Copeland Toyota: Where, Cheers-like, Everyone Knows Your Name

The only constant, it’s often said, is change. But is change always for the better? Does something essential about the old always get sacrificed in pursuit of the new? Often, but not always.

Consider the counterpoint of Copeland Toyota. For more than 30 years, it existed as a small mom-and-pop dealership in suburban Boston, serving its customers as if they were members of an extended family. Then, about three years ago, Copeland built an all-new and considerably larger facility. One of its sales consultants, Steve Hurley, recently put the transformation in perspective by saying that the all of the old dealership could fit in the new store’s showroom.

When it comes to the bottom line, bigger is almost always better—at least it  should be—and Copeland Toyota is no exception. Post-expansion sales are now running double the pre-build out rate, thanks in part to a new business development center. And they’ve been able to expand their market appeal with the addition of a vibrant Scion franchise.

But what about the downside? A bigger dealership means more people, which means less personal attention, which means lower customer satisfaction—right? Not in this instance. Hurley assures me that the feel of the place is still decidedly mom-and-pop. Like the classic TV sitcom "Cheers" (interestingly also set in Boston), Copeland Toyota is still a place where everyone—or at least several employees—knows your name. Perhaps that’s why Hurley’s customers invite him to their weddings, birthday parties, baby showers and the like. And why he sees himself as building a friendship rather than a customer base.

 

And Copeland Toyota remains dedicated to the community in which it does business.  Earlier this year, the dealership honored  U.S. servicemen and servicewomen by participating in the Cell Phones for Soldiers project, filling a Toyota Tundra with 467 cell phones contributed by community members.

Sounds like Copeland has found the holy grail of automotive retailing, living up to the volume with honor ideal espoused by Toyota’s American managers in its formative years in this country. It’s a model every Toyota dealership could and should emulate—proof positive that when you do it right, everyone can win.

(Photo of Steve Hurley courtesy Copeland Toyota)

~ Contributed by Dan Miller, Corporate Communications

Comments

[Manuel Sanchez]

I want to know more information on the new 6 Cylinder Sequia's coming out for 2008