The 2022 AM Award for Electric Vehicle Dealership of the Year has been won by Marshall Volkswagen St Albans.

A steadfast focus on instilling confidence and knowledge in customers exploring the switch to zero-emissions transport was central to the success of the AM Awards 2022’s EV Dealership of the Year.

The team at Marshall Motor Group’s St Albans Volkswagen franchise impressed judges with an ability to identify the EV buying journey’s pain points and eliminate them to create a business well-positioned to serve its local community.

When head of business Tony Murphy joined VW St Albans in October 2019 he encouraged his sales team to mystery shop other EV retailers to discover what was required to achieve market-leading performance.

In the period that followed, the business established a unique ID. Hub environment – not mandated by the brand – to offer customers an immersive EV experience.

Meanwhile staff, who helped to identify a lack of knowledge as customers’ biggest frustration when seeking advice from dealership staff, were trained up to “product expert” to deliver a confidence inspiring, informative, and consultative customer experience.

A partnership with the local Tesco superstore saw its 24 free-to-use charge points – installed through a partnership with VW – included on every EV test drive.

Technicians and product experts also harnessed the power of CitNOW videos to interact with customers and overcome common vehicle issues.

VW St Albans’ EV focus has helped the business accelerate zero-emissions capable vehicle sales from 39 in 2019 to 143 in 2021 – 88 of which were pure electric.

From a loss-making position at the time of its 2019 acquisition from Jardine Motors Group, it also returned significant profits.

It is now the top performing EV retailer in Marshall’s 20-strong VW portfolio.

“EVs have played an important role in our turnaround and will do so even more in 2022 and beyond as we get closer to the new rule prohibiting ICE sales from 2030”, said Murphy.

Finalists:

  • Downeys Cars NI
  • Marshall Volkswagen St Albans
  • Marshall Volkswagen Kidlington
  • Vindis Volkswagen Cambridge

The latest AM industry special issue

Spotlight on the customer

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What consumers really want - trends and habits dealers must understand to provide the right buying experience

Barriers to EV purchase - many private motorists need extra help before they take the plunge

Delighting used car buyers - it's essential for retailers to offer tailored experiences and great value

Aftersales customer care - valuable interactions are vital as dealerships face fishing in a diminishing pool

A customer-first future - Steve Young, ICDP MD, gives AM an exclusive insight.

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