TADA Dealers - Media Communication Group

Toyota of Boerne“This Will Be Our FinestMoment”Are these Toyota’s darkest days? Vic Vaughan of Toyota of Boerne thinks notBY DAN MILLER / PHOTOS BY PAUL S. HOWELL“Toyota dealers are the best in America,”said Vaughan, dealer principal of thesuburban San Antonio dealership, duringthe heart of the sticking accelerator pedalfix. “If we all do what I think we will do,we will come out ahead. This will be ourfinest moment.”How did Vaughan respond to thechallenge? His first step was to increasestaffing to ensure the repair could be completedwithin 45 minutes. So, for example,Vaughan went with a full-service crew sixdays a week. He also enlisted the help offamily members. His wife Cheri and sonBlake greeted customers as they arrived inthe service drive. And his daughter Brittanyarranged a two-week leave of absencefrom her job to bolster the cashier desk.“If we had tried to get through this withour normal staffing, it would have been atsunami,” he said. “Everyone stepped upto the challenge.”Thanks to the extra help, Toyota ofBoerne’s customers got their vehiclesfixed…and a whole lot more. After aprompt and warm greeting in the servicedrive, customers were escorted to the servicelounge where they could indulge indonuts for breakfast, sandwiches cateredby a local deli for lunch and big baskets ofchips, granola bars, popcorn and homemadecookies in between.delivered a “show and tell” demonstrationwith an actual accelerator pedal kit.Balloons and a “Customer Appreciation”banner contributed to the open andupbeat mood. Two big screen TVs offeredentertainment, a fireplace helped offset theTexas winter chill and free wireless WIFIhelped keep customers connected.Vaughan says most people took advantageof the amenities and simply waitedfor their vehicle to be repaired. But thosewho had places to go were offered a freecourtesy car or free shuttle rides to nearbydestinations, including the local movietheater. Vaughan took that one step furtherand handed out free passes to thetheater for use during or after the repair.“If people didn’t believe in Toyota before,they do now,” he said. “This wasn’tabout an accelerator pedal. This was abouta car that’s driven by someone’s lovedones. We had to do the right thing.” Movie Tickets – Toyota of Boerne Dealer Principal VicVaughan offered many amenities to customers whocame in for recall repairs, including complimentarytickets and shuttle rides to the local theater.In addition to food and drink, dealershippersonnel were on hand to answerquestions. For example, Service DirectorJay Henderson introduced himself to customersand, if they wanted to know more,Hospitality – Cheri Vaughan, wife of Dealer Principal Vic Vaughan, serves freshly baked cookies to a customerwhile he waits for his vehicle to be repaired. Large glass windows provide a clear view of the service bayswhile work is being performed on vehicles.26