In the world of truck servicing and sales, it’s often the behind-the-scenes operations that separate good dealerships from great ones. At City Hino in Sydney, the parts department has become a core strength of the business—and a key reason why customers keep coming back.
Under the leadership of Parts Manager Con O’Leary, the dealership has transformed its parts operation from what he described as an “underachiever” in 2017 into one of Hino Australia’s top-performing sites, with award-winning service and a reputation for fast, reliable support.
So how did they do it? The answer lies in systems, culture, collaboration—and a deep commitment to making things easy for the customer.
Built for Efficiency: The 7 Storage Techniques
The transformation began with a purpose-built warehouse designed with Toyota’s famous “seven storage techniques” in mind. “It came from the Toyota world,” said Con. “It’s a common-sense set of principles that places everything within reach, eliminates unsafe lifting, and ensures there’s no clutter or blocked thinking areas.”
City Hino went a step further. The warehouse was constructed with WHS at the forefront—heavy items like oils are placed at waist height, and bull bars are stored on dollies for easy transport to technicians. “There’s very little effort involved,” said Con. “Everything is arranged, clearly labelled, and always in place.”
Investing in the Right Team
According to Daniel Glynn, General Manager at City Hino, one of the biggest shifts came from getting the right people into the business. “Like the sales department, we had to put in the work to find the right team (the right mix currently happens to be all females),” he said. “It’s never set and forget—but once you build that foundation, you start to see the results.”
Today, the warehouse runs so smoothly that Daniel joked, “Sometimes I see the all team sitting back with nothing to do—because everything’s already been done.”
Real-Time Support and 24/7 Access
One of the features that truly sets City Hino apart is the level of responsiveness built into their parts operation. “We would probably be the only dealership in the country where our breakdown tech has a key to the warehouse,” Con revealed.
On weekends or public holidays, if a truck goes down, the tech can access parts, coordinate remotely with support staff, and get the vehicle moving again. “We literally take them to the location of the part,” said Con. “It’s that specific.”
This system has proven crucial to supporting large fleets where downtime can cost thousands. “Fleets know that if something goes wrong, we’re there,” said Daniel. “The customer doesn’t need to know how—we just make it happen.”
Collaboration with Hino Australia
City Hino’s success hasn’t happened in isolation. Daniel and Con are quick to credit the strong working relationship with Hino Motor Sales Australia. “We can’t do it without them—and they can’t do it without us,” said Daniel.
Con echoed the sentiment: “Hino gives you all the tools if you’re prepared to go out there and have a go. They don’t hold your hand, but they’ll support you all the way.”
That support includes data, regular reporting, system enhancements, and daily contact with Hino’s parts representatives. “Sam Keobounnam, our Hino rep, is on the phone to us three, four, five times a day,” said Daniel.
The results speak for themselves. City Hino’s parts department has won multiple awards, and in 2023, they led the national dealer network in key performance metrics.
Invisible to the Customer—but Essential to the Experience
Con says much of their success comes down to doing things the customer never sees. “If we don’t have a part, or if we delay a fitment, the customer notices. But when we get it right, they just think it’s magic.”
That invisible preparation includes pre-picking parts for vehicle deliveries, managing accessory inventory across multiple vehicles, and ensuring that the parts department is fully aligned with sales and service. “It’s not always as smooth as it sounds,” Daniel admitted. “But we’ve built a culture where we solve problems quickly.”
“That Was Easy”
Ultimately, City Hino’s approach to parts is about delivering what the customer wants—without delay, drama, or excuses. “All the customer needs to think is, ‘That was easy. I’ll go back there again,’” said Daniel. “That’s our goal every time.”
In a competitive market, where margins are tight and uptime is king, City Hino has turned its parts department into a strategic advantage. And with a culture of continuous improvement and a strong OEM partnership, it’s an advantage they plan to keep.
