August 13, 2015
This is fan mail & sincere thanks for some truly inspirational professionalism by NB Toyota staff, especially technician Rene. I've given detail you can comprehend the scope of professional teamwork. I've also provided an attachment version, below so that you can forward it to Toyota corporate (NBT sets a good example for all dealers) +alert the NB media (a suggestion from NB residents to whom I told this story) + for your notebook in the service-waiting area of letters from happy customers. You have some real heroes, and they deserve recognition & congratulations.Fred Hunt - Washington DCFantastic rescue by NB ToyotaPerformed July 25, 2015
This is fan mail for great professionalism & kindness-to-strangers on the part of North Bay Toyota. On our annual 1,100 km trip from Washington DC to Temagami this year, we heard a growing tsk tsk tsk sound from a rear brake as we rolled into NB. We had intended to spend the night, and the hotel staff said “there is a great Toyota dealer”. Our dilemma was that a boat was being sent for us on Lake Temagami….and there was no way to contact or leave a message if we were going to be delayed.
It was July 25th. We saw that your service department opened at 7:30, so we were there at 6:30AM. One employee came early (the fellow on the raised podium in the service area), and I followed him in to explain our plight. He was very kind, and gave hints for when the service reception desk opened at 7:30.
I was scampering under the service door while it was still opening. Jason in service reception was very kind, but was also explaining the realities of the situation and almost no chance of being fixed by 10AM, which was our necessary departure to meet the boat at the end of a dirt road on Temagami. He & we also wanted to be fair to customers with longstanding service appointments that day. Jason asked technician Andre to take a look and see what could be done.
ANDRE was PHENOMENAL. He looked carefully, explained that time would be a challenge, because the needed part is not normally stocked. However, he took it as a personal professional challenge. The car disappeared, and I saw Andre working with the Parts staff to get the parts delivered immediately. Your receptionist (Amanda?) was both informed & kind as I paced around the showroom like a nervous expectant father. For example, she showed me a secret door with a window into the service bay where I could see the work in progress.
Rene was both fast & thorough (later explaining that he realized we had another 1,100km drive back to Washington DC, and didn’t want us to have any other problems). He did a full job on both rear wheels, and gave a quick check-over of everything. One hour & 42 minutes later (18 minutes ahead of what had seemed an impossible time restraint), Rene handed me the keys. Bonus: Your bill was less than half of what my son recently paid for the same job (different brand)!
This event reflects great credit on Rene and your other staff, plus on Toyota, plus the friendly helpful spirit of NB. We were not old customers, or probably ongoing customers. Your staff could have said “no openings until next Tuesday”. However, the NB Toyota team truly performed a rescue. Since this event also reflects credit on the Toyota brand and can-do spirit of North Bay, I hope you can share this with Toyota corporate and the NB Nugget and business association.
I hope you will also find an award & recognition especially for Rene, and also the others who were kind to what they probably considered “that frantic American” (worried + 2 cups of coffee and no breakfast probably qualified me as frantic). I’d send a Superman suit for Rene if I knew where to find one. He was nothing short of being an inspiration of professionalism and phenomenal ambassador for NB Toyota and the city.
Let me end with what I hope will be some pay-back good news. On Lake Temagami, I happened to spend time with about 2 dozen people from North Bay. Needless to say, I told each this story. A few were already your customers and agreed about the quality of NB Toyota. A few were considering a new car, so I hope that your salesmen who had to put up with my pacing in their showroom will see some buyers from this good deed you all did. Others just said it made them proud as North Bay residents to hear such an inspiring story about the can-do spirit & professionalism of their city. (It was these NB residents who suggested that you share this with the NB media.)
So, a VERY sincere thanks & salute to your whole team, and especially Superman Rene for his “let’s make it happen” spirit & professionalism.
Sincerely,Fred Hunt - Washington DC
Fred Hunt
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