Three UK dealerships came out on top at Toyota’s 2008 European Customer Satisfaction Awards.

Minories Toyota Wearside, H W Moon Toyota of Chorley Lancashire and Dingle’s Toyota of Attleborough near Norwich, were recognised for outstanding customer satisfaction taking into account both sales and aftersales performance.

A total of 35 awards were presented to retailers from across 23 markets in recognition of the contribution they have made towards Toyota’s growth strategy in Europe.

Andrea Formica, senior vice-president of sales, marketing, product planning and communication, at Toyota Motor Europe, said: "Our goal is to be number one in complete customer satisfaction in every European market by 2010.

"This year, we are proud to recognise a growing number of Toyota retailers who strive to ensure that both new and existing Toyota owners feel satisfied at every stage of the customer experience."

Almost 2,500 Toyota retailers from across Europe were judged on the results of an annual customer satisfaction survey first introduced by Toyota Motor Europe in 2006.

The winning retailers were selected for exceptional performance across key drivers in both sales and service. Beyond general customer care, success criteria included several processes from showroom welcome to handover and from handling of appointments to follow-up.