The Toyota TradePro programme continues to gather momentum all over Ireland as more and more independent garages and bodyshops discover the benefits of buying genuine Toyota parts from their local dealer parts department. The introduction of the programme, and the addition of new special promotions, has also seen many existing Toyota parts customers significantly increase the number of parts they are buying.

One very long standing Toyota parts customer is Hegarty & Doherty in Waterford. This popular local garage has been dealing with the Toyota dealer McConnell Brothers for over thirty five years. Joe Whelan of Hegarty & Doherty says, “I have now been with the company 20 years. I have always had a very good relationship with McConnell Brothers and before me Denis Hegarty was also buying parts from them. With TradePro our use of Toyota parts has defiantly increased.”

Joe points out that the prices he can now get on genuine parts has come down significantly. He comments, “I recently had to replace a clutch on an Avensis Taxi and was amazed by the saving I could make by ordering a genuine Toyota clutch kit. It also meant I could fit the clutch with complete peace of mind and the customer was delighted that we had fitted the genuine Toyota article.” He adds, “We have found that we can get more and more Toyota parts from the dealer at similar or lower prices to other suppliers. Our customers like the confidence of having the genuine parts and it means we can also repair cars in warranty.”

Joe also makes the point that McConnell Brothers parts team offer a very good service that can often be a big time saver. He comments, “It is great to be dealing with experts in parts for a particular make. With McConnells we have been dealing with the same staff for many years. They understand our business and can ensure we get the right part for the job, first time, every time. This means we are never faced with the frustrating experience of having a car stripped and on the ramp only to discover the wrong part has been delivered.”

The expert service from McConnell Brothers is reflected right across the country in other Toyota Dealer parts departments, with the emphasis that the Toyota Aftersales Team is putting on the TradePro Programme really paying dividends. McConnell Brothers Aftersales Manager, David McConnell says, “The parts side of the business is very important more to us and is taking on even great significance as the car population ages. The TradePro programme has been a huge help in getting our parts message out to the trade and has brought about a very significant increase in business.” 

Parts Manager, David Murphy, adds, “Through TradePro garages and bodyshops are discovering that they can get extra discounts on already competitive prices and get the benefits of fitting genuine parts. They can also benefit from the various special promotions on offer and can claim some great Toyota branded bonus gift items.”