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The 2022 AM Awards Leasing Operation of the Year winner is Fleet Financial, part of Lookers Vehicle Solutions

The 2022 AM Awards Leasing Operation of the Year winner is Lookers Vehicle Solutions – Fleet Financial, its operation in Northern Ireland.

A ‘perfect mix’ of personal service, long-serving staff, technological advances, innovative products, together with being part of one of the biggest dealer groups in the UK, means Lookers Vehicle Solutions – Fleet Financial stands apart from its competitors.

With a staff of around 25 people – with nearly half having more than 10 years’ service with the company – their market knowledge and attention to customer care enables the company to champion its logo, ‘extra care comes as standard’.

Cornerstones of this include Fleet Financial Emotive, a specialised brand promoting and supporting customers transitioning to electric vehicles and PHEVs (contributing to nearly 65% of its current order book being one of these); continual staff training and development; complimentary access to ‘fleet navigator’, a bespoke fleet management package designed to help customers manage their vehicles in one secure location and complimentary driver workshops based on the toolbox talks concept in the construction industry.

In 45-minute sessions maintenance and operations staff engage with company car drivers, helping them understand running and managing their company vehicle.  

Recent developments include Emotive’s launch in 2020, and, with the support of Lookers Vehicle Solutions, the launch of a new Fleet Financial website offering customers increased support, including a customisable quotation platform, vehicle reviews, secure customer area to complete financial proposals and an omnichannel approach combining digital and human support.

Since the website’s launch in September 2021, Fleet Financial is now transacting 26% of business from customers who’ve visited it.

Factors such as the above has contributed to improvements in key financials measures year-on-year to 2021: a 16% increase in turnover, 74% increase in profit before tax and 17% increase in units sold.  

 

Highly Commended

CarLease UK

 

Finalists

  • CarLease UK
  • Lookers Vehicle Solutions - Fleet Financial

The latest AM industry special issue

The complexity of running a modern dealership can be misunderstood easily by people looking in on our industry.

Any general manager has so many plates to spin, and they must foster a talented team that they can rely on to not just do the basics well, but to sprinkle some magic on top that customers can notice.

If the marketplace in 2023 is steadily returning to relative normality, this normality now includes the drive to find customers for an increasing supply of electric vehicles, and the need to source used cars from all channels and market them carefully. And of course there are the desires to delight consumers with an omnichannel experience and to hold on to decent margins after a couple of years of strong profitability.

The expectations of both the customer and the business’s stakeholder must be achieved to the optimum level.

In this special digital publication, industry experts, prominent suppliers and franchised dealers share their insights on the major aspects required in running a modern dealership well.

Read now



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