AM Awards 2016 - Excellence in Customer Service

A single-site Mitsubishi franchised dealer, Devonshire Motors described its customer service strategy as “very simple and raw”, but it is underpinned by robust processes and measurements.

Its entry says good customer service is a by-product of the right people, the right internal culture and a passion from management, not about box-ticking, incentives or gifts that artificially raise scores.

Focusing on aftersales and honed over more than 10 years, the customer service strategy for its multi-marque approved aftersales operation has seen it recognised as number one for service in the Honda and Mitsubishi networks.

Managing director Nathan Tomlinson, formerly aftersales manager and dealer principal, outlined its customer service principles, from effective recruitment and retention, listening to customers and getting to know them, to ensuring rapid movement of cars from service reception to workshop and completing every job ahead of the time it was promised.

Showroom improvements include the recruitment of three hosts, an in-house radio station, Wi-Fi and TVs and a customer kitchen.

The business sold 356 new and used cars in 2011. In 2015, the total was about 550. Overhead absorption is at 103% and the dealer has a 6% market share on new Mitsubishi, compared with the brand’s national market share of less than 1%.

In selecting the winner, the awards’ judges said Devonshire Motors was “a pragmatic local hero, with strong processes and extraordinary results with a niche brand”.