About one-third of Toyota's 1200 dealers have upgraded facilities.
As other automakers reel under the pressure under the pressure of the recession, Toyota’s U.S. dealers are sinking more money into their showrooms and service bays.
As many buyers know since they provide the input, Toyota’s customer satisfaction ratings have never measured up to the company’s ratings for quality, reliability and durability. Critics and industry observers have suggested for a long time that the company’s customer handling skills need improvement.
As other automakers reel under the pressure under the pressure of the recession, Toyota’s U.S. dealers are sinking more money into their showrooms and service bays, Toyota says.
So far this year, Toyota dealers have invested $800 million in new facilities designed to meet “the high expectations and growing needs of customers.” Over the past five years, they have laid out $3.3 billion in dealership improvements and have committed another $2.2 billion in the next two years, said Ernest Bastien,vice president of retail market development for Toyota Motor Sales USA in a news release.
“An investment of this magnitude is a strong indication of our dealers’ confidence in Toyota products, as well as their long-standing commitment to meet customer expectations,” said Bastien.
Bastien said one third of Toyota’s dealers, about 400 dealers in all, have completed all-new state-of-the-art facilities, with another 200 on board to open new dealerships by 2012.
In support of Toyota’s environmental leadership, “several” dealers are constructing new facilities that conform to the standards of the United States Green Building Council, which certifies new buildings are designed to limit any damage to the environment.