Toyota Sambandh: an initiative to come closer to the Customers!
The small car market in India is growing. The market for small cars is now around 70% of the annual car production in India. With the growing incomes of the rural sector, purchasing a car, at least a small car, has become a necessity rather than a luxury in modern India.
Today’s customer is intelligent and knows his requirements. Small cars are more compact and can be maintained easier than bigger cars. They are good in terms of longer life of the vehicle and high resale value. They are also not as expensive as bigger cars and give better fuel efficiency. This is why small cars are very popular among the middle class population of the country.
Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) which is one of the major car manufacturers in the auto industry, launched Toyota Etios in 2010 and Toyota Etios Liva in 2011. Toyota Etios and Etios Liva have been made for the Indian customers keeping in mind their specific needs. Both Indian and Japanese engineers worked closely to understand Indian customer’s requirements. The feedback received from the interested customers was also included while making the car.
Toyota sold 408 units of Etios and Etios Liva in Jharkhand from January to November’12. The company has a dealer network of 2 existing showrooms and 2 upcoming showrooms across the state. TKM is currently present in Jamshedpur.
This has helped in building a bond between the Toyota customers and dealer in many ways. The dealerships provide all the services under the same roof. Test drives, easy finance options, after sales service and resale are all available at the same place.
Mr. Varun Rao, a resident of Jharkhand and an owner of Etios sharing his happiness said “Owning a Toyota vehicle has been a very good experience. The Etios Diesel is the most comfortable and spacious car in its class. It gives a mileage of approx. 20 km/l. The boot space is very large and can accommodate a large amount of luggage. Etios is a true family car. I am also very happy with the service provided by the dealer.”
Consumers in rural India always look for good deals that give value for money, while buying a new car. TKM is working upon a detailed plan for the rural customers keeping in mind their special needs.
The dealership has tied-up with Regional Cooperative Banks to make easy loans available. A sales officer, who speaks the local language, is also appointed at the dealership to help the customers.
TKM is visiting smaller towns and conducting promotional events. A mobile showroom, displaying the Etios drives across the town and offers test drives to interested customers.
A virtual showroom is also created for the customers. The virtual showroom gives the visitors an opportunity to experience and see a Toyota dealership as it is in the bigger cities. Various promotion stalls are set up to help customer with information on bookings, finance and insurance schemes. Separate stalls are also provided to service the existing customers.
Mr. Diwakar Prasad, Innova taxi owner — “I have driven my Toyota Innova over 3 lakh kms and it is still in a good condition. My customers always prefer Innova. It has a huge luggage space and is very comfortable for long drives. I rarely need to visit the showroom other than when I need to give it for regular servicing.”
Toyota experience does not end with the purchase of a Toyota vehicle; the customer enters a long lasting relationship on buying a Toyota vehicle. To enrich the Toyota experience TKM also offers additional value added services. The Express maintenance service provides quick regular service to its customers. The mobile service van is available on the phone 24x7 in case of any emergencies. Toyota’s rural plan called ‘Toyota Sambandh’ is one more step towards coming closer to its existing and potential customers in smaller towns!
For further information, please contact:
Atul Malikram
9827092823