AM Awards: Best Dealership, Crown Honda

Best Dealership sponsored by QBE

Overcoming the difficulties of a car market slump has been a major achievement for Crown Honda. The economic troubles of 2008 have not stopped the dealership from reaching its goals.

Crown is owned by joint managing directors Tim Dibbs and Lee Monahan, who took it over in a management buyout four years ago.

The dealership, at Bushey Heath, Hertfordshire, achieved exceptional results in 2007 and followed that with a strong performance in 2008.

Its achievements are commendable. Its new car sales team achieved 109% of target in 2008, and has built a market penetration locally of 14.63%.

That compares very favour-ably to Honda’s national market share of 4.4%.

Used car sales are extremely strong. Stock turnover is far quicker than is typical to maximise the opportunities offered from a relatively small display space.

In aftersales, the business has an extremely strong service base with great success in retail hours sold and IT support that ensures work required in the future is followed up and prospected for.

In addition, Crown is a top two Honda UK parts retailer. It
has a strong focus on up-selling accessories.

These achievements add up to create a business that enjoys an enviable return on sales.

“Crown Honda has the highest customer retention rate in
the Honda UK network”

Its directors say the success of Crown is built around all its departments performing at all times and supporting one another.

Its company mission is to continuously exceed the expectations of customers. On the evidence of its results, Crown’s staff take this mission extremely seriously.

Honda’s customer satisfaction index puts the business top within the M25 and among its category A performers nationwide.

It also has the highest customer retention rate in the Honda UK network, with 36% of its retail aftersales work being carried out on vehicles aged six years and older.

An indication of the passion and commitment of Crown
Honda’s workforce is its minimal staff turnover.

In 2007, only two of its 49 team members left, and in 2008 there were no leavers. All employees are members of the Honda Institute.