This year has been an opportunity for a lot of car dealers who were willing to put in the effort and make difficult circumstances work for them.
Used car dealership Car Quay are celebrating a great year when at the start of the pandemic they were just hoping to break even.
Now, for the second year in a row, the team is picking up a Used Car Award but this time one of our top gongs for Used Car Dealership of the Year for over 100 Cars.
‘What a year! We’re just made up,’ said Car Quay owner Jamie Caple.
‘Not knowing where we were going to be we had those dark moments in March and April.
‘We were hoping if we could make it out of the year in the same position we started we’d be happy.
‘I don’t think we’ve just survived though, we’ve thrived in 2020.
‘It’s been a bizarre time, a rollercoaster.’
This category is always particularly hard fought, with our judges looking for the best customer service and procedures.
Business partner Craig Vladimirovs echoed that sentiment, and said: ‘We would have been happy just to have a business at the end of it, but we’ve come out on top and better than we were when we started.
‘It’s been amazing. The team has really embraced the change and got on with it in a difficult time.’
He added: ‘The team will be over the moon. All of us here, as soon as we’re through that door, we work. We want to, we put the effort in and it’s just nice to get that pat on the back.
‘Everyone here goes over and above.’
Caple explained that he was particularly proud of the work that Vladimirovs had done this year and said that a lot of this award is down to him ‘levelling up’.
He added: ‘A lot of this award, the enquiry handling and the customers getting the experience, Craig has taken more ownership of that this year.
‘That’s meant I’ve been free to develop the business a bit more.’
He added: ‘We’re going from strength-to-strength and I hate to say that because some businesses have had a tough time. We’ve just dug deep.’
Our judges were impressed with not only the customer-centric approach to the business but they noted that the team plays an active role in the motor trade by helping other dealers.
Caple said: ‘This trade has been good to me. I’ve had my own challenges in the industry, as you all know.
‘When we need a helping hand, we should be able to call on people who’ll support you. We don’t do it for selfish reasons, but it’s a karma thing. Good tends to come back to you.’
Highly commended in this category were Beck Evans and ESP Cars.
- W: carquay.co.uk
- T: 01283 701875
To find out who else won awards in the Car Dealer Used Car Awards 2020 click here.
