PEUGEOT aims to have an apprentice in every Dealership by the end of 2016.

• PEUGEOT aims to have an apprentice in every Dealership by the end of 2016
• The PSA Academy currently supports over 300 apprentices
• Training positions are in Service, Sales, Parts, Customer Service and Business Administration

PEUGEOT UK and the PSA Academy, located in Coventry, are encouraging young people into the automotive industry with an aim for all UK Dealerships to have an apprentice by the end of 2016. 

The PSA Academy Apprenticeship programme was set up as a scheme to get younger people in education interested in joining the automotive industry and gaining practical experience in their chosen fields of work. 

By the end of 2015, the Academy had over 300 apprentices on the programme for Peugeot, Citroёn and DS brand Dealerships. For 2016, the aim of the Academy is to have at least one apprentice based in all PEUGEOT Dealerships in the UK, to support those pursuing a career in the motor trade.

The Apprenticeship programme includes positions in Service, Sales, Parts, Customer Service and Business Administration and is eligible for applicants aged between 16-18 who have achieved a GCSE grade C or above in Maths and English.

To recruit an apprentice, PEUGEOT Dealerships have to establish the requirement for an apprentice with the Academy in one of the five available areas in the business. The Academy will arrange for the position to be advertised online as part of the National Apprenticeship Vacancy Matching Service for applicants to apply. Most vacancies will be posted for 7-21 days before candidates are selected by the Dealership for interview.   

PEUGEOT apprenticeships run for a varying amount of time, dependant on the position. Sales, Customer Service and Business Administration are for 27 months, Parts for 28 months while Service requires 36 months on-the-job learning. At the end of each apprenticeship term, apprentices will achieve a Level 2 NVQ and Technical certificate. From there, they will go on to achieve their Level 3 accreditation.

Martin Hamill, Academy Director, says: “While other manufacturers offer similar schemes, PEUGEOT realises the importance of sourcing young talent who are keen to learn new skills and start a career within our Dealerships. This is why we want to ensure all Dealers have an apprentice working in the team as part of the Academy Apprenticeship programme.

“Apprentices will be employed by a franchised Dealer local to them and trained at one of PEUGEOT’s dedicated training facilities, while working towards their NVQ in a chosen specialism.  We hope that programmes like the Academy Apprenticeship will encourage more young people into apprenticeships, realising the benefits that come with learning skills on the job and offering a feasible alternative to Further/Higher Education.” 

Renault to redefine it's entire customer service and after sales starting with two new appointments to enact this plan.

• Services and Quality division redefined to become distinct Total Customer Experience and After Sales departments
• Provides further focus for Group Renault UK on customer care and quality
• Continues success of Group Renault UK’s GO5+ plan
• Mark Crockett becomes Director of Total Customer Experience
• Tim Marriott becomes Director of After Sales

Group Renault UK today announces the redefinition of its Services and Quality division in order to drive a positive focus on customer experience and quality. Mark Crockett is appointed Director of Total Customer Experience (TCE) for Group Renault UK and Ireland while Tim Marriott becomes Director of After Sales for Group Renault UK and Ireland.

The redefinition of the Group Renault UK Services and Quality division supports a further emphasis on customer experience and performance. The TCE department creates completely new functions and builds on existing support functions to secure a leading Renault brand experience for all customers, aiming to improve further Renault’s brand image and customer loyalty. This fundamental change further demonstrates Group Renault UK’s collective commitment to positively driving customer experience throughout the business and its dealer network.

The newly-created TCE organisation will integrate Customer Engagement, Customer Support, Product Support and Warranty. These TCE teams will be complemented by a new Customer Journey team in order to deliver the best possible Renault experience to customers.

Tim Marriott will oversee the newly formed After Sales organisation focussing on the commercial performance of Group Renault and adding further efficiency to the expanded After Sales roles.  The split sees the After Sales division focus on the commercial operations of parts, accessories, options and services functions.

The new structure will not only provide increased focus and leadership in both divisions, but also enables the scope for further growth of the Group, in accordance with Group Renault UK’s GO5+ mid-term plan.

The changes signal the next phase in the GO5+ plan – to position the Renault brand as a leader in terms of customer experience. Group Renault UK builds on the success of its core product range by increasing brand loyalty and continuing the record-breaking sales the Group has recently enjoyed.

The GO5+ plan is Group Renault UK’s five-year mid-term plan, deployed in June 2013. The plan has a vision to deliver more than five per cent Group market share in 2017 along with top-tier network profitability, above industry average and Top 10 ranking in quality and brand image for the Renault brand. In 2015, Group Renault UK announced market share of 4.2 per cent, up on 2014’s market share of 3.9 per cent.

Mark Crockett, previously Services and Quality Director, who becomes Director of Total Customer Experience, Renault Group UK commented: “Providing the very best customer care and quality has been a top priority in our GO5+ plan. Establishing a separate TCE organisation enables our teams and dealers to fully deliver on this important promise at every customer interaction, building a lasting positive customer relationship and improving our brand image.”

Tim Marriott, Director of After Sales, Renault Group UK commented: “The re-definition of the Sales and Quality division means that the Group is able to increase focus on two very important parts of the business. The After Sales division will drive Renault Group UK’s commercial performance and expansion across After Sales services to increase business opportunities vital to the Group.”

Ken Ramirez, Managing Director, Renault Group UK said of the changes: “The re-definition of the Services and Quality division is a key example of Renault Group UK’s commitment to excellent customer service, supporting the customer throughout their Renault ownership experience. The steps taken to redefine the Renault Group UK Services and Quality operation clearly put a passionate focus on delivering an excellent customer experience. We are growing at an outstanding pace and central to that is our customer base. Ensuring that their experience is as professional and as hassle-free as possible is crucial, and these changes are both significant to Renault Group UK’s sustained growth, leading to the continued success of our GO5+ plan.”

The appointments of Mark Crockett and Tim Marriott take place immediately.

National survey shows Peugeots customers are more happier than ever with thier products.

• National surveys show owners are enjoying even better cars and Dealer service
• PEUGEOT Dealers climb higher than any other maker in Auto Express Driver Power Survey
• Owners can also expect strong reliability and low running costs
• PEUGEOT joins forces with Reevoo to promote customer satisfaction

PEUGEOTs are becoming even more reliable and cheaper to run with a vastly improved Dealer Network, according to the people who know best: PEUGEOT owners. Survey results this year have revealed what PEUGEOTs of all ages are really like to live with. They paint a picture of cars that are increasingly seen as reliable, high quality products serviced by Dealerships that are raising their game accordingly.

Owners of the cars with the lion badge aren’t shy about broadcasting the virtues of their vehicles either. PEUGEOT has recently joined forces with independent online customer review service Reevoo. As part of an on-going commitment to customer satisfaction PEUGEOT will be publishing online assessments from genuine owners of its cars.

Since March 2014, Reevoo has collected, collated and verified 1,790 reviews so far. The average satisfaction rating is an impressive 8.2 out of 10. In addition, 20 per cent of the owners have ‘opted in’ to be part of the ‘Ask an Owner’ pool. Reevoo’s Elias Sekfali said: “The number of reviews over this short time span is pretty high in the industry and shows a high level of customer engagement. The opt-in is also high and remember, these are people saying they don’t mind answering questions from unknown fellow purchasers.”

The Reevoo scores are reflected in the influential Auto Express Driver Power poll, earlier this year, which canvassed more than 50,000 car owners. The results showed that PEUGEOT Dealerships were the most improved in the industry, rising 17 places compared with 2013. It was the biggest jump by any car maker, helped by Dealerships recording top 10 finishes in the categories of ‘Helpfulness and attitude’, ‘Standard of workmanship’, ‘Value for money’ and ‘Overall’.

A survey among the Dealerships by Car Dealer magazine asking how they ranked the manufacturer showed PEUGEOT also to be one of the highest climbers. It jumped seven places to 14th out of 27 manufacturers with a score of 55.7 per cent, which ranks as good. The survey concluded: “There has been a wealth of new products and a raft of updated models that are keeping Dealers happy, such as the 3008 Crossover, 5008 MPV and RCZ Sports Coupé. The Lion is indeed going from strength to strength with its Dealers and they are particularly happy with their manufacturer partnership.”

When it comes to the cars themselves, PEUGEOTs receive glowing reports. The RCZ was voted the top rated sports car in the Auto Express Driver Power survey, beating some illustrious names. However, it wasn’t just praised for its handling and performance, as you might expect of a sports car; it was also highly rated by owners for its cheap running costs.

Proving that its new cars are pointing firmly in the right direction, the highest ranked PEUGEOT by its owners was the 2008 Compact Crossover. It was ranked as the third best SUV and finished 11th out of the 150 cars in the survey with a score of 90.79 per cent. Its highest score – seventh overall – came in the ‘Reliability’ category. Confirming what a great all-rounder the 2008 is, it was also highly regarded by owners when it came to ride quality and running costs.

PEUGEOT’s are becoming increasingly reliable too. In a survey by warranty company Warranty Direct that disproves popular national stereotypes, French cars finish second. It came ahead of Korea, Sweden and Germany, all of whom are famous for the dependability of their vehicles. Warranty Direct’s David Gerrans said: “German reliability is an often used phrase but its output doesn’t match its close neighbours, the French. French cars as a whole are more reliable.”

Skoda has a great sales hike in July

• New models successfully launched on first European markets
• ŠKODA Rapid Spaceback –ŠKODA’s first pure hatchback in the compact segment available from October
• In July, ŠKODA increases market share and sales in Western Europe despite challenging market conditions  
• ŠKODA UK has 16% more deliverers in July compared to 2012

ŠKODA increases their market share in Western Europe thanks to increasing customer orders in July. The Czech brand saw a rise in deliveries in major individual markets such as Germany and the UK, and also in Ireland, Denmark, Finland and Italy. Despite the generally difficult economic situation, the Czech manufacturer reached vehicle sales of 69,700 in July (July 2012: 72,600; -4.0 %). Between January and July 2013 ŠKODA made 534,300 vehicle deliveries to customers (January to July 2012: 565,600; -5.5 %). ŠKODA’s sales development in 2013 has been influenced by the start of production and corresponding reduction in capacity of the newŠKODA Octavia model range and the refreshedŠKODA Superb. The third-generation ŠKODA Octavia has proved to be a hit with a higher number of orders coming in than expected.

“The new ŠKODA models have been a great success with our customers worldwide”, says Werner Eichhorn, ŠKODA Board Member for Sales and Marketing. He continues, “We were able to increase our deliveries to customers in Western Europe by almost five per cent in July and in the largest European individual market, Germany, by as much as ten per cent. The development of orders across the globe is particularly encouraging. We can see that the model campaign is really paying off.” The next highlight will be at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September with the world premiere of the all new Yeti, as well as the new compact hatchback ŠKODA Rapid Spaceback. With the Rapid Spaceback, ŠKODA is offering for the first time a pure hatchback model in the high-volume compact car segment.

In Western Europe, ŠKODA once again outperformed the market as a whole and delivered 26,500 vehicles to customers in July; up 4.8% on July 2012 with 25,300 ŠKODAs delivered. In the first seven months of the year, the brand’s market share in Western Europe rose to more than 3%. In the second largest market for ŠKODA worldwide, Germany, the Czech manufacturer sold more than 9,600 vehicles; up 10.2% on the same month last year with 8,700 units. ŠKODA strengthens its position as the strongest import brand in Germany. In the UK, a total of 4,900 vehicles were delivered to customers, which is 16.9% more than in July 2012. The brand also recorded double-digit growth numbers in Denmark with almost 1,200 sales (July 2012: 700 vehicles; up 59.8%), in Finland, with over 700 cars delivered (July 2012: 500; up 47.2%), as well as in Italy, with almost 900 ŠKODAs (July 2012: 700; up 25.4%). ŠKODA Ireland had a total of almost 700 cars, ŠKODA sales rose by 162.2% (July 2012: 200).

In Eastern Europe, ŠKODA sold over 10,000 cars in July (July 2012: 11,400; -12.4%). In Ukraine, the brand made 1,100 sales, which was up 21.6% on July 2012 (900 vehicles). Russia remains the Eastern European strongest market, where ŠKODA delivered 6,800 vehicles to customers (July 2012: 8,700; -21.8%). With 49,700 ŠKODAs sold (January to July 2013; -9.2%), Russia continues to be the third largest sales market for ŠKODA throughout the first seven months of the year.

In Central Europe, ŠKODA sales stood at 9,500 vehicles in July (July 2012: 9,600; -0.5%). ŠKODA sold more than 4,500 vehicles in the Czech home market (July 2012: 4,500). ŠKODA’s market share in the Czech Republic grew in the first seven months to 34.4%.

China was the brand’s strongest sales market in July. ŠKODA sold 18,000 vehicles there last month, which was down only slightly on the 2012 figure of 19,000 (-5.5%). The Czech brand delivered a total of 138,200 cars to Chinese customers in the first seven months of the year (January to July 2012: 139,700). This temporary decline in China is related to the model changeovers and correspondingly lower production capacities. The new models, such as the recently launched ŠKODA Rapid, are not yet fully available.

ŠKODA customer deliveries in July 2013 (in units, listed by model, +/- per cent against July 2012)

ŠKODA leads the automotive sector in Institute of Customer Service findings

• ŠKODA leads the automotive sector in Institute of Customer Service findings
• Brand listed in the top 10 organisations overall
• Over 9,000 individuals surveyed as part of July’s UK Customer Satisfaction Index Summary

ŠKODA UK is celebrating this week after the brand topped the automotive tables in July’s UK Customer Satisfaction Index Summary (UKCSI) produced by the Institute of Customer Service. ŠKODA was also placed in the top 10 organisations across all industry sectors.

ŠKODA achieved an index of 85.6 to scoop the top spot in the automotive sector, putting the brand 4.7 points ahead of the average for the automotive industry (80.9).

Overall this places ŠKODA in the top ten of all the organisations which featured in the UKCSI’s findings, amongst other major consumer brands such as John Lewis, Marks & Spencer and first direct.

David Allen, Head of Customer Quality and Network Development for ŠKODA UK, comments: “Customer service is at the heart of what we do. We appreciate feedback from organisations such as the Institute of Customer Service to validate the steps that we take to ensure that each and every ŠKODA customer has a positive experience.

“This month’s findings are a testament to the hard work of each of the brand’s 132 retailers. I’d like to extend my thanks to them in helping us to bring our second-to-none service and award-winning range to customers across the UK.”

The UKCSI is the national measure of customer service, rating leading organisations across 13 sectors. Launched in January 2008, it includes responses from at least 9,000 individual consumers.

The Institute of Customer Service is an independent professional membership body for customer service. The Institute’s purpose stands to improve customer experience and drive business performance by delivering tangible benefits to its organisational and individual members. The Institute boasts a membership body of over 400 organisations from across the private, public and third sectors; and over 5,000 individual members.

Jo Causon, Chief Executive of the Institute of Customer Service, comments: "In a fast-paced world, consumers have become increasingly discerning and more willing to act if they experience poor service. As a result, those dynamic organisations that are adapting to changing customer needs are continuing to out-perform their competitors.”