Picture: Paul Williams (centre), SsangYong Motor UK chief executive, are the four new SsangYong customer champions - left to right, David Payne, Dayrl Small, Natalie Leslie and Mani Sanghera

SsangYong has introduced a new approach to the selling and servicing of its six-car range in Greater London.

Instead of appointing conventional dealerships, SsangYong Motor UK has recruited its own team of sales champions to work alongside a newly appointed network of service centres located around the conurbation.

“This is an innovative and collaborative approach towards meeting the needs of the capital,” says Paul Williams, SsangYong Motor UK chief executive, “and is designed to complement the 24/7 age in which we now operate”.

“We know from research and our own experience that customers increasingly do their new car browsing online, that 48% of web activity is via mobile phones or tablets, and that this is increasing all the time.  

“To dovetail with this, we have recruited our own team of sales professionals who all come from a retail, rather than a motor trade background.  

“These customer champions will engage with prospective purchasers, follow-up with test drives at their home or work, sell and handover the car and introduce them to their nearest service centre.”

This new team has completed a training programme at the company’s new offices in Luton, on product, brand, finance options and aftersales, and will have continuing contact with future SsangYong owners.

The four new SsangYong customer champions are David Payne, Dayrl Small, Natalie Leslie and Mani Sanghera.

To back them up, five approved service centres have been appointed, and these will offer a ‘collect and service’ operation for added customer convenience.

These new service centres are:

• Auto Motive Service & Repair, Unit 4, Langley Wharf, Kings Langley, Herts WD4 8JE
• EMG Croydon, 17 Montague Road, Croydon, Surrey CR9 3DU
• JEM Service, Hyde Estate Road, Edgware, London NW9 6JX
• Premier Autocentres, 184-214 Blackfen Road, Sidcup, Kent DA15 8PT
• West London SsangYong, 4 Castelnau, Barnes, London SW13 9RU

“This is a new way of building relationships with our customers, and we believe the format is particularly suited to London.  It will also provide useful experience on how to handle other metropolitan areas, and to see how this initiative might work elsewhere,” said Williams.