Japan

Domestic Service

Since its founding, Toyota has worked to provide its customers with outstanding servicing and quality vehicles by training and supporting dealer servicing staff at Toyota dealers and by collecting and making the best use of quality-related information.

Over the years, Toyota has actively enhanced its car servicing systems and improved car servicing capabilities according to the '3S Spirit' (Seikaku, Shinsetsu, Shinrai:: Precision, Kindness, and Reliability).

To adapt to the maturing Japanese market, Toyota has also worked to expand its value chain by increasing the productivity of dealer servicing and by encouraging its wider use.

Year
Month
Events
1937

Service Section established in Sales Division
1938
May
Service workshops held for dealers
1948

Service workshops resumed after being cancelled during World War II

National meeting of service technicians held to gather technical information from the market
1950
July
Service Division (Toyota Motor Sales Co., Ltd.) established;
- Sales Division's Service Section was upgraded to Service Division and given two sections, Service Section and Inspection Section
1951
December
Authorized service shop system instituted

Rapid development of dealer service network promoted
1954
November
Title for promoters of Toyota Service Advisor Program changed from 'Road Man' to 'Field Man (field representatives)';
- Working with regional staff from Vehicle Division and Field Man from Parts Division and Mineral Oil Division, programs for managing and training dealer's divisions in organized manner were strengthened
1956

Facility Planning Guide', a guide for dealers on Service shop construction, published
1957
February
Seibi Section established to strengthen service systems for direct delivery and exported vehicles
February
Complaints Section converted into an independent organization to strengthen quality assurance operations:
- Field Operations Section established to manage all Field Man
November
Program to award outstanding service advisors at dealerships started
1958
April
The eight-month long nationwide field services launched
1961
October
Training Section for dealer's service mechanics established; Training Center opened
1972
November
First campaign to entice customers to get vehicle inspections held (until December 31)
1973
February
'Toyota Service 3S Campaign' held (until 1982); Campaign emphasizes 'the five values of Toyota Service Fundamentals' (revised to the seven values in 1974);
- The 3S Spirit (Seikaku, Shinsetsu, Shinrai: Precision, Kindness, and Reliability) becomes an enduring motto of Toyota Service
1977
January
First all-Toyota Service Division General Manager meeting held
February
Research team sent from the Servicing Division to Europe
May
'Body Repair Project Team' launched in the Service Division
October
The era of the 10 million vehicle ownership arrived in Japan
1979
February
Maintenance quality check initiative launched
October
Vehicle inspection standards revised
November
'Toyota Mechanitron 501', a comprehensive engine diagnostic device, marketed to nationwide dealers
1980
February
Vehicle body and paint repair training program for dealers launched
1982
July
New Service Division established due to the merger between Toyota Motor Co. Ltd. and Toyota Motor Sales Co., Ltd.
1984
January
Service advisors Training Program changed from a 5-step (5-year) to a 4-step (4-year) program
April
National Technical Competition changed from an annual to a biennial event
1985
February
National Competition of Outstanding Service Managers held (again in 1986)
August
System to unify maintenance warranties across all dealers in Japan launched (Currently known as 'Toyota Dealer Service Insurance'
1987

Productivity Improvement Promotion Team established

Initiatives (customer relations (CR) activities) to promote vehicle checkups started (CR Promotion Department established)
1988
February
'CS No.1' set as a priority target
1989
April
Campaign launched to improve maintenance quality launched
1990

Service innovation (SI) concepts put into practice
1991

TES Program launched

Service Division achieved CS No.1
1993
January
The Toyota Service Guiding Principles formulated
April
Advisors' contest added to Technical Competition and competition's name changed to Servicing Techniques Contest
1996
January
Team CS, a department to support operational improvements, establised

The Toyota Service Guiding Principles revised to seven in total
1997
January
Due to the introduction of Sales Operation Group, Personnel in divisions related to Service and Sales moved to Sales Operations Group, as the organization is revamped into a divisional structure
April
Maintenance packages marketed (e.g., Smile Passport)
June
Activities focused on the 'S-Up Initiative' (4S , Safety, and Ideas Tools Contest) commenced
1998
June
Activities centered around the 'S-Up Initiative' (Maintenance Quality and Idea Tools Contest) commenced
October
Toyota Service Fair '98 held
November
SQ vehicle inspection was developed
1999
January
SROP activities began nationwide (BR organization established in Service Division)
April
Body & Paint contest added to Servicing Skills Contest
August
24-hour customer service hotline established through contract with Anshin Dial Co., Ltd.
November
'Toyota Dealer Environmental Guidelines' instituted
November
Toyota Service Fair '99 and Service Convention '99 held:
- Thereafter, activities have been continued as a national meeting of servicing managers
2000
April
S-Up redesigned as S-Up 2000 Version II, using 'Show and Attract, 4S & Safety' as slogans
May
GALLOP21 launched a TECHNO SHOP Service enhancement program, launched
2001
February
'Hosyou ga tsukushi' plan extended warranty package marketed

S-Up 2000 Version II activities (Show and Attract Maintenance Quality) commenced
2002
August
WelCOM ("well communication"), launched(at Toyota Corolla Nagoya's Nisshin Takenoyama shop)
2003
April
Emergency servicing systems for extended holiday periods enhanced
July
'KIZUNAX' a discount Body and Paint repair service marketed
September
'Ten-minute car servicing' marketed
2004
April
'Servicing Skills Contest' cancelled due to sales channel consolidation
September
Service improvement activities commenced;
- dealer support activities have been continued thereafter
2005
June
Customer Service Operations Group established
December
'Fix it Right Activities' launched (employees in the Technical Service Division assigned to continue activities)
2006
April
'Service Skills Contest' resumed
2007
January
Position of Field Man for Lexus brand established
January
Field Quality Department strengthened (Head Office)
April
Toyota's three technical schools renamed technical colleges
June
Aid sent to Oman after country was hit by major cyclone
July
Water-based Genuine Toyota paints marketed
2008
April
New training course on vehicle Body & Paint Estimation deployed for dealers
August
Future Forum 2008 (national meeting of servicing managers) held

'Prius Cup' race series held in five regional divisions (eight divisions in 2009);
- participating teams drove Prius vehicles and competed for the highest combined score in two categories: fuel-efficient driving and car servicing quality and speed
2009
April
The 1st degree refresh training launched
June
'TSL(Toyota Sales Logistics) Instructor Course' started
July
First After-Sales Service Staff Awards Ceremony held:
- Ceremonies for 2010 and 2011 held together
2010
January
Hybrid e Servicing (maintenance and inspections for hybrid vehicle) rolled out
December
The Prius Cup held nationwide in Japan
Year
Month
Events
1954
November
Technical Information Note created as tool for gathering technical information
1978
March
First edition of monthly Toyota Serviceman Life published
1982
December
C80(Challenge 80) , Sales and Servicing support system for dealers, is developed and training begun prior to introducing the system to dealers
1986
April
Warranty period of special parts extended from 2 years/50,000 km MAX to 3 years/60,000 km MAX
July
TECNO LAB installed to consolidate advanced technical service functions at each dealership
1989
January
Special warranty period to 5 years/100,000 km MAX
1992
July
C90 system introduced to replace the C80 system
July
Electrical parts catalogue (interfacing with C90) offered
1996
June
S2000, vehicle evaluation tool, introduced
September
BP estimation system, Espato (interfacing with C90), marketed
1999
January
Technical Manual published in digital format (CD-ROM)
February
Technical Service communications system, TQSC21-H, introduced
April
Technical Information Management Guidebook published
2000

Toyota Advanced Information 21 (ai21) introduced to replace C90 system
2002
January
Experts from the Engineering Division assigned to regional offices in Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka
2003
August
TaSCAN (capable of interfacing with Tascal-H) introduced to replace S2000 vehicle diagnostics tool
September
National system comprising 12 regional offices completed
2004
December
New BP estimation system, Espato II, marketed
2005
June
All-Toyota servicing information network developed (integrated with Toyota Service Card and ai21)
June
Japanese warranty system revamped
August
Lexus warranty set to 5 years/100,000 km
2006
February
Use of an online Technical Manual began
2009
June
Next-generation service information system developed and deployed

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