Toyota Tops Reputation Stakes in Major Business Poll

Toyota New Zealand has topped the Kantar Corporate Reputation Index (CRI), meaning it is now the business with the best reputation in the country.

This the first time Toyota has won the award, moving up from third position last year. Filling out the podium spots were Pak ‘nSave and Air New Zealand. The index assesses reputation attributes of a business, addressing trust, leadership, fairness, and responsibility. For the past decade, Toyota has been recognised as New Zealand’s most reputable car brand. Now it tops the Index as the most reputable Kiwi business.

Commenting on the award, Toyota New Zealand Chief Executive, Neeraj Lala, said the accolade reflects Toyota’s loyal and vocal advocates whose trust it builds. That is primarily through the quality and value of its vehicles, customer service, and the fact that Toyota supports local and national initiatives.

“We’ve had this goal for a long time because we feel it’s the ultimate measure of how you are perceived by your customers. There is no higher honour. We talk about how our 60 Toyota Stores around the country are deeply rooted in local communities through their focus on building trust and growing relationships. This is a recognition of how deep these networks run,” he said.

“Our Stores support a range of initiatives that promote physical and mental health, local conservation causes, and more. We recognise this work through our Citizenship award every year. We act locally but we also strive to broaden our impact through national initiatives like teaching young drivers to drive safely.”

Mr Lala believes Toyota’s commitment to its customers and local communities is further reinforced by its strong footprint in regional New Zealand. Its headquarters are based in Palmerston North, and its Toyota Signature Class refurbishing centre is located in Thames. The National Customer Centre is also in Palmerston North and allows Toyota to uphold its 24-hour service promise, ensuring stores have spares delivered in a timely manner. 

Mr Lala said “We have close to 350 people located in our National Customer Centre. This award means an enormous amount to everyone there, and to all of us that represent the Toyota brand in Aotearoa. What we strive to do continuously is earn the trust of everyday Kiwis in every interaction.  

“Our success as a business relies on our relationship with our customers. We take a proactive approach to anticipate and address customer needs before they arise. Being customer focused means we put things right. I can truly say that Toyota puts the customer at the centre of everything we do,” said Mr Lala.

“We also want to support communities in ways that help them to prosper. This includes evolving our fleet to support greater electrification and reduce CO2 emissions. That is underpinned by our commitment to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

“At Toyota, we follow a Japanese idea called kaizen, which means always trying to do better. This simple principle helps us improve every day so we can give our customers the best experience possible,” he said.

The Kantar CRI recognition follows Toyota being awarded the Reader’s Digest ‘Most Trusted Car Brand’ in New Zealand for the 19th consecutive year.