Skills Grand Prix 2022: Victory of Toyota and Lexus dealership employees
Annual Skills Grand Prix 2022 competition finished in Almaty. Toyota and Lexus dealership employees from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan demonstrated their professional skills.
In this competition, the autocenters’ professionals do their “usual job” but it is evaluated by the experts. All this creates a healthy competition, promotes employee engagement in professional consumer services, helps to find new solutions and improve the service quality. As a result, it has a favorable impact on further work and customer care.
1st place in Customer Service Employee nomination was taken by Mrs. Anara Saugabekova, Toyota Center Astana.
3rd place in Sales Advisor nomination − Mr. Samat Kabdenov, Lexus Astana.
3rd place in Service Advisor nomination − Mrs. Elmira Akhmatullina, Lexus Astana.
The winners were awarded valuable prizes, and the dealerships were given challenge cups.
Why do we need such competitions? What does it take to win? Our prize winners are here to tell about it.
It is of utmost importance to keep calm in any situation
Mrs. Anara Saugabekova has managed the customer support service of Toyota Center Astana since 2018, she has been with Astana Motors since June 2016. It was the first time she participated in the competition.
The competition has been held for the fourth time. Customer service professionals have never taken part in the competition until this year. The competition consisted of two stages − an on-line qualifying round (only six out of 23 dealerships made it all the way to the finals). The final part took place in the training center of Toyota Motor Kazakhstan in Almaty.
The finals involved six tasks − oral communications, telephone communications, complicated communications, the process of releasing a new vehicle together with a sales advisor, analytical effort on customer satisfaction indicators, different inquiries. Among them there were unexpected situations where a professional had to demonstrate his/her performance skills in a maximum adequate manner.
“The most distinctive and interesting of all tasks was a ‘car spontaneous combustion’ situation. The organizers invited an actor who emotionally demonstrated his disappointment, anger and tough requirements addressed to the dealership. I tried to keep my temper and provide an unsatisfactory reply to the client's requirements showing maximum respect to his feelings. My everyday experience with the customer inquiries, best practices of colleagues from the Sales and Service Department as well as high standards of Astana Motors being the most client-friendly and loyal company helped me pass all the competition tasks. And also the high global Toyota standards”, − told Mrs. Anara Saugabekova.
Improvisation and creativity
Mr. Samat Kabdenov is a New Vehicle Sales Advisor. He has been working for Lexus Astana since September 2018.
21 candidates participated in the on-line qualifying round. Samat topped the best six of them.
The second stage was practical and took place in Almaty. The contestants had to perform six tasks: vehicle presentation, system adjustments, dealing with incoming and outgoing telephone calls, specialty-equipment, releasing a vehicle.
“Each task had its own challenges. Each one involved professional actors that created tricky and unusual situations. There were stressful moments I had never encountered in my job before, so I had to improvise. My overall impressions of the competition were positive − I had a chance to show my skills, gain new knowledge, meet interesting people”, - said Samat Kabdenov.
Working spirit
Mrs. Elmira Akhmatullina, a service advisor, has been working for Lexus Astana since 2013. She started her carrier as a warehouse manager.
“My impression of the contest is positive, everything was realistic to the maximum extent, this is why there were no challenges. Working spirit and support of my co-workers helped a lot”, − pointed out Mrs. Akhmatullina.
We wish all our people new victories and happy clients.