Sweis INFINITI Merrillville’s service department builds lifelong relationships through quality experience

For many drivers, the moment they leave the dealership marks the beginning of their relationship with not just their vehicle but also the people who keep it running at its best. At Sweis INFINITI Merrillville, success isn’t determined by a sale or a number; it evolves into communication, trust, and a relationship that can last a lifetime.

Tom Klaubo, service advisor at Sweis INFINITI, expresses how the service department is dedicated to meeting the needs of the customer at eye level.

“Once someone buys a car, we’re the ones that are taking care of it for the next five or so years, until they decide to buy another one,” Klaubo said. “We’re the ones that are maintaining the vehicle, taking care of the client, and making sure all of their needs are addressed. In many cases, clients don’t know what type of service they need. They’ll either talk to me, my co-worker Martin Krstanovski, or our service manager Sam Akkawi to ask us any questions about the car or issues they run into in the future.”

Sweis INFINITI prioritizes building strong relationships with its clients so that when it’s time to replace their vehicle, customers will do so with another INFINITI.

“We’re treating everybody how we want to be treated. You have to put yourself in the customer’s shoes. If you don’t know how the mechanical part of your car works, you have to rely on someone,” Klaubo said. “It’s just like taking a computer into the computer repair shop. You have to build trust with the customer. I’ve been doing this for a long time, and I learned long ago that these relationships can build a customer for life. I’ve worked for 40 years, helping out three generations of families, so it definitely goes a long way.”

The service department at Sweis INFINITI has not only been putting its best foot forward to support the customer, it’s also creating a space that elevates work productivity.

“When we had the department set up before, we had more separate offices,” Klaubo said. “We’ve opened it up a bit more, which helps us work together as a team. We still have some office spaces, but now if someone has a question, they don’t need to get up and go into another office. They can just say, ‘Hey Tom, what’s this about?’ It helps us accomplish things together, and we can hear what’s going on in case someone gets in a jam and needs help.”

Various departments work with the service department on a day-to-day basis at Sweis INFINITI, making this adjustment beneficial from multiple angles.

“We’re a small store, which is very good because we all work as a team,” Klaubo said. “Someone from sales might come up and say, ‘I’ve got a customer on this car here. We need to get it prepped and make sure it’s clean and ready for show.’ Sometimes, it’s as simple as carrying the customer’s phone to the car or teaching them how to use their navigation. Other times, if there’s an issue with the car, we can get it handled right away before it becomes a big issue.”

Another area that the service department is looking to add onto is the clientele base. Taking care of the customers is the first priority, and Sweis INFINITI is, quite literally, opening all of its doors to create the best experience.

“We used to have, let’s say, 500 customers. Now we’ve got 750 customers, now we’ve built it up to 1,250 – we’re getting a good client base coming in,” Klaubo said. “We just opened up for Saturdays again, so we’re always building a reputation of being there for the customers. If you take care of your customer, that person might tell one or two people. Word of mouth can be your best advertisement if you give the clients a quality experience.”

Sweis INFINITI focuses on redefining the customer’s vehicle buying and ownership experience through modern service that’s transparent with all of the people it serves. Keeping the customers relaxed and giving them assurance that their vehicle will be in good hands every time the service department takes a look at it is essential to the company’s mission.

“We’re a Japanese-owned company, and there is a Japanese word called ‘kaizen,’ which means constant improvement,” Klaubo said. “We want to keep all of our customers happy. We’re always striving for five stars in everything we do.”

For more information on Sweis INFINITI of Merrillville, you can visit infinitimerrillville.com.