Automotive News - October 16, 2017 - Supplement - S37

OCTOBER 16, 2017 | 37
T O YO TA O F K I L L E E N , K I L L E E N , T E X A S

Oil change with lunch, manicure
Store's program pampers
female service customers
Printed in Automotive News July 10, 2017
Nancy Dunham

autonews@crain.com

omen who have their cars serviced on Wednesdays at Toyota of Killeen get more than the
usual.
The Killeen, Texas, dealership hosts Women's
Wednesdays nearly every week that take female customers out of the service waiting room
and into a special event complete with lunch,
dessert, networking, gift bags and a presentation on such wide-ranging topics as scarf tying
and auto leasing. Free manicures are also offered. As a further enticement, women receive
oil change discounts and free car washes.
Dealer Paula Lohse and her team chose the
program as a way to support women in the
Dealer Paula Lohse during a Women's Wednesday at Toyota of Killeen. The dealership, in the
community, including many who are the sole
community that is home to the Fort Hood U.S. Army base, holds the program to support women.
caretakers of their homes and children while
The next event included a new coffee madays in May through word-of-mouth and ontheir spouses and partners serve in the milichine that allows women to make individual
line promotions. The idea is to show that the
tary.
cups of gourmet coffee.
dealership takes women seriously as customKilleen is home to Fort Hood, a 214,968-acre
To further boost women in the community,
ers and respects the little downtime they have.
U.S. Army base where forces are trained and
the dealership reaches out to businesses owned
Lohse, Montero and Gill envisioned giving
deployed, according to military.com. As the
by women for food, presentations, manicures
women who made Wednesday service aplargest active-duty armored post in the U.S.,
and more. An 11-year-old entrepreneur with
pointments a place to relax and learn. Women
it is home to about 33,000 active-duty miliher own cupcake business supplies desserts.
may sign up for the free program online
tary personnel; 248,800 retirees, survi"It's been proven that women are the prior through a dedicated 800 number.
vors and family members; and
mary decision-makers during car buying,"
There's never a problem filling
13,400 civilians and contractors,
said Montero. "One of our goals with Womthe 15 slots. Women are allowed
according to the U.S. DepartA program
en's Wednesdays is to help educate them. For
to bring their children.
ment of Defense.
nearly every Wednesday
example, Toyota offers a 2-year/25,000-mile
In case dealership custom"I'm personally thrilled
that caters to women
regularly scheduled maintenance plan, but
ers are unaware of the prothat in addition to having
has increased the
what does that really mean? When I'm asked
gram, dealership staffers go
the best service department
dealership's appointments
if I want conventional or synthetic oil, what is
through the service waiting
and personnel of any autoon that day of
the difference? We have top diagnosticians
room on Wednesdays to invite
motive dealership in central
the week.
and technicians speak to them so they underwomen to join. After the proTexas, we now offer a very spestand some of the intricacies."
gram, which lasts from about 11
cial day just for women to come
The dealership spends about $300 for each
a.m. to 1:30 p.m., dealership leaders
in and be pampered a little bit while
Women's Wednesday but is paid back in loyask the women for comments. Here's a samthey get their service done," Lohse, who dealty. The ever-increasing service appointpling.
veloped the idea with General Manager
ments show that: Wednesday appointments
Gloria S.: "Well done!"
Robert Gill and Lori Montero, the marketare more than 50 percent higher than before
Megan M.: "This is GREAT!"
ing and customer relations manager, wrote
the program started. Also, the dealership
Kendra B.: "This was aweeeesome!"
in an email to Automotive News.
points to the program for encouraging at least
Corie C.: "So much fun! Had a blast with the
"As a female dealer, mother of three grown
one car sale and two pending sales.
TOK team."
children and the Mimi of four precious grand"Just this past week when I was visiting with
Charlotte B.: "Kudos to the team at TOK"
children, I am well aware of the many responone of the ladies who was attending our event
The one negative comment was about the
sibilities that women carry on their shoulshe told me that she loved our event and would
coffee served. Montero remembers talking to
ders," she wrote. "It gets a bit lonely. This is
never buy a car from anyone else," wrote Lohse.
Gill about that concern afterward and his
our way of helping lighten the load a bit."
"That's exactly what we are going for!" a
prompt reply: "I can fix that."
The dealership launched Women's Wednes-

http://www.military.com

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