6:44 pm, July 3, 2024
When it comes to selling a car, it is no exaggeration to say that a great finance rate can be the difference between completing a deal and a customer walking away.
Buyers arrive at the showroom expecting good rates and great service and our winner this year certainly ticks those boxes.
Close Brothers has a long-running reputation as being an outstanding one of the best partners around for its dealers and readers were at pains to highlight just how much of a difference the firm can make.
Our two highly commended – MotoNovo and Black Horse Finance – also know how to put together a great deal, but in the end it was Close Brothers which retained its title in this category.
The FTSE250 company employs more than 3,700 people and has a strong focus on providing straightforward products and services; maintaining a prudent approach and strong financial position and building lasting relationships.
The firm has continued its outstanding work throughout the last 12 months and has scooped our prize for an astonishing sixth year in a row.
We caught up with managing director Sean Kemple to discuss the latest award.
He told Car Dealer: This is our sixth year in a row, winning the Car Dealer Power Awards.
‘It’s incredibly humbling. It’s not something I thought we would see this year.
‘I was asked a few times by the team: “Do you think we’re winning a sixth year in a row?” I’ve said: “I think that’s highly unlikely but I would love it if we did”.
‘It is a great accolade for the team and it’s a great recognition of the effort that a team goes through to support our dealer partners.
‘It feels really, really good.’
The latest prize comes after what has been a ‘challenging environment’ over the past year. Kemple is also expecting the ongoing FCA investigation to cause further headaches in 2025 but is backing Close Brothers to be ready for whatever is thrown up over the coming year.
‘It is a challenging environment in automotive. There’s a lot going on, both from a customer perspective and then from a business perspective.’ he said.
‘We have done what we always do in Close Brothers. We’ve focused on what we need to do and try to not get distracted by everything that’s happening outside and in the world of automotive.
‘We have focused on continuing to develop our strategy and our vision.’
He added: ‘We have got a number of projects in our stack right now.
‘We have obviously got a pretty significant event right now that the regulator is looking at around historical motor commissions so we are obviously readying ourselves for what the review may look like and what the regulator comes back with.
‘That’s an area of focus, of course, and then the second part is making sure that we don’t lose sight of how we add value and how we work with our customers and our partners.
‘We’re continuing to work on our strategy and vision and that’s what the next 12 months will look like.’
- W: closemotorfinance.co.uk
- T: 0333 321 6060
- E: [email protected]
