Customers drive St. Charles Toyota/Scion renovation

ST. CHARLES -- Owners of a longtime car dealership here had one goal in mind when they decided on renovating their showroom.

"We did it to serve our customers better," said Dennis Alf, as he stands in the large airy service garage at St. Charles Toyota/Scion. The dealership recently completed a multimillion-dollar renovation to enhance the customer experience.

Alf, president at St. Charles Toyota/Scion, hosted a public reception last week to celebrate the expansion and remodel that was completed last fall. Also part of the celebration, Alf was joined by the Chamber of Commerce for a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

"I think it is fantastic," said Jim Martin, alderman of the fourth Ward in St. Charles. Martin added that he has purchased several Toyota trucks from the dealership.

Alf started the dealership with a partner almost 20 years ago. Now it is a family affair with Alf's brother, Curtis, and Alf's two sons, Michael and Steven, serving in managerial roles at the company.

Alf called the expansion, which began in May 2007 and spread all the way to the parking lot, a "tremendous improvement." He said that reinvesting in the business was essential and necessary to serve customers and the community until a good economy can shine again. He added that the remodel was planned before the economic crisis and said, "It is still the right thing to do."

The evening brought face-to-face congratulations from Toyota executives who presented Alf with a Japanese sword used by samurai, representing the strength, quality, and integrity of the Toyota dealer.

"We are here to provide the best customer experience we can provide," said Toyota's Vice-President of Sales Jim Colon, who brought warm greetings from southern California. Colon also visited remodeled or new Toyota dealerships in Naperville, LaGrange and downtown Chicago.

The St. Charles dealership now sits on 12.2 acres and has doubled its facility size. It offers a 2,000 square-foot service lounge complete with a refrigerator stocked with bottled water and a 50-inch plasma television.

Think café setting with bistro-style tables and chairs -- sipping Starbucks coffee and munching on baked goods while enjoying Wi-Fi Internet access.

"It makes it easier when you are coming in to service your car," said Steven Alf, general sales manager. The lounges were added to the new car showroom and service department. Private children's play areas are attached to the lounges and are filled with toys, activity tables and separate children's televisions. And newly purchased cars can now be picked up in a private, dedicated indoor vehicle delivery area.

With many consumers shopping and researching car purchases online in the comfort of their home, the new amenities seem to be extending that same luxury into the dealership.

Sales consultant, Raj Bawa, appreciates the new setup and said it will allow customers to be better served. When they come in for service, they can watch TV (on black leather chairs) and have a cup of gourmet coffee, he said. The dealership has 16 full-time sales consultants.

Bawa said the Prius, with a base price of $23,750, is the most popular selling Toyota. The Sienna is a close second at around $24,000.

A blue 4-door Venza, a white RAV4, a black Highlander Sport and a sporty red Solara were parked in a row between several other Toyotas and Scions in the showroom that is 50 percent larger than before.

"It is beautiful. They did a nice job," said Barb Fisher. She and her husband, Don, are loyal customers to the dealership. The couple, from South Elgin, has purchased at least four cars there. "Everybody here has always been so good to us," she said.

The dealership also had on display three retro cars, including a 1982 Celica, a yellow 1981 4-wheel drive Trekker and a racy Scion XB.

"The days of pushing people in a car are over," said sales consultant Kevin Brown, a former accountant who has been selling cars for three years now. He said customers are very informed thanks to the Internet. "We show them their options."

After all, as Toyota's Colon stated, a building is just brick and mortar. "We all know that the difference is the people," he said.