Nicholson’s Whakatane Mazda dealership opened in December 2016. The team, led by Brad Mckenzie, were welcomed with open arms by the local community from day one.

In early 2019, Brad attended his second Mazda dealership awards in Auckland with his wife Amie and Abi Webb, the branch’s sales manager. To his surprise, he ended up walking onto the stage again to accept awards for the Best Rural Mazda Dealership in NZ and the Best Mazda Dealership by market share.

The not-so secret behind Nicholson’s success

Brad at Nicholson’s Whakatane Mazda says the reason Nicholson’s does well is simple. Since they opened the team have done their best to get involved in the local community in any way they can by participating in charity events, helping out local businesses and providing great friendly service.

In a place like Whakatane this makes all the difference, and relationships with the local community is what Nicholson’s has built the company on.

To make the most of these relationships, customers always come first and everything else is secondary. Nicholson’s ultimate goal is to keep customers for life – and the way you do that is to provide excellent service.

Consistency is key

Winning once is great, but winning twice shows consistency. This has been the goal at Nicholson Mazda Whakatane from day one – to provide the same friendly, helpful service to every customer.

To do this Brad and the team focus on building relationships with customers and helping them with whatever they need from the moment they walk in the gates. In a town as lovely as Whakatane it’s pretty easy to get along with the locals after all.

The Mazda brand also sits in a unique place in the market, which helps keep customers returning. Mazda is seen as a more premium brand than some, offering a touch of class and luxury without a big price tag.

Community support enables success

The team at Nicholson Mazda Whakatane don’t like to take credit for their successes, but they definitely deserve a pat on the back.

With that said, the team wouldn’t be getting any awards without the support of the local people who walk in the door every day. These awards show that with the community’s support, even smaller rural dealerships like Nicholson’s Whakatane can rise to the top of the pile.