There’s no question COVID-19 has turned daily life upside down. Where spring usually has locals heading outside and hitting the open road with friends and family, today’s message remains to stay close to home and continue practicing physical distancing.
But whether it’s parents shopping for the week’s groceries, health care workers safely getting to work, or drivers delivering local products to customers, those essential services sometimes require a new or used vehicle or servicing a current one.
“When that happens, we’re here, and we’ve taken considerable steps to help ensure the safety of both customers and staff,” says Brian Choo, General Manager of Abbotsford’s OpenRoad Toyota.
In addition to Toyota’s 10-step health and safety protocol, the local dealership has taken additional measures.
“We’ve been designated an essential service, so we remain open to serve those needs, but for now that looks a little different than what people might be used to,” Choo says.
For now, the dealership for Sales is open but by appointment only, with in-person meetings strictly following social distancing protocols outlined by the province, but the team is also happy to speak with clients by phone or video conferencing.
In the service department, drop-off and pick-up procedures have been adapted to be completely touch-free.
“We’re taking all the safety measures we can, to provide the care customers need without contributing to the spread of the virus,” Choo says.
- Health and Safety Officer – Responsible for reporting and guidance to ensure the best standard of cleanliness and staff health and safety practices. Information posted in-store and online outline highlights hand washing techniques and best practices.
- Sanitization Plan – More hand sanitizer dispensers are available; increased sanitization protects high-traffic touch points, along with professional daytime cleaning service during peak times and nightly cleaning. Staff practice frequent hand washing and refrain from hand-shaking.
- Loaner and Test-Drive Vehicle Preparation – All hard and soft surfaces inside service car loaners and test-drive vehicles are vacuumed and wiped down each time a guest or staff associate uses a vehicle. More out-of-dealership test drives and vehicle maintenance valet pickup services are offered.
- Service Work Preparation – In addition to touch-free drop-off and pick-up, vehicles in for servicing are outfitted with seat protectors, keys are handled through a plastic bag and all surfaces are disinfected and all OpenRoad technicians wear disposable gloves.
- Travel Restrictions – Staff is undertaking no unnecessary business travel; staff must advise of personal travel destinations so necessary arrangements can be made.
The measures continue OpenRoad Toyota Abbotsford’s commitment to delivering what customers want, Choo says.
“We try to learn how the customer wants to interact with us, and what services they need, then do the best we can to deliver that. By minimizing the talking we do, we can really listen. That’s what we were doing before COVID, and what we’ll continue doing afterward.”
We are here if you need us. Stay Safe!