WITH NEW MODELS ARRIVING REGULARILY AND DEALS ON BOTH NEW AND USED CARS HAPPENING ALL THE TIME MAKE SURE YOU DON’T MISS OUT: WWW.MACKAYCITYAUTOGROURCOM.AU
Richard Robinson has worked as the dealer principal at Mackay City Auto Group for just over a year now, managing all eight new car brands, two used car operations, a service centre and a parts distribution warehouse, all sitting under the Mackay City Auto Group banner.
Since taking on the role, Richard has firmly focused on
Mackay City Auto Group’s involvement within the community
of Mackay and has gone about restructuring the business
with a commitment to improving customer service in all parts
of the business.
Richard encourages continuous improvement
within his staff and management, putting all
roles through training, always with a focus on
improving our customer experience, “We are
determined to show the local community and
our customers that we are focused on them.”
Richard has brought in fresh staff and management to the
business that share in their goal of continuously improving
the Mackay City Auto Group customer experience, “Taking
on the task of rebuilding the business has and will take time,
but we have not left any stone unturned to set-up for the future.
Our business strategy will improve the end product for our
customers and move the business forward in a positive manner.’~
“The changes will consequently benefit the staff and
management at Mackay City Auto Group. We currently employ
eighty-one staff members and we have a responsibility to those
families to continue to grow as a business, providing long term
employment and opportunities for our staff within a successful
and supportive company.”
Richard is not only a successful businessman, but a husband
and father of four children ranging from 11 to 21 years of age.
Richard credits his wife Lynda II for her love and dedication
to their children, ensuring they are brought up with sound
values, “Lynda/I has a knack for ensuring the kids are grounded,
encouraging them to focus on what is truly important in life.”
Previous to car sales, Richard had a very different career path
in mind. Richard spent his school holidays with friends on their
cattle properties, developing a desire to work on the land. With
this goal in place, Richard attended agricultural college after
school, studying agricultural science specialising in beef and
equine studies. This path lead Richard to working on cattle
properties throughout Northern Australia for some six years,
including one of the biggest cattle properties in Australia,
Brunette Downs in the Northern Territory.
Richard’s entry to the motor industry came over 30 years ago.
A chance meeting with the owner of Pickering’s Automotive
Group in Townsville (Geoff Pickering), saw Richard consider
the prospect of a career change, swapping cattle properties for
a role as a New Vehicle Sales Consultant. Richard worked for
Geoff in Townsville for approximately four years, before moving
to Brisbane working for one of the largest Ford dealers in
Queensland at the time.
Richard has had a number of key roles over his career in
the industry that have seen him move up and down the
Queensland coast.
Richard has worked with an impressive array of
mainstream brands and a sizeable mix of prestige
brands including BMW, Mercedes Benz, Land Rover,
Ford, Holden, Mitsubishi & Hyundai.
Richard has a firm but supportive management style,
developed over time through completion of a variety of
professional development courses, striving to continually
better his management skills. Richard puts these skills to
work in mentoring his staff.
Over his 30 year career in car sales, the chance to mentor his staff
and watch them grow as business professionals has been a career
highlight for Richard, “Over my years in the industry, I’ve always
enjoyed seeing my staff develop and grow and see them be the
best they can be. It is extremely rewarding to see staff that I have
mentored along my journey, become general managers in their
own right.”
Richard says that the key to effectively managing a large quantity
of staff, is that there is no ‘one size fits all’ answer, “In order to
get the best output from your staff, it is important to tailor your
management for each staff member.
CITY
“For instance, millennials have a different outlook on life compared
to people that have been in the industry for a while.” Richard applies
this same philosophy to his staff but also to his customers, “In my
role, it’s as simple as understanding the way people think, and
support them in their outlook to provide them with what they need.”
Successfully managing one of Mackay’s largest
businesses, eight brands and over 81 staff is
no easy task, but Richard’s experience in the
industry is already taking the business from
strength to strength.
Richard comments, “While every day is challenging and no two
days are the same, it’s a great industry to be involved in, and a
great community here in Mackay. Our team at Mackay City Auto
Group are experienced, knowledgeable and eager to support the
community and our customers in any way they can.”
