Page 47 - Tropic Magazine Issue 12

Industry
Automotive

ALAN’S TOP 3 TIPS FOR
BUSINESS OWNERS
01 / Lead by example. You can’t change a culture if
you are not willing to do it yourself. We have rolled
up our sleeves and vacuumed cars, pulled out
weeds and swept floors
02 / Surround yourself with the right team and
brainstorm together
Audi Centre Cairns is #1
03 / Think long-term and embrace change. It’s
Alan and Connie’s sharp focus on customer service since easier to think about what’s in it for me now but to
taking over the dealership is paying dividends. Audi Centre build a truly lasting business you have to make
Cairns was recently ranked number one in the Australian Audi short-term sacrifices for long-term success. If you
network for after-sales customer satisfaction. Alan says they only act on short-term benefits then there won’t
achieved the impressive feat by “leading by example, be a business in the long run
surrounding ourselves with the right people and making
decisions based on long-term impacts”. But, most of all, MORE: cairnsauto.com.au
Connie says their staff “genuinely care about our customers”.

Tell us about your journey to Cairns - feedback from Audi customers who how can we expect anyone else to
why did you make the move north have interacted with the dealership. A invest? If everyone in Cairns started to
from Sydney? business is a re lection of its people and invest their time and money locally then
Most people say the lifestyle but for us processes so that became our focus. We the Cairns economy will only prosper.
it was the business opportunity first, were very clear from day one about our
then the lifestyle was the cream on top. values and expectations. Connie took What are your plans and initiatives to
We have been looking to join the retail over the service advisor role because we keep up with the changes and
side of automotive having been in saw how important that role is for the evolution in the car industry?
wholesale our whole life. We heard long-term viability of the business. It is Like any industry, technology is
through an industry source that Audi in the only department in a dealership transforming the car industry from
Cairns was up for sale and did our where we get to interact with electric vehicles to autonomous driving
research. ere was a lot of inherent customers daily. If we don’t retain our and more. We want to embrace and
risk given that the Cairns market has service customers then we will not be a celebrate the exciting changes by being
been lat for a while. We decided that viable business. progressive ourselves. Regardless of the
we are at a life stage that if we don’t changes in the products we sell and
take a punt on life and chase our How do you balance work and family life? how we sell, we believe the core values
passion then we probably never will. We e truth is that we don’t balance our in how we do business will remain the
knew that Cairns has endured a tough work and family life. We are learning same. We aim to add value to our
time but strongly believe that the but it is hard when both you and your customers and do what we say.
outlook for the region is excellent. At partner work in the same workplace Traditionally, working at a car
the end it was our belief in the Cairns and deal with the same challenges. e dealership has not been a top choice for
market and passion for the industry positive part is that we also celebrate any young talent. Being parents
that led us to invest and move to Cairns. the same successes. We do try to make ourselves, we want to do our share and
Sunday our family day and not think change that perception. Car dealerships
What was your focus in the first six about work. can o fer a very rewarding career. It’s
months of taking over the dealership? up to us to do the right things and make
Customer service. It sounds like a Tell us about your support for the any talent proud to apply their time and
cliché but for us it was a fact that we Cairns community and charities and talent. Cairns, we need your support to
couldn’t ignore. Prior to us taking over why this is important to you. achieve this ambition!
the dealership, it did not rank well in It is about giving back to the
the customer satisfaction scores for community that supports you. If we
Audi Australia. e scores are based on don’t invest in our own community then