Meeting Wheelz and Wheelz Dealer Principal John Dooley for the first time in Townsville leaves you with the impression that here is a man who takes great pride in his profession and enjoys providing a premium car-purchasing service to his customers. A 40-year veteran of the industry, John took the time out of a busy Friday morning to answer some questions about his career in car sales.

Words by Lara Wilde

LW: What did you do before you started selling cars?

JD: Before selling cars, I spent 11 years in the Royal Australian Air Force providing tech support. It was a great experience but there came a time for me to move on.

LW: What was the first car you bought for yourself?

JD: In 1974 I bought a brand-new Toyota Corona for myself. It was a great first car.

LW: How did your career in car sales begin?

JD: After leaving the RAAF I worked selling cars at Carmichael Ford in Townsville. I learnt a lot there and they were very good to me. After about 18 months I decided to go into business for myself and open my own car yard.

LW: What was the most important thing you learnt from your time working at Carmichael Ford?

JD: Carmichael Ford taught me that if a customer has a complaint it is best to simply fix it. It isn’t worth the hassle to argue. I have had a customer come back three years after they bought a car from me complaining about an issue with the car. During that time the customer had not serviced or maintained the vehicle in any way. Rather than argue with them we just fixed it.

LW: What was the first car you sold?

JD: I keep a book with a record of every car that has ever been bought or sold through the Wheelz and Wheelz dealership. The first car I sold was a green Datsun 1200 ute. The customer wanted the little ute to go to golf. That deal made me a profit of $376 in May of 1987.

LW: When did you get your dealer licence?

JD: My dealer licence was first official in 1980. Since then I have continued to undertake professional development and self-improvement to stay at the leading edge of the industry.

LW: What advice would you give to a young John Dooley opening a car yard for the first time?

JD: My advice to a younger me starting out 40 years ago would be to start investing in superannuation and plan further ahead. When you are young, retirement seems so far into the future but it is best to start chipping away at it early.

LW: What is the biggest change you have seen in the industry over the last 40 years?

JD: The biggest change I have seen is the level of Government oversight and factory control. The regulations and legislation around used cars and selling practices is far more detailed now. It is good to see so much in place to protect the consumer and make sure they are taken care of.

LW: What involvement in MTAQ have you had?

JD: I was on the MTAQ used car committee when it first formed and I worked vigorously to get the majority of small car dealerships as members. By having most small car dealerships signed up as an MTAQ member we have the ability to lobby and influence government legislation and regulations. I have been a member of MTAQ for a very long time, more than 30 years and the greatest benefit of my membership is having the team at MTAQ advocate on my behalf.

LW: Do you have a high turnover of staff in the business?

JD: Recently we have reduced the number of staff from 10 full-time staff to three staff and a team of contractors. Two of the current staff have been with me since 1988. Barry worked with me at Carmichael Ford and then came with me to the first car yard I opened. We have been working together for nearly 40 years!

LW: What advice would you give to someone starting out in the industry?

JD: I highly recommend that if someone is starting a career in car sales now, they should learn the trade in a large franchise car yard. This will give them access to the best professional development, training and support networks. I do not recommend that anyone pick just one brand to focus on. As a car sales professional you should be knowledgeable across a number of makes and models.

LW: What changes do you see for the car sales industry in the near future?

JD: I predict that smaller independent dealers are going to be a thing of the past one day soon. The focus will be on large franchises and brand specific dealerships. The supply chains to source used cars have been cut and tighter regulations make it harder and harder for small independent dealers to be viable.

LW: What marketing strategy do you employ to bring in new customers?

JD: For more than 30 years we have had the same advertisement in the local newspaper. It used to be that we would see customers coming in on a Saturday morning clutching the local paper and looking at the ad there for the car they wanted to test drive. Today we spend most of our marketing budget in online advertising. We make sure we rank highly on Google and we are very actively engaged on Facebook. Customers are very well informed these days and they do a lot of research online.

LW: The Wheelz and Wheelz dealership is currently for sale. When did you open Wheelz and Wheelz on the current site?

JD: We moved the original dealership that I opened to the current site in 1988. Since then we have made a few changes to the facility, but the location has always been prime. This real estate is so close to the stadium and the city centre and is highly sought after. I hope that the new owner will carry on the tradition of more than 30 years of a car yard on this site.

LW: What are your plans for the future once your dealership sells?

JD: I can’t wait to retire and sit back on a beach drinking tequila! I hope the dealership carries on the legacy in the local motoring community but after 40 years selling cars I am looking forward to relaxing.

Lara Wilde is a writer, motorsport commentator and car enthusiast from northern Queensland. Follow her automotive adventures at
www.wildedrive.com

Original source: Motor Trader Magazine (September 2019)

10 Sept 2019