ALMOST 1200km from Sydney, the Far West Auto Group in Broken Hill in outback New South Wales has taken out Hyundai’s 2016 Platinum Dealer of the Year award, comfortably out-performing all other dealerships across a national network of 169 retail outlets.

Hyundai Motor Co Australia (HMCA) manager of network development, Sales Academy and training, Glenn Forster, said the small family-owned dealership was a “standout winner” in the points-based program, which is now in its fourth year and assesses various aspects of a dealership’s business including customer satisfaction, facilities, service and parts, sales targets and, HMCA says, compliance with the car-maker’s “operational and business standards”.

“If you saw how determined they were to win, you’d understand why they came out on top,” Mr Forster said.

“At the end of 2015, Far West Hyundai’s Mark Grundy sat down with his regional team and staff and said, ‘Right, how can we win this award?’ They put together an effective plan, and they stuck to it.”

Each year, HMCA names 14 ‘Platinum Dealers’ including the Platinum DOTY and individual award winners in two other categories: net sales volume, won this time by Paul Wakeling Hyundai in Campbelltown, south-west of the Sydney CBD; and customer satisfaction, which went to Sunco Hyundai on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.

Far West was one of three dealers to reach Platinum status for the first time in the program – the others were Ferntree Gully Hyundai and Lakeside Hyundai (Caroline Springs) in outer-suburban Melbourne – while Castle Hill Hyundai in Sydney now stands as the only dealership to reach the mark every year since the scheme was initiated in 2013.

The other 2016 Platinum Dealers were Essendon Hyundai (Vic), Heartland Hyundai (Blacktown, NSW), Jefferson Hyundai (Mentone, Vic), Gold Coast Hyundai (Southport, Qld), Cranbourne Hyundai (Vic), Bartons Hyundai (Wynnum, Qld), Harrison Hyundai (Melton, Vic) and Mantello Hyundai (Roxburgh Park, Vic).

No dealers from Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory or the ACT made the grade.

HMCA says the awards aim to encourage retailers to “further improve quality, processes and standards” at each dealership. An overseas trip is among the incentives on offer for the winning dealer principals, with this year’s cohort heading off to Miami and The Bahamas.

Mr Forster said the 2016 Platinum dealers increased their sales volume over 2015 by 1855 units collectively.

“That’s an impressive 13.5 per cent increase,” he said. “Collectively, the top 14 dealers’ parts sales went up by an also impressive 28.3 per cent over the previous year.

“That means they increased their customer retention, so they have more loyal customers coming back. They’re also expanding their trade business, for smash repairs and other customer-focused services.”

The awards were presented at a ceremony in Sydney recently, attended by a number of HMCA senior executives including Mr Forster, chief executive Jung Wook Lee and chief operating officer Scott Grant.

By Terry Martin