Wilksbrooke’s zoom to top

NUMBER 1: Wilksbrooke Mazda owners Grant and Shirley Wilks and their team were named 2006 Mazda Dealers of the Year. 079071AD/Courier graphic.

By Dean Taylor

When I turned up to catch the Dealer of the Year celebrations at Wilksbrooke Motors last week owner Grant Wilks was busy washing a client’s car that had been in for a warrant check.

He says it is all part of the service for his company - maybe that is one of the reasons they were named 2006 Mazda Dealer of the Year.

It is the third time the family run dealership has taken top honours in these awards. They also continued their run of achievement being named Mazda Rural Dealer of the Year.

Led by Grant and Shirley Wilks, the dealership also includes their two daughters and son-in-law in a committed team of 23 staff.

The annual Mazda Dealer Performance Awards, assess the performance of all dealers against a range of criteria including Mazda dealer standards, vehicle and parts sales achievement, service department performance and customer satisfaction results.

“Grant and Shirley and the team at Wilksbrooke Mazda continue to set the benchmark for Mazda dealerships, and I can’t remember a year gone by where they have not been recognised in some way at these awards,” says Mazda New Zealand managing director Andrew Clearwater. “The fact they achieved the top overall score in the Mazda Dealer standards framework while undergoing a major facility upgrade makes the result even more impressive.”

Wilksbrooke Mazda dealer principal Grant Wilks paid tribute to his team. He says winning the award is about having a committed team working toward a common goal of customer service first.

“That doesn’t happen overnight and takes a lot of effort from our dedicated team,” he says. “To win the Mazda Dealer of the Year is the highest reward and recognition for our Wilksbrooke Mazda team.”

The team shared their success with clients at a lunchtime function last week, attended also by Mazda New Zealand marketing manager Glenn Harris. And Mazda New Zealand made sure Te Awamutu knew their dealers were the best in the country by arranging a congratulatory fly-by around the town during the afternoon.