No matter how prestige the car, a good deal on finance is crucial to getting the customer to sign on the dotted line.
Good rates and a great service can make all the difference between a deal and no deal, and our winner this year – Close Brothers Motor Finance – was loved by our readers for its superb customer services.
Established in 1988, it works with thousands of dealers in the UK and Ireland, and its self-stated sole mission is to get more customers to buy their next vehicle from its dealer partners.
It obviously knows what it’s doing because last year it helped more than 80,000 customers get behind the wheel via its 8,000-plus dealer partners.
Managing director Sean Kemple said it meant a huge amount to Close Brothers to win.
He said: ‘For us, it’s absolutely huge.
‘We’ve been putting a lot of work in to understanding our dealers and their needs and requirements over the last number of years, so because it’s voted for by dealers that makes it all the sweeter for us.’
Among the praise for Close Brothers in the Car Dealer Power survey feedback was how customers loved the way they were looked after, feeling as if they were partners.
Kemple echoed that, saying its own surveys had shown that an incredible 89 per cent of its dealer partners worked with it because of its people.
When the country went into lockdown, Close Brothers contacted them to find out how they, their family and colleagues were, and to work out how they could work together to get through it.
After dealerships started reopening across the UK, it has seen significant volumes of work coming in daily that were well ahead of pre-Covid plans and up year on year in terms of new business volumes.
Does he think this demand is going to continue?
He said: ‘I initially thought it’d be good as far as September, but the signs are this thing isn’t slowing down.
‘I think it will depend on what happens at the back end of October, November, but we’re certainly forecasting for it to continue at a certain level.
‘Maybe not what we’ve seen over the last couple of months, but definitely increased levels up until the early part of next year.’
Among its many plans to help it stay ahead of the game, it is finalising its sales academy, which will be rolled out across 2021 and will help its account managers work even better with their dealer partners.
You can find out more in our special winners video above.
For more Car Dealer Power winners visit the dedicated section here.
