The Toyota TradePro Programme, which provides garages with access to genuine Toyota parts at highly competitive prices, has proved to be a big success since its launch all across Ireland. One Toyota Dealer Parts Department that has really embraced the programme and used it to build its parts business is Toyota Sandyford. 

Parts Manager at Toyota Sandyford is Kevin Aherne, who heads up a parts team that delivers to customers across South Dublin, North Wicklow and Kildare. Kevin has been in the parts business for 14 years, working his way up from Parts Assistant to Parts Manager. He has seen how the TradePro Programme has transformed the Sandyford parts operation in recent years. He comments, “We used to have a relatively small base of long established customers, but we always believed that there was much more trade potential. The TradePro Programme has provided us with a great tool to open doors with garages and bodyshops. Once the price is right, workshops are delighted to use genuine Toyota parts and their customers also like the reassurance that their garage is using genuine Toyota components.”

Kevin says that once a customer starts to buy from the Sandyford Parts Department they generally come back for more and more. “Technicians know they can talk to us and get expert advice on the Toyota parts they need and this, combined with a guaranteed right first time fit, can be a big time saver for them. They have also been impressed by the fact that despite all the global logistics pressures, Toyota Ireland has maintained excellent availability levels and lead times on all parts.”  

Another Toyota initiative which has also helped Kevin and his team build the parts business at Sandyford has been the Write-off Avoidance Scheme. This offers Bodyshops additional discounts on parts and panels where a vehicle is a borderline uneconomical repair. Kevin says, “We have been able to use the Write-off Avoidance Programme quite extensively to keep damaged Toyota’s on the road. It is easy for repairs to use and has been very effective. Bodyshops love it because it gives them more work and drivers are delighted to keep their vehicles and not have the inconvenience and expenses of sourcing a replacement.”

Kevin concludes, “Through programmes such as TradePro and the Write-off Avoidance we have been able to significantly grow our customer base and offer a competitive highly quality alternative when it comes to Toyota parts for bodyshops and garages. We have new customers coming on-board all the time and once they see the benefits of genuine Toyota Parts they keep coming back for more.”

For more information call the Toyota Sandyford Parts Department on 01 299 1924.