Hawke's Bay dealership earns highest Kia Motors honour

Mark Cooper leads a team of 15 together with his wife, Pip, who oversees the administrative side of the business.

Hawke's Bay Kia has joined an exclusive club by becoming one of a handful of dealers within the Kia Motors worldwide family to attain Platinum Prestige status in the past 12 months.

The highly sought-after honour is given to just 3 per cent of Kia Motors dealers around the globe at any one time.

It is given to dealers who excel in customer relations, standard of facilities, management of their business, as well as sales, service and parts performance.

The Platinum Prestige Award was presented to Hawkes Bay Kia dealer principal Mark Cooper and his team at a special ceremony held at the Hastings showroom. Cooper said that the award came as a "very pleasant surprise" and is a tribute to the dedication and hard work of the wholeteam.

"We might be a small dealership compared to those in the big cities and on the international stage, but we're no less passionate about the Kia brand and we pride ourselves on providing the very best service to our customers."

He says it proves that even small, provincial dealerships can succeed at the highest level when the right systems are put in place to support those customer-focused outcomes.

"We are very proud of our achievements," says Cooper, who leads a team of 15 together with his wife, Pip, who oversees the administrativeside of the business.

After taking on the Kia brand in 2006, the dealership has undergone a series of upgrades, culminating with a major redevelopment in 2017 that saw the service, parts and sales facilities consolidated into one building.

Nowadays, Hawke's Bay Kia boasts a modern showroom and service centre that reflects the standards set by Kia Motors worldwide.

Managing director of Kia Motors New Zealand Todd McDonald says the award is an outstanding achievement for the Hawke's Bay branch.

"Mark and his team have done an extraordinary job and are to be congratulated for attaining the very highest standards of excellence across all facets of their business.