here.” Sr. Manager Scott DeYager These tools could help police react more quickly and Division of Toyota Motor North America. Copyright ©2017 by Toyota Motor North America. In all, 200 kids were printed and photographed. Their Contents may be reprinted with permission. All rights reserved. accurately when a child goes missing. Operation Kidsafe Manager Lisa Yamada Address magazine inquiries to: developed their procedure in conjunction with the FBI parents left with just a little more peace of mind, which Karen Nielsen Editor Karen Nielsen and police, using modern all-digital systems to capture reinforces McDonough’s commitment to the community. TEL: 469.292.2659 eMAIL: [email protected] Writers Dan Miller For customer inquiries please contact fingerprints and photographs of children. If a child is lost “We just want to do as much as we can,” Tedesco says. Dan Nied the Toyota Customer Experience Center: or missing, a parent can use the prints and pics to help “This company is very community oriented. We believe we TEL: 800.331.4331 Design AkinsParker For product and company information: guide the law enforcement investigation. are here to strengthen our town and surrounding areas.” WEB: toyota.com TEL: 800.GO.TOYOTA DEALER DOINGS: Scion for Soldiers whenever, wherever Vehicle Donations Help Vets Get Around Toyota Marin Express offers customers a chance to shop online, how and where they want by Karen Nielsen by Karen Nielsen When three deserving Arizona veterans won a two-year The men attended a Veterans Day event at Big Two lease for Scion by Toyota xB vehicles, they had no idea the Toyota in Chandler, Ariz., and were surprised with the news K ristina Ruud-Hewitt spent three months car cars would be paid off in full two years later. that the vehicles were theirs. TFS, TMS and the Valley shopping before choosing the Highlander Hybrid. But thanks to a collaboration between Toyota Financial Toyota Dealers Association took care of the bill, which is It balanced low carbon emissions with plenty of Services, the Valley Toyota Dealers Association and valued at more than $53,000, including taxes. cargo space. Another attractive selling feature: Toyota Motor Sales, the veterans now own the vehicles — “It was an honor to personally thank the recipients for She could buy it online. free and clear. their heroic sacrifice for our country,” says Big Two Toyota The 51-year-old artisan was able to complete Two years ago, TMS teamed up with Military General Manager Wally Henkel. “Big Two Toyota was eager the paperwork on Toyota Marin’s Express online to take part in this.” Assistance Mission, which provides assistance to Arizona store before going to bed, and picked up the SUV The partnership worked well and is one that could active duty military and their families, to host a video before lunch the following day. be replicated in other regions, says Alan Mimaki, Scion submission contest for veterans in need of a vehicle to help “I usually don’t get home from work until 8 or business operations manager, and franchise administration them get back on their feet. The contest attracted 70 entries 7 9 p.m., so it’s hard for me to get to the dealership,” 1 manager for Toyota. 0 2 and the public voted to determine the winners. “This is a good recipe for collaboration between TFS, she says. “None of the other dealerships offered Many of the stories were heart wrenching, but three Toyota dealers and their associations and a chance to work online purchasing. It was nice to be able to send stood out: march/april with a local nonprofit organization and support a noble everything off ahead of time and know what I was • Abel Bautista had a traumatic brain injury when he served 3 cause,” he says. preapproved for.” in Afghanistan and he continues to suffer from seizures Most importantly, three worthy veterans received The San Rafael, Calif., dealership sells about today and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result. vehicles that helped improve their financial situation and 30 vehicles a month online and General Manager ota • William “Gilbert” Brien joined the Army as a medic oy t quality of life for their families. Mike Christian sees the potential to triple that after high school and previously served in Afghanistan “We value the contributions and sacrifices that U.S. growth. It’s a service that customers want, and few for one tour. military personnel and their families make every day,” says competitors are offering. • Kurt Kronemeyer was in the Army for 21 years and John O’Malley, president of the Valley Toyota Dealers “Customers are very busy and everybody served two tours, Desert Storm and Iraq. Afterward, Association. “The Valley Toyota dealers have worked to is looking to save time,” he says. “In the past, he couldn’t work due to his injuries and was struggling show our appreciation by supporting initiatives that are consumers would go from dealership to dealership to get Veterans Affairs benefits. important to our veterans.” until they found the car they wanted. Today, the average consumer is spending 11 hours of online research before coming into a dealership. We offer the ability to do all of that research in one touchpoint, in a transparent way and the ability to purchase the car online.” continued on page 5 Driving Convenience Toyota Marin General Manager Mike Christian Heroic Rewards expects to triple the number of online sales to 90 Army medic William “Gilbert” cars per month because it’s a service customers Brien learned at a Veterans want, and few competitors are offering. Day event that he now owns his xB free and clear. Photos by Chris Constantine continued from page 4 Always Connected Customer Kristina WHAT THE CUSTOMER WANTS Ruud-Hewitt (left) A 2016 Cox Automotive study found that bought her Highlander For years, Toyota Marin, part of the Price Hybrid online, but customers dislike “lengthy transactions marked by appreciated that Sales filling out lots of paperwork.” They also expect a fair Simms Auto Group, has been closely following Manager Doreen Tan online buying trends and exploring ways to stay was available to answer price, which is viewed as transparent and honest, questions, day or night. ahead of the curve. Christian also has observed how but not necessarily the lowest in town. the younger generation, like his 14-year-old son, “On Express, we validate our pricing with interacts with technology, favoring online and video third-party pricing from Edmunds and Kelley Blue chat options over traditional channels. Book,” Christian says. “Look at Amazon. They’re “It’s a no-brainer when you think about online not the cheapest, but you’re paying for the service retailing and where it’s going in the future,” he says. and convenience and ease of doing business. We’re not looking to be the lowest-cost provider.