North East car dealership Hodgson has been awarded Toyota’s 2009 Toyota Ichiban European Customer Satisfaction Award for excellent customer service.

250 Toyota dealers in the UK and approximately 1,500 in Europe were judged with Hodgson coming out on top after customers claimed to be completely satisfied by the service they received right from buying a new car to having a service or MoT carried out.

David Lowes, general manager at Hodgson, said: “To win the Ichiban award means so much to Hodgson as it recognises not only the exceptional contribution we have made to Toyota, but the dedication to our customers through our service and care.”

Hodgson Toyota is the first dealer partner in the UK to win the award in both of its dealerships in the same year.

Hodgson has over 60 staff at its Toyota sites in Gateshead and Silverlink and both sell 2,500 cars between them each year.