Ensuring customer satisfaction from numerous angles requires a consistent approach and vision from the dealerships that sell Mazda cars and run the outlets our customers visit. To ensure uniformity, Mazda requests the cooperation of its dealerships in various ways and provides training programs for their employees.

Each year, Mazda hosts two conferences for representatives of dealerships, attended by directors of Mazda and representative directors of Mazda' s dealerships in Japan, and when needed conferences for divisional and departmental heads of dealerships.

At a conference for representatives of dealerships in 2008, Mazda called for business restructuring based on Mazda' s mid-term plan, the Mazda Advancement Plan, to grow domestic business in response to the current low-growth market environment.

In addition, committees of the Mazda Dealership Association in Japan regularly convene to discuss a wide range of themes. This Association of dealerships affiliated with Mazda and Mazda Anfini includes 54 dealerships, parts dealerships and transportation companies, as well as companies such as Mazda Chuhan Co., Ltd., and Mazda Car Rental Corp.

Twice a year, Mazda Motor Corporation attends executive board meetings of the Mazda Dealership Association in Japan. Information concerning product development, service and parts requests, quality concerns and other topics is exchanged and discussed.

More specifically, various committees convene to foster regular communication between all departments related to the work of the labor administration, distribution, and compliance committees, as well as issues involving new cars, used cars, customer service, systems, customer satisfaction and insurance.

Mazda gives annual and semi-annual awards to dealerships in recognition of outstanding performance. Awards are based on a comprehensive appraisal of company sales performance, customer satisfaction and other metrics. In FY2008, one dealership received an award for management excellence.

Mazda supports dealers' efforts to strengthen compliance. In FY2006 the Domestic Business Division coordinated sales activities throughout Japan and put together project teams consisting of personnel from the legal, auditing and general affairs departments. This organization provided training manuals, a collection of case studies and an e-learning package for specific operational areas of dealerships, including new vehicles, used vehicles, servicing, labor affairs, computer systems and accounting.

In FY2008, Mazda provided compliance training materials to dealerships in the form of "one-point lessons," a series of simple lessons based on actual accident cases, and subsequent efforts to uncover the factors behind them and prevent their recurrence. Mazda also promoted understanding of compliance in dealerships through the provision of compliance e-learning with respect to the work of dealerships.

All dealerships are currently engaged in strengthening customer relationship management (CRM). To raise customer satisfaction, Mazda supports the streamlining of dealership administration through the application of customer relationship management systems (used by dealership sales staff) and the provision of systems for automatic direct mailing.

In FY2005, Mazda initiated cleanliness activities at each outlet. The purpose of these measures was to ensure that products were displayed in an appealing, compelling manner, information was communicated effectively and the environment in each outlet was comfortable and welcoming to customers.