At least one embattled Toyota dealer really “nailed” the secret behind customer loyalty.
Worried that its customers could hop into the seats of another automaker, the managers at Atlantic Toyota in Amityville, LI, are offering recalled vehicle owners of trunk’s worth of freebies.
“They said to me, ‘You can get a manicure,’ ” said Roseanne Letizia, whose nails got a complete overhaul while the technicians checked her Toyota’s gas pedal. “It is the first time I ever got a manicure at a car dealership.”
Dealerships around the nation received between $7,500 and $75,000 to help them cope with the headache of the 4.6 million-vehicle recall of nine different Toyota models.
That problem expanded early this morning as the company announced it was also recalling 437,000 Prius and other hybrid cars worldwide because of a brake problem.
About 100,000 of the cars were sold in the US.
The PR headaches have dealerships scrambling to keep customers happy.
“We’re giving out free movie passes, and we drive them to the movies while their car is being worked on. We’re also giving free manicures,” said one senior employee at Atlantic Toyota. “We are trying to calm them down a little.”
Manicurist Margaret Volence tended to six pairs of hands, including three that belonged to men, in the dealership’s waiting room yesterday.
Letizia only had one complaint.
“I was sorry she didn’t have bright-red polish to match my car,” she quipped.
Other dealerships, however, were struggling to cope with calls and cars.
Star Toyota in Bayside said it is already fully booked for accelerator fixes until the beginning of March.
Toyota of Manhattan said it is extending its work hours until midnight for at least the next few weeks to handle all the repairs.
“We’ve done everything we can to get them back in their cars and driving safe,” said Franz Casimir, the parts-and-service director.