Located at 6969 Tyee Drive in Tumwater, the new Toyota of Olympia dealership has everything you could possibly dream of in a car dealership – and maybe even a few things you never dreamed of. The large inventory of new, used and certified pre-owned vehicles means they are a one-stop-shop for those in the market for a car. If you need service, their large service shop was built to get you back on the road fast. To top it all off, their amazing amenities and customer service will ensure your time spent there is relaxing and enjoyable.
“The time had come for us to move. We had simply out grown our old space,” says Carol Peebles, customer relations manager and executive assistant to the general manager/owners. While the previous location was 44,000 square feet, the new building is more than double that size at 94,000 square feet sitting on 22 acres. “The entire property was designed with our customers and staff in mind,” she adds. “We wanted to make it easier for our staff to give our customers world-class service.”
Toyota’s new location will allow a more than 1,000 car inventory, including new, used and certified pre-owned, offering customers more choice than ever before.
A Fun Car Buying Experience
You will notice the difference as soon as you drive up to the new dealership. Instead of fighting for a parking spot, you simply pull into the giant covered entry, where a friendly team member will offer you a bottle of water and park your car for you.
“It’s a wonderful convenience to our customers to be able to offer valet parking,” says Joe McCorkle, general manager for Toyota of Olympia. “We don’t want our customers getting wet, and we all know it rains here just a little,” he adds with a smile.
When you enter, the spacious floor is open and airy, with a front desk manned by four people to help you. Like the previous location, the space includes a delicious catered cafe with a coffee bar and a play area for kids. They have massage chairs and comfy seating for those waiting for service or just taking a break from shopping.
Computer stations will be spread throughout the lobby, for customers to use – something most dealerships don’t offer – to look up cars for sale elsewhere. Yup, they are providing you with a way to price shop other dealers while still at Toyota of Olympia. They don’t mind, because their staff’s autonomy means they are confident you won’t find a lower price on any vehicle. “It’s about customer convenience,” says McCorkle. “Besides, we are pretty sure you won’t find a better deal around so we don’t mind if you look.”
Ever bought a car, took it home and then realized you have no idea what all those buttons are for or how to hook up your phone to the hands-free system? Toyota of Olympia wants to make sure you know how to use your new vehicle, so they designed a dedicated new car delivery room where you can keep warm and dry while the salesperson goes over programming the Bluetooth phone features, setting the radio and reviewing the many features of your new car. Still have questions later? You can call or come back in – they are happy to help anytime.
Customers who shop online will also be getting more help from the business development team – the group that answer online inquires. The previous location had space for eight team members. Now they have space for 16, with room to add even more. “Our goal is to respond in under 10 minutes with all the information a person may want, including specific car specs from the manufacturer, trade-in value, interest rates and what the payment would be under at least three different options,” says McCorkle. “Again, it’s okay if they don’t buy the car from us. We want them to be informed buyers so we give them all that information without trying to coerce them into coming down.”
Speedy Service
A large part of their stellar customer service is Toyota of Olympia’s ability to offer swift service with extra convenience to their customers.
“We wanted to make sure we could handle our growing service department and still get people out quickly,” says Peebles. “So in our new space, we more than doubled the service center capacity and designed it for ultimate efficiency.” At the previous location, the team could only handle four oil changes at a time, now they can do 12. The new building has a space dedicated solely to their quick lube service (oil change, tire rotation and alignment check), helping keep up with the large daily demand for this service. To help their staff, this service area has an underground “basement,” the same size as the above-ground service area. This makes it quicker and easier for the team to service the cars. The new location has also upgraded to two car washes instead of just one, getting your car back on the road quickly as well as shiny and clean. In addition, they have space for 24 cars in the front service bay for other service needs.
For even more efficiency, there is a dedicated “quick moving parts” room right in the middle of the service center, allowing staff to easily access parts that are used most, such as oil filters. “A technician that works in the bay doesn’t have to walk all the way to the parts department, but can just go right here,” explains McCorkle. “It saves his time and more importantly, the customer’s time.” They will continue to offer free pick-up, drop off and delivery services for their customers as well.
All this, and you will never have to step out into the rain thanks to their ingenious design plan. Don’t own a Toyota? Don’t worry, you can still take advantage of these fast services because all of the technicians are trained in all makes and models and they can service any car.
Toyota of Olympia’s new location is open now. Visit the Toyota of Olympia team at 6969 Tyee Drive in Tumwater, next door to Home Depot, just off I-5. Their team is ready to give you a tour of their new home. For more information, visit the Toyota of Olympia website or call 360-328-7726.
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