3 Burrow Toyota Barnsley collect their Toyota Motor Europe Ichiban award in Rome

Three high-flying Toyota UK retailers were among 46 car dealerships from across Europe which received Ichiban awards for excellence in customer service.

Hodgson Toyota Newcastle, Burrows Toyota Barnsley and Helensburgh Toyota each received their honours at a ceremony hosted by Toyota Motor Europe in Rome last week.

Presented annually to retailers from Toyota Motor Europe’s 2,300 dealerships across 34 markets, the awards recognise exceptional performance in customer recommendation in sales and after sales.

In this their 10th year, the focus of the awards has been changed from customer satisfaction to customer recommendation through the provision of an exceptional customer experience.

Gary Mulvaney, of Helensburgh Toyota, said: “We have a passion for looking after customers not just because they will come back, time after time, but when you are part of the community your reputation matters so much.

“Helensburgh Toyota is at the heart of our community. It is a welcoming place to be, for people to pop in, have a coffee, chat and where they are looked after. We have done it that way for nearly 40 years.”

Steve Davidson, of Burrows Toyota Barnsley, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded an Ichiban award for a second time in three years and we believe our success is down to the whole team’s belief in going the extra mile with each and every customer. 

“Ichiban means ‘customer first’ and that’s exactly how we treat every customer that walks into the showroom.”

David Lowes  of Hodgson Toyota Newcastle said: “We are very pleased to receive this recognition.

“Our company ethos of continual improvement with a human element ensures that we strive to understand our customer’s requirements. By doing such we can deliver their personal requirements at the highest level.”