Mercedes-Benz Vans UK has launched a dealer excellence programme to ensure superior standards for customers through the introduction of Van ProCenters.

To become an accredited Van ProCenter, Mercedes-Benz Van dealers must achieve more than 50 standards ranging across all business areas.

These requirements include extended opening hours for customer convenience and meeting strict requirements on staff training, qualifications and expertise to ensure there is a specialist available for every customer need, from bodybuilding to fleet sales to out of hours service requirements.

In addition, there are obligations around the availability of a wide selection of demonstration and display vehicles.

Mercedes-Benz Van ProCenter dealers are additionally required to have best-in-class brand and product presentation at their premises where they should also retail a broad range of top-quality used vans.

From an aftersales perspective, Mercedes-Benz Van ProCenter dealers must have specialist van service advisors and technicians, and ensure customer mobility by providing replacement vehicles and collection and delivery services.

Mercedes-Benz said this means customers are assured of the industry’s highest levels of service, while the dealers receive additional investment, support and training.

To ensure these levels of service are maintained, every Van ProCenter will be subject to an annual audit to retain their accreditation.

The Van ProCenter brand will be rolled out by Mercedes-Benz to key markets, with the UK selected as a pilot.

Two sites are already accredited - Ciceley Commercials and Mercedes-Benz Truck and Van Northern Ireland, with the remainder of the 80-strong UK dealer network on course to participate in the Van ProCenter certification by the end of 2014.

Steve Bridge, managing director of Mercedes-Benz Vans UK, said: “We pride ourselves on our strong offering from a range of vans tailored to any application, through to our round-the-clock Service24h to enable businesses to keep on moving during the working day.

“Through Van ProCenters, this dealer excellence programme further extends these offerings to ensure the highest possible quality across all dealers, with strict criteria to meet so that Mercedes-Benz Van customers can be assured of the best levels of service in the industry.”