A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO CUSTOMER SERVICE
Arriving at Lexus On The Park, you get the distinct impression this isn’t your typical luxury car dealership. Giant wings project out from atop the hill, floor to ceiling glass structures in which the latest Lexus and Toyota vehicles cast their eyes onto the world below.
If there is something that seems a little retrospective about this location, you’d be right. The sharp angles, stone walls and even the cantilever design of the main dealership building somehow convey a sense of mid-20th century Mad Men style chic, embedded in the 21st. This isn’t coincidence, for this location was once home to the Inn On The Park, the 1960s flagship hotel of the Four Seasons chain where the likes of Queen Elizabeth II, Nikita Khrushchev, the Rolling Stones and Glenn Gould once stayed.
However, like many hotel resorts from the period, the Inn On The Park fell on hard times, upstaged by newer, flashier establishments in the 1980s and 1990s. In 2004, the complex was purchased by Bryan Rowntree, whose business interests included, among other things, dealerships Scarborough Toyota and Lexus. By this stage, the Inn On The Park complex was well past its prime and seeing that it wasn’t likely to have much of a future as a hotel, Rowntree’s holding company, Rowbry elected to demolish much of the original structure and build a new auto retail park in its place.
Lexus On The Park general manager Alistair Baxter has been with the Rowntree Group for 25 years.
IDEAL LOCATION
As for those wings, “they were part of Bryan [Rowntree]’s original vision for the redevelopment,” says Lexus On The Park general manager Alistair Baxter. Having been with the Rowntree group and the Lexus brand for more than two decades, Baxter has seen many changes take place in the industry and says that the current location “is where we truly wanted to be when we outgrew the old Scarborough facility. We always wanted to be on this [side of] the Don Valley, so when the opportunity came to purchase the property, we didn’t hesitate.”
The complex, which has been open since 2009, comprises three essential sites, the Lexus showroom, the Toyota showroom and truck centre and a massive service and hospitality complex which includes 15 repair bays and an on-site gourmet restaurant among other things.
And it has proven to be a popular destination for car shoppers. “For the Lexus brand in Canada, the national market penetration standard is 9.8 per cent,” says Baxter, “at this location it’s 13.8 per cent,” The new facility has also enabled Lexus On The Park to achieve top tier “Elite of Lexus” status, an award given to those retailers that meet specific standards in sales, service and overall ownership support.
Baxter attributes Lexus On The Park’s high penetration to several factors, including a focus on “Kaizen” (continuous improvement) as well as a customer experience and atmosphere not often found in most luxury car dealerships today.
“The original design for this store, presented some unique challenges,” he says. “It isn’t your typical big box that has emerged as the luxury car showroom in recent years. Instead the idea was to create something more intimate.” Not only that, but the Lexus On The Park complex is festooned with interesting details, from the dramatic waterfall in the main showroom to the tiles and the glass panes that give both wings an almost panoramic view of Eglinton Avenue and Sunnybrook Park. I ask about the interesting floor lights that look like they belong on a runway. “Imported from Italy,” says Baxter.
Although today, many OEMs have strict guidelines when it comes to the layout and and design of auto retail stores, Bryan Rowntree was adamant that Lexus On The Park stand apart from the herd. “He had his mind made up,” says Baxter. “And although it isn’t always easy for dealers to see eye-to-eye with the OEMs when it comes to retailer image, when Bryan showed Lexus Canada Inc. his proposal, they walked with him through it, right from concept to execution.”
Mark Easton, has been in Lexus sales for over 20 years and says the intimate setting of the store and familiar faces is what keeps many customers coming back.
Mark Easton, who has worked in Lexus sales since 1991, says that the unique design of the store, combined with efforts made to deliver an exceptional customer experience is what keeps customers (or guests as they’re referred to) coming back. “It is definitely different,” he says “and I think it helps foster a unique environment for both our guests and also for the staff that work here. Our role is to quarterback the whole process for the guest, from the time of their first enquiry to when they collect their vehicle. And if they feel relaxed and they are working with somebody who is also relaxed it builds confidence and trust. And at the end of the day that is what it is all about.”
FULL SERVICE
Guests, cosy lounges, walkways, it’s almost as if the Inn On The Park is still here, with bedrooms replaced by showrooms. On the service side, Baxter and his team have also gone to great lengths to ensure guests receive five-star treatment. For starters, there’s an expansive drive-in area with an on-site car rental location and also a complimentary car wash and valet service. “If the guest is dropping their vehicle in for service, we will collect the keys from them,” says service manager Abid Shivji. “The vehicle is then taken to our service department, or if it needs cosmetic repairs to our offsite collision centre. The next time a guest will see their vehicle is when it is returned to them, washed and detailed and the repairs completed. A guest never has to step beyond the service drive-in.”
FULL MENU
Additionally, Shivji says that guests often come here to just to catch up and sometimes give their vehicles a treat, particularly in the spring. “We have a number of different detail services available,” he says “including executive and presidential packages.” For the latter, the vehicle is given a full clean, including a three stage polish. “The idea is to get it looking as close to new as is possible,” he says. Shivji also tells us that the service department is set up for maximum efficiency, so that as soon as one work order is completed another has already begun. “A technician will receive their next assignment, as soon as the keys to their previous one have been handed to an attendant, ready for delivery to the guest. It keeps the process going smoothly for both our staff and also enhances the experience for our guests.”
A sophisticated and highly organized scheduling system helps Abid Shivji (second from right) and his service staff process 70 appointments each day.
Shivji personally oversees the follow up service. “Every email comes to me and we send a personal thank you letter and also a survey to ask guests for feedback. At the end of the day we want to ensure we are always improving and striving to make things better.”
Next to the massive vehicle service facility is also an on-site restaurant that provides a full complement of gourmet meals and an adjacent lounge that rivals some airport executive suites in terms of ambience.
Yes, it’s very Mad Men here, the spirit of the old hotel further emphasized by the fact that besides being a premier auto retailing facility, Lexus On The Park also serves as the location for corporate meetings, hosting dignitaries and charity galas, much like the Inn did back in its heyday. “This facility plays an important part in the community,” says administrator Kathy Georgiou, “there is a tradition of functions at this site but despite the variety of events we hold, we always try to ensure to be consistent, in delivering the best possible service we can.”
