The Swift Group 6th Annual Awards of Excellence, where consumers vote on standards of dealer service in the only industry nationwide customer survey, saw a series of new names top the bill this year.
The awards were presented by top TV star Des O’Conner and covered the Group’s Abbey, Bessacarr, Swift and Sterling brands.
Norwich Caravans were voted Bessacarr Dealer of the Year and they also won the Bessacarr Service Centre of the Year award. The Swift Dealer of the Year went to Jabez Barker of Tipton in the Midlands. Both dealers won these top awards for the first time.
The Abbey Dealer of the Year went to Couplands Caravans of Louth who were voted top dealer for the third time in four years. The Dealer of the Year award for the Sterling brand went to Top Road Tourers of Woodhill near Carnoustie who won the award for the second time in three years.
“These are the only genuine nationwide consumer awards in the industry and give people who buy our caravans the chance to vote for the dealers they believe provide the best sales, aftersales and total customer service.
“It enables the smaller dealers to compete with the big boys on equal terms and this year, the award winners include dealerships of all sizes.
“The overall customer satisfaction scores recorded in the survey are the highest ever and show a clear trend of improving levels of dealer services throughout the country.
“The results enable us not only to monitor dealer performance but also to monitor our own performance in terms of product quality, and place a vital role in enabling us to focus on areas that require improvements in the future.” Swift Group Chairman, Peter Smith, commented.
The 2001 Awards of Excellence winners were:
- Abbey Caravans
- Dealer of the Year: Couplands Caravans of Louth
- Sales Team of the Year: Highbridge Caravan Centre, Highbridge
- Service Centre of the Year: Salop Caravan Centre, Shrewsbury
- Bessacarr Caravans
- Dealer of the Year: Norwich Caravans, Norfolk
- Sales Team of the Year: Harringtons Caravans, Northwich
- Service Centre of the Year: Norwich Caravans, Norfolk
- Sterling Caravans
- Dealer of the Year: Top Road Tourers, Carnoustie
- Sales Team of the Year: Sunlite Leisure, Bromborough
- Service Centre of the Year: Somerset Caravans, Taunton
- Swift Caravans
- Dealer of the Year: Jabez Barker Caravans, Tipton
- Sales Team of the Year: Kircaldy Caravan Centre, Kircaldy
- Service Centre of the Year: Robinson Caravans, Worksop