3:13 pm, July 16, 2024
The best new and used car dealers have been celebrating today after Auto Trader named its ‘Highly Rated’ businesses for 2024.
The status has been awarded to automotive retailers all over the UK in recognition of providing an outstanding experience for their customers.
Those businesses to have received the honour have been sent a collection of exclusive ‘Highly Rated’ assets, including stickers and digital logos.
They will also now have a ‘Highly Rated’ logo added to their Auto Trader profile page in a move which aims to increase peace of mind for buyers.
In order to qualify for Highly Rated accreditation, retailers must have had a high volume of recent reviews on Auto Trader with an average review rating of four stars and above.
They must have also have shown a willingness to engage with any low scoring customer reviews.
Among the dealers to recieve the award was Car Dealer’s very own James Baggott, whose business – the Clever Car Collection – has featured in our AI Car Dealership Project.
You can watch James’s latest video diary, which documents his week in the motor trade, here.
In response to the accreditation being sent out to dealers, Auto Trader’s group sales director, Darren Moon, said: ‘Our Highly Rated accreditation continues to be an invaluable opportunity for us to recognise and celebrate those retailers who are providing an outstanding level of customer service.
‘With consumers completing more of the car buying journey online than ever before, reviews are fundamental to establishing trust and confidence in every step of the process.
‘As one of the UK’s most widely known and trusted brands, we hope this accreditation will help our partners to stand-out in today’s increasingly competitive market, reassure potential car buyers, and give their colleagues the recognition they deserve.’
What does it mean to dealers?
Richard Mosely, founder and managing director of Right Track Cars Ltd:
‘We are very proud to have been awarded Highly Rated on Auto Trader for the past six consecutive years.
‘As a small family-run business, having a 4.9-star average with over 180 verified reviews on Auto Trader means that our customers have a greater trust in how we do business.
‘Many of them often comment that our reviews had influenced their choice, even if it meant them travelling a distance. Customer satisfaction is incredibly important to us, and the Highly Rated scheme is a great reward for our hard work and effort.’
Richard Smith, managing director of Golden Hill Garage:
‘Happy and repeat customers are our lifeline and best advert; they’ve enabled us to prosper and grow over the years, so achieving the Auto Trader Highly Rated accreditation for the last six years makes us all very proud and great for staff confidence.
‘Importantly, recognition from Auto Trader gives our current and potential customers a huge amount of comfort and confidence when purchasing their next vehicle from us, especially when doing distance sales.’
Sally Leeming, co-founder of First4car.com:
‘Receiving the Highly Rated recognition from Auto Trader is a real achievement and gives every member of staff a real boost.
‘Being able to advertise this on our site gives our sales a real boost too, as it increases the confidence a customer has in us as an independent retailer being linked to such a recognised and trusted brand.’
