Winner... Mike Lewis, second left, receives the award from Justin Stanton of Motor Transport, flanked by presenters Rory Bremner and Di Stewart

Ciceley goes one better to land an industry ‘Oscar’

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The champagne corks have been popping at north-west Mercedes-Benz dealer Ciceley Commercials after it carried off one of the truck and van industry’s most coveted prizes.

The Blackburn-based franchisee won the ‘Dealer of the Year’ title at last night’s (13 July) Motor Transport Awards, the most prestigious event on the UK road transport industry calendar.

Ciceley Commercials is also the reigning Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicle Dealer of the Year, a title it won last February.

The company represents the famous three-pointed star in Lancashire, Cumbria and south-west Scotland – in addition to a state-of-the-art site at junction 4 of the M65, it also has outlets in Bolton, Carlisle and Dumfries.

More than 1,400 leading figures from the transport industry gathered at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London for this year’s Motor Transport Awards ceremony.

Ciceley Commercials, which has represented Mercedes-Benz UK since the manufacturer opened for business in Britain back in 1974, beat off the challenges of shortlisted finalists representing two rival truck makers to lift the Motor Transport crown. Its success made it a double triumph for Mercedes-Benz after the Sprinter range took the ‘Fleet Van of the Year’ honours – for the fourth year running! This was the sixth time the Sprinter had claimed the top honours since the category was introduced eight years ago.

The judges praised Ciceley Commercials for delivering improved truck and van sales – up by 43 per cent at a time when those across the industry as a whole were plummeting – and customer satisfaction. First time MoT pass rates, for example, rose by 23 per cent in three years, to 94 per cent in 2009.
 
They reported: “The growth of the business was spearheaded by the appointment of Mike Lewis as Dealer Principal in 2007, bringing with him 20 years’ experience in commercial vehicle sales (latterly with Mercedes-Benz UK). The business was able to expand a ‘VIP culture’ that had brought superb service to a loyal but limited customer base, to a wider audience.”

The successful implementation of this plan was based on making sure the right people were in the right jobs, a process that took six months and saw new senior managers appointed across all four sites. A training programme was put in place to ensure all staff had the right skills and Ciceley’s premises, website and IT systems were overhauled. Customer-facing business development specialists had also been put in place to advise operators on ‘whole-life’ operating costs.

“The business has been reviewed and regenerated and it has shown a strong change-management process,” the judges confirmed.

Mike Lewis was joined by Ciceley colleagues and customers at last night’s event. “This is a fantastic achievement and one that caps an amazing six months for our business,” he declared. “Winning Mercedes-Benz Dealer of the Year was memorable but this MT award is even more significant because it’s competed for by representatives of all major commercial vehicle brands.”

Mike continued: “Our staff of nearly 200 strive always to provide a high-quality service that extends beyond our dealings with customers, to our relationships with each other. Everyone understands that we’re all in this together and this is a great place to be right now.”
     
Ciceley Commercials has worked tirelessly to raise its overall after sales game and, under the guidance of Group After Sales Manager Richie Eburne, staff development programmes drive home the message that the customer must always come first. The success of this strategy has been confirmed by its relentless rise up the manufacturer’s Customer Service Index league table – a dealer’s CSI score is based on a host of performance-related criteria, as well as interviews with customers.
 
The Motor Transport Awards celebrate the outstanding achievements of the industry and recognise innovation, outstanding service, efficiency and quality. They are judged by an independent panel of experts from many industry avenues, who are chosen because they know the difference between “what is common in the industry and what is truly outstanding” and deserves to be rewarded.

Motor Transport Editor Steve Hobson added: “Despite one of the toughest years in memory, the road transport sector continues to innovate and find new and better ways of delivering customer service and reducing carbon emissions.”

In which we serve… opened in 2004 at a cost of £2.6 million, Ciceley Commercials’ headquarters in Blackburn boasts a smart, airy showroom and a comprehensively-equipped 12-bay drive-through workshop that includes an ATF (Authorised Testing Facility) lane.