Sytner JLRS Division
Nick Miernik (left), Head of Business, congratulating Talea Younge.
Award Nominee, February 2025
Talea came to the aid of elderly client Mrs Hazel Bailey recently when she had reversed and damaged her most treasured possession, her late husband’s Jaguar XJ taking it out of the garage.
Mrs Bailey was absolutely mortified and extremely distressed as the vehicle was only booked in for its yearly MOT. Talea told Mrs Bailey not to worry she would arrange for a driver to go and get the vehicle and bring it back to the retailer to assess the damage.
The vehicle landed with us and unfortunately the damage to the rear was substantial. Talea could just have left this with the body shop but, she did not stop there. She knew that restoring the car’s value was not just about fixing the damage it was about restoring a treasured possession.
Over the next few weeks Talea worked tirelessly on behalf of Mrs Bailey she made calls to several specialists, searching for parts that could not be sourced eventually tracking them down on eBay!
The process was long and sometimes frustrating, but Talea’s commitment never wavered the car was finally ready and returned to Mrs Bailey who in her own words said ‘it had been repaired with such loving care, and it was returned in showroom condition’
Well done Talea.
Nick Miernik (left), Head of Business, congratulating Dave Jagger.
Award Nominee, January 2025
We would like to take a moment to highlight the outstanding work our Technician, Dave, did in helping one of our clients. His initiative and resourcefulness played a crucial role in not only saving a valuable part but also securing the repair and ultimately gaining the client’s trust. During the repair process, Dave identified a challenge that could have resulted in the part being damaged, costing the client thousands of pounds in replacement fees. Instead of following the usual protocol, he took the initiative to take the part to an external company to have a stubborn bolt removed, thus saving both the part and the client’s considerable investment.
Thanks to Dave’s quick thinking, we were able to successfully complete the costly repair and avoid losing the client entirely. His dedication and proactive approach reflect the high standard of service we strive to provide, and this instance truly exemplifies the value he brings to our team. The client was truly grateful in acknowledging Dave’s exceptional contribution.
It’s moments like these that make all the difference in strengthening client relationships and maintaining our reputation for delivering quality service.
Nick Miernik (right), Head of Business, congratulating Christopher Miklos.
Award Nominee, December 2024
Shout out for Chris Miklos who went out of his way to help driver Helena who was delivering a vehicle to us and she was running over to her next pick up due to the extreme weather.
Helena had to catch a bus to the bus station in the city, Chris immediately offered to take her to the station not only to help out but the weather was extremely inclement on that day and Helena would have got soaked through.
Later in the day we received a call from Helena as with this small act of kindness she actually made it on time and wanted to pass on her thanks, in her own words “please pass on my gratitude, I was blown away with the fantastic level of service I received from Chris Miklos, he was a true gent, he went above and beyond with no thought about himself and truly made me feel special”.
Helena went on to say that she works part-time as a DJ for a small radio station in Croydon and she was going to mention Chris on the radio station! Well done Chris.
Nick Miernik (left), Head of Business, congratulating Talea Younge.
Award Nominee, November 2024
Client commendation.
Dear TaleaI hope this letter finds you well. I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt appreciation for the outstanding care you provided for my vehicle while it was at Land Rover. It truly means a lot to me, knowing that my car was in such capable hands. Your attention to detail and dedication did not go unnoticed. It’s reassuring to know that someone as diligent as you was looking after my vehicle. Thank you for ensuring it was well taken care of and for going above and beyond in every aspect. As a small token of my gratitude I’ve included some air fresheners for you to enjoy, I hope they bring a little joy to your day! Once again, thank you for everything. I truly appreciate your support and professionalism.Warm regards,Gabriel (B1 UUG)
– Gabriel Hambleton
Nick Miernik (right), General Sales Manager, congratulating Emily Osborne.
Award Nominee, October 2024
Hats off to Emily for making it extra special for an elderly Jaguar Client who called into the retailer on the off chance of being able to help.
The client was stressed as there was no service history with his vehicle and it was showing that a service was required, he said there probably wasn’t anything that we could do but would be extremely grateful for any advice we had to offer.
Emily to the rescue! She calmly settled him in the Client Area with refreshments and reassured the gentleman that she would do her best to help. She then patiently went about calling other retailers in order to piece together the service history of the vehicle much to the gentleman’s joy, this was an extremely laborious task which Emily enthusiastically embraced.
On departing a now very happy gentleman left a message with our Reception Team that he wanted the Managing Director to be made aware just how Emily had not only made his day, but her level of customer service was unsurpassable and deserved commendation!
A very well deserved Making It Special Emily well done.
Nathan Dawson (left), Service Manager, congratulating Ellie Davies.
Award Nominee, September 2024
Ellie is renowned for her caring nature but on this occasion our client was left feeling incredibly well looked after.
Mrs Robinson was booked in for a recall on her Range Rover Evoque having recently downsizing vehicles following the loss of her husband. Unfortunately, Mrs Robinson had very limited knowledge of the controls of the vehicle having purchased further afield and also discovered the drivers mat was not for that particular vehicle which again had an impact on her comfortably driving the vehicle. Ellie immediately set to task to make Mrs Robinson at ease in the client area and then set about obtaining the correct mat in the background, but then went that extra step further in arranging for a Sales Executive to demonstrate the vehicles controls so that Mrs Robinson could confidently be able to operate and now enjoy her new vehicle.
A very emotional and overwhelmed Mrs Robinson exclaimed “what amazing service” she had enjoyed from Ellie.
Well done Ellie for that extra attention to detail and gaining the trust of another client.
Nathan Dawson (right), Service Manager , congratulating Rob Hallam.
Award Winner, August 2024
Mr Randall a loyal client always purchases his vehicles from us even though he lives on the Isle of Arran, he also returns to us for servicing and on this recent occasion he experienced an issue with his vehicle that Rob assisted with promptly one Saturday morning.
Mr Randall was extremely anxious that he would miss his ferry crossing but Rob pulled out all the stops and got Mr Randall on his way together with a Land Rover Defender Lego set as he had learned that Mr Randall was a keen Lego enthusiast.
Highly delighted Mr Randall wrote back to Rob to let him know that he got to the ferry terminal with an hour to spare and also sent pictures of his Lego collection and a picture of his Range Rover with the Defender Lego set.
Well done Rob one very happy client!
Hi RobI just wanted to thank you for the Lego on Saturday.I got to the ferry with an hour to spare and luckily the crossing was calm.As promised I’ll send you some pictures once it’s built … but for now here is one of the car & Lego on Arran and a couple showing the models I've already built in the garage.
– Mr Randall
Nick Miernik (left), General Sales Manager, congratulating Adrian Stenton.
Award Nominee, July 2024
Our Sales Controller Adrian is always on hand to assist with our clients and staff alike and genuinely loves engaging with all of them.
Having just met Mr and Mrs Walker, Adrian learned their sad news some months earlier that they had lost their beloved granddaughter to sepsis which was mistaken for flu she was only 8 years of age, this was a very sensitive conversation that Adrian handled beautifully.
Mr and Mrs Walker relayed to Adrian that they had set up a charity to help others in a similar position called AIM this being their granddaughters name spelt backwards. After learning this Adrian immediately jumped into action sharing their JustGiving page and also arranged for a Lego Defender to be auctioned at their upcoming Charity Fundraising Event.
Mr and Mrs Walker were amazed and extremely touched by Adrian’s kindness, well done Adrian a lovely Making It Special.
Nick Miernik (left), General Sales Manager, congratulating Stuart Murray.
Award Nominee, May 2024
A special mention for Stu Murray a very well deserved Making It Special. Stu goes out of his way to carry out the most extraordinary acts of kindness that go way above his job role so we thought he deserved a special mention, even giving up his spare time on a weekend to provide a chauffeur service for staff attending an event and waiting until the event had finished to return staff home.
He assists attending to all grounds/building maintenance, driving jobs for Sales & Service sometimes at the opposite end of the country, fleet handovers and transporter deliveries this list is not exhaustive!!
He never moans and always has a smile on his face even in the most inclement of weather when he is working outside and is always the first to volunteer to help out in the event of an emergency or just a general ask, an absolute trooper, well done Stu first class job.
Nick Miernik (right), General Sales Manager, congratulating Daniel Jones.
Award Nominee, June 2024
Daniel is still quite new to his role but has embraced it with such enthusiasm and often receives outstanding feedback, we just couldn’t let this client commendation slip by unnoticed.
Elizabeth Robert and Alfie the Miniature Schnauzer came to visit the retailer and were really not sure what vehicle was best for them as they had already been to a few other manufacturers. Daniel listened intently to their requirements but most of all concentrated on Alfie the Schnauzer putting him first as he was the most important aspect of Robert and Elizabeth’s priorities.
Alfie of course accompanied them all on a test drive and he was highly delighted with the open aspect of the pan roof on the rear seating so much so a highly delighted Robert and Elizabeth couldn’t resist ordering their new vehicle.
Sadly upon handover it transpired that Elizabeth’s mother had passed away, Daniel took it upon himself to order a bouquet of flowers for Elizabeth and personally deliver them to their home. A small act of kindness which was so unexpected but so very much appreciated.
Well done Dan for such thoughtfulness.
Hi,I have just (yesterday 20/06) taken delivery of a brand new Discovery Sport.Sadly the day before I collected the vehicle my girlfriend's mother passed away.The staff (Daniel Jones) at Wakefield were excellent in accommodating changes to the original handover arrangements and we were treated by all the staff with sympathy and respect.Today we have just received a lovely floral bouquet from the dealership which I consider to be excellent service and after care during an emotional time for my girlfriend.I just think that everyone involved at the Wakefield dealership deserves to have a
– Robert Bates
Nick Miernik (left), General Sales Manager, congratulating Tom Sealey.
Award Nominee, March 2024
Tom is certainly a well worthy winner of Making It Special for no less than 3 acts of kindness involving 3 separate clients over the last few weeks and even though to some they may seem little things they were quite time consuming but extremely well received by all the clients involved.
A lady called the retailer with a specific question on how to operate her Evoque and the timed charging. Tom immediately personally Facetimed the client to understand her needs as her time was precious and she cannot easily travel to us. He then did a personalised CITNOW to send to the client detailing every aspect so that the client could utilise this as many times as she needed in feeling comfortable knowing how to understand the charging function. The client was thrilled with this personalisation.
Tom has also reached out to another client who was unsettled during her test drive and learned that the couple were facing an extremely anxious time with their daughter who was in hospital. As their time was precious Tom immediately gave his personal mobile number so that the couple could reach him when it was convenient for them and even stressed it was no problem whatsoever to contact him on an evening or out of business hours. The clients were extremely grateful for this gesture as they were able to work round this difficult time so it was tailored to them. Tom even gave up his day off in order to hand over their new vehicle as it was the only time they could get to the retailer between hospital appointments along with a bouquet of flowers, both clients were touched and are still in touch weeks later.
Lastly, Tom learned that another of his new client’s was an avid fan of Barnsley FC, true Tom style he approached the club and asked if there was any chance of a signed shirt for their number one fan again this was organised in his own time. This shirt was then placed in the rear of the vehicle so when the tailgate was engaged on handover it was there on show for the client who was truly amazed.
So very well done Tom.
Nick Miernik (left), General Sales Manager, congratulating Kati Wilkinson.
Award Nominee, April 2024
Customer Commendation – Kati regularly receives amazing feedback from clients and this lady in particular felt the need to personally write in and tell us what a great experience she and her little girl had from start to finish!
I would like to express how impressed I was with the service I received yesterday, I brought my car in for a recall and was greeted by Kati who was absolutely wonderful she made me a coffee and took my 3 year old to the fridge to pick a drink and was ever so kind and friendly and explained the process. We were seen in no time. Then again on returning back for the car she was just as wonderful and such a nice welcoming person as you walk in to the dealership.Vicky Louise Hepworth
– Vicky Louise Hepworth
Nick Miernik (left), General Sales Manager, congratulating Deborah Keen.
Award Nominee, February 2024
Our lovely Receptionist Debbie is always on hand to help out from covering shifts within her Reception Team, which she juggles between her other role in our Sales Admin Department sometimes resulting in cancelling her own plans in order to help out, as well as all the other little touches that often go overlooked which is why we have nominated her for Making It Special.
In the run up to Easter a family visited the retailer with their little girl to order their new vehicle. Debbie noticed over the few hours that they had been there that the little girl was bored but so patient. Debbie went out of her way to take a colouring book and pencils over with a little Easter Egg the little girl was so thrilled as were her parents.
More recently however, another lovely act of kindness has really stood out in which a very upset client who had experienced a lot of issues with her vehicle was impacted further on entering the retailer, as her Labrador dog couldn’t negotiate the tiles on the show room floor and both became so very distressed. Debbie to the rescue! She knew instantly what to do to calm the dog and the client down by negotiating the way with calmness to the reception area which is carpeted so that the dog could regain its confidence (as well as an offering of doggy treats), she then said she would personally look after her whilst the client was looked after by our fantastic Service Department as well as carrying on with her role on reception. Just a small act of kindness but both dog and owner were extremely grateful and happily on their way home in no time. Well done Debbie!
Paul Williams (right), Managing Director , congratulating Nick Miernik.
Award Nominee, January 2024
Extremely kind gesture of our General Sales Manager – Nick Miernik in helping an elderly gentleman out who lived locally to our retailer. Mr Sutton anxiously called into the retailer on recent Sunday morning as his Land Rover was non-responsive and the alarm was going off. Mr Sutton had no breakdown cover and was very upset. Enter Nick to save the day, whilst our reception team looked after Mr Sutton with refreshments, Nick went to the workshop to collect jump leads and tackle, then he drove Mr Sutton home and set to task to try and start the vehicle firstly by disconnecting the battery to stop the alarm and then jump starting the vehicle which worked. Mr Sutton was extremely grateful, so much so he returned later in the day after completing his shopping with a bottle of wine in appreciation. Lovely touch Nick, it’s the little things that count, well done!
Paul Williams (right), Managing Director , congratulating Dave Smith and Matthew Bailey.
Award Nominee, December 2023
Not in keeping with the normal Making It Special but so very well deserved, our award for December goes to Wakefield Parts Department for their unwavering support not only within the Parts Department but the entire Sales and Aftersales Department during the recent transition to the new Mercia parts site.
This was an extremely turbulent and stressful time for the whole team who carried on even when they were faced with adversity on another level. Always happy and smiling they managed to pull the whole team together and kept the wheels turning on the very bleakest of days when no parts were delivered, they also went to great lengths to source alternative parts supply in order to support our Aftersales Department a truly outstanding team effort so very well done guys.
Paul Williams (right), Managing Director , congratulating Tara Fox.
Award Nominee, November 2023
Tara always goes out of her way to provide the very best in client care, but on this occasion she looked after Mr & Mrs Warrior with the utmost care and attention as she could see how very upset they were with their brand new Range Rover Velar that developed issues within a few days of purchase. There was also a delay with Mr & Mrs Warrior’s replacement vehicle but Tara took it upon herself to make contact on a regular basis just to see how things were and also give the couple peace of mind to ask for her personally instead of going through the central booking team as the car had to come back on a few occasions to be fixed with back ordered parts. She even helped out when Mr & Mrs Warrior were going on holiday to Whitby finding a replacement courtesy vehicle again instilling trust and faith with Mr & Mrs Warrior. The commendation below speaks for itself, well done Tara.
Hi Samantha We’ve only just picked up the defender today but already it feels great.Yes we’d like to show some special appreciation to Tara for guiding us through all the problems we’ve had over the last 10 months with the velar. Tara was always there at the end of the phone, she kept us regularly updated on any progress with all the issues we have experienced with the velar with a smile on her face.Even when the sales team sold our loan car two hours prior to us going off to our caravan in Whitby, whilst ours was in for repair, she rang saying she had a problem but could sort it and did within 2 hours. Whenever we went to the dealership she always made a point of coming to see us and believe it or not kept our spirits up when we were getting to the end of our tether with all the problems. She’s always courteous and polite, a credit to your team. Nathan and Jeff have also been very helpful and I’d like also to mention Dan who inherited a very sticky situation from Billie and dealt with everything very professionally, never got flustered and always smiled. Between them they have put our faith back in the Land Rover brand. Hope this sums up how we feel now.Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you too.ThanksJanet Warrior
– Janet Warrior
Paul Williams (left), Managing Director , congratulating Paul Smith.
Award Nominee, October 2023
Our Head of Aftersales, Paul Smith had noticed Amy our Sales Executive carrying out a handover on a new vehicle and the client had his little boy with him. Paul noticed how excited he was and was taking everything in that Amy was relaying to his Father about the new vehicle. Quick thinking, Paul went down to our Parts Department and purchased a little Land Rover ride on car for the little boy. He then went back upstairs and put the car together for William who eagerly awaiting with anticipation. Paul then let William ride around the show room and even pretended to put petrol in it with one of the show room hand over rope barriers, William was mesmerised. Paul finished off by taking William to the viewing balcony into the workshop so William could see where all the vehicles get fixed. William’s Dad Ryan was so touched by Paul’s kindness he even sent a video of William at home with the ride on car and a special thank you. What a lovely ‘absolute surprise and delight’ a memory William will never forget!
Thank you so much for your kindness and generosity, he’s obsessed with it, literally dragged it round the reservoir this afternoon with the dogs lead that was nice. Cheers and thanks again. Ryan
– Ryan Machen
PAUL WILLIAMS (right), MANAGING DIRECTOR, congratulating AMY BEARDSHALL.
Award Nominee, September 2023
Amy is always surprising and delighting her clients but we thought these two exceptional handovers’ delivering that extra personalised touch were well worthy of Making It Special.
Amy learned that her new clients had purchased a new Range Rover Evoque for their daughter’s 21st Birthday as a surprise and in order to make the handover extra special, Amy purchased a personalised Happy 21st Birthday Banner in readiness and also tied the whole vehicle up with a matching fabric bow and bouquet of flowers which looked fantastic all of which she purchased herself. The handover to say the least was pretty spectacular and her clients were amazed.
Earlier the week prior to this, Amy also had new clients to handover to who were based an hour’s drive away from Ayr in Scotland. They chose Amy and Land Rover Wakefield after reading our Google Review’s of Amy and even though Amy had said she would personally deliver their new vehicle to Scotland they decided to travel down and stay over night in a hotel. Amy immediately offered to collect her new clients from their hotel on the morning of handover and said they have never had such a wonderful handover experience on any of their other vehicles over the years.
All in all, a double Making It Special, well done Amy!
Paul Williams (right), Managing Director , congratulating Michelle Ryan.
Award Nominee, August 2023
Making It Special for one of our younger visitors to Sytner Land Rover Wakefield our lovely marketing team had received a social media request for a surprise visit for a 13th Birthday Celebration as their daughter was just mad about everything Land Rover.
Our fabulous Head Receptionist, Michelle Ryman decided to make it extra special by organising a welcome board, themed cake, balloon, flowers and Land Rover themed gifts, this was all done in her own time at short notice the night before the surprise visit.
On arrival Michelle also found out Emily’s favourite vehicles and arranged a test drive in a Defender and her very favourite Range Rover Evoque.
Emily and her parents were absolutely amazed by the care and kindness showed and said they had the most wonderful time, a 13th Birthday truly to remember especially as we found out Emily had faced a hard time recently and this was the confidence booster she needed.
Well done Michelle for really going that extra mile to make someone’s day extraordinarily special.
Hi folks,Once again a massive thanks for going way, way above and beyond to do what you did for our daughter. After asking to see if it was ok just to have a look round, you instead blew us away with your hospitality even though sadly at this time we were not purchasing..Attached are the pics we took.We are still gobsmacked, and something I doubt Emily will ever forget.Thanks,Jason MarkhamSarah Markham
– Jason and Sarah Markham
PAUL WILLIAMS (right), MANAGING DIRECTOR, congratulating Paul Howden.
Award Nominee, July 2023
An extremely thoughtful Making It Special from our Warranty Controller – Paul Howden for looking after our loyal client Mr Cheesbrough.
Paul was well aware that Mr Cheesbrough had consistently used our retailer for a number of years but when he telephoned to speak to Paul to book in for his 240k service Paul totted up that Mr Cheesebrough had actually purchased his vehicle from new from Wakefield 20 years ago to the day. Paul thought it would be a lovely surprise to organise a hamper and flowers for Mr Cheesbrough who on collection was extremely touched by Paul’s kindness but had said he would never go anywhere else but Sytner Wakefield.
PAUL WILLIAMS (right), MANAGING DIRECTOR, congratulating Chris Glew.
Award Nominee, June 2023
Super nomination for Chris (Super) Glew for thinking outside the box and coming to the rescue in his client’s time of need.
Chris had booked his client in for the timing chains replacing on his vehicle as they were extremely noisy and bordering on slipping and causing engine failure. The parts had not yet come into stock and the client was obviously getting very impatient and anxious but above all just wanted his vehicle back on the road. There were several bolts that were causing the problem which were on back order with no ETA and they were major bolts that required replacement.
Chris took it upon himself to search the internet to see if he could source them from a 3rd party supplier in order to alleviate the problem, miraculously he found a brand new genuine set on EBay and without a second thought quickly paid out of his own pocket to order them. He then made contact with the seller to make sure they would be delivered for the next day and even paid the extra postage cost for this in order for them to be ready to fit the next day in the workshop and finish the repair on the vehicle.
Of course the client was delighted that his vehicle was ready and returned to him the next day and does not even know about the modest action Chris did to ensure the repair was completed promptly.
PAUL WILLIAMS (right), MANAGING DIRECTOR, congratulating Samantha Beighton.
Award Nominee, May 2023
Samantha is always looking to improve on client service and satisfaction and has recently piloted a Red Flag and Negative Google Review turnaround with great results. This has not only assisted our Client’s, boosted our CLP but also nurtured and coached our aftersales team. One client however in recent weeks we thought was well worthy of Making It Special as Samantha really made the client feel extra special and as a result turned a 1 Star into a 5 Star Google Review and more importantly gained the Client’s trust and future custom. The vehicle owner had called the retailer to enquire about a recall for their new vehicle and was extremely unhappy how the enquiry had been handled thus prompting the Google Review. Samantha contacted the reviewer and at first had little success, but with persistence managed to coax a response via email. Samantha listened, apologised, advised and made assurances that the recall would be taken care of with the offer of a courtesy vehicle for the day even making sure she booked the customer in personally and more importantly the parts were all made available so everything went smoothly on the day and finishing off by leaving a goody gift bag for collection leaving one extremely highly delighted vehicle owner.
Paul Williams (right), Managing Director , congratulating Robert Hallam.
Award Nominee, April 2023
We had an extremely stressed lady in need of urgent assistance who had been driving by only to encounter a flat tyre.
Rob to the rescue! He immediately calmed the lady down and contacted our workshop control to enquire if there was anyone available to help, unfortunately no Technicians were free and also our tyre machine was already in use. Not fazed by this Rob took it upon himself to jack up the vehicle himself and change the tyre (even in his white shirt). The lady was absolutely over the moon that Rob had helped her and even more astounded that there was no charge.
A true act of kindness, well done Rob!
Paul Williams (right), Managing Director , congratulating Michelle Ryman.
Award Nominee, March 2023
This was such a lovely gesture, well worthy of Making It Special. Michelle Ryman, our Head Receptionist thought it would be a lovely idea to hand out bunches of daffodils on the weekend of Mother’s Day to customers visiting the dealership.
Michelle took it upon herself to organise everything even down to the hand tying the daffodils for that extra personal touch and also displaying them in wooden boxes in readiness for the weekend.
We had lots of lovely comments and happy smiles from our customers and visitors alike over the whole weekend. It is sometimes the simplest of gestures that make a big difference, well done Michelle!
Nathan Dawson (left), Service Manager , congratulating Dovydas Luinys.
Award Winner, February 2023
We recently had a Ukrainian lady visit our retailer in person as she could not communicate via telephone the lady who lives locally with a family following on from leaving the Ukraine was desperately trying to relay what had gone wrong with her vehicle but unfortunately there was understandably a language barrier.
Our Technician, Dovydas immediately came to the customer’s rescue and attempted to translate but could not understand fully the dialect but did manage to calm the customer down and relayed to her not to worry as we would be able to help. Dovydas then called his mum who is fully fluent in Russian and she translated everything perfectly to the customer who was absolutely blown away by the care and compassion she received.
We were then able to repair the customer’s vehicle she couldn’t thank us enough and was then happily on her way.
The team ethic displayed made this lady feel extra special and very welcome into our diverse business and we have also gained a new very happy customer.
Paul Smith (left), Head of Aftersales, congratulating Lisa Ford.
Award Nominee, January 2023
A lovely nomination for Lisa who is new to the position in the Bodyshop Department having never tackled a role of this like in her career.
Loyal customer Mrs Hunter had been involved in a non-fault accident and was exasperated that she was really getting nowhere fast with the repair of her vehicle especially due to back-ordered parts it was going to be some weeks before the vehicle could be repaired.
Step in Lisa to the rescue she really pulled the stops out in owning and solving Mrs Hunter’s ongoing predicament and speeding things along, so much so that Mrs Hunter wrote in to let us know her experience. Well done Lisa, outstanding customer service.
Hi PaulJust to say I have just had my car delivered back (62HB) after a no fault accident. The other side insurers were really dragging their heels and Lisa pulled everything together and moved things forward. She has been absolutely amazing!ThanksHarriet Hunter
– Harriet Hunter
Paul Williams (left), Managing Director , congratulating Kati Wilkinson.
Award Winner, December 2022
Kati joined the team at Wakefield only a few months ago but has already made a positive impact with both staff and customers alike with her caring nature.
Kati is actively involved within her local parish which supports a wide area within the Wakefield area with fundraising and other community projects. She heard of the plight of the local food bank at the Church which was forced to reduce its opening times due to lack of stock. Kati set up a donation drop off point in the dealership and actively encouraged both staff and customers to donate to help with much needed essential items. This was just going to run over the Christmas period but has become so popular that we aim to keep it running as long as it is required, we are already on our 8th drop off in its’ 5th week of running which is amazing!
Such a well-deserved Making It Special well done Kati.
Nick Miernik (left), General Sales Manager , congratulating Daniel Jones.
Award Nominee, November 2022
Our new Trainee Sales Executive Daniel Jones has been an invaluable member of staff since joining us. Always with a smile on his face and offer of help and even giving up his own personal time he has proved a hit with the Sales Team.
Daniel was helping Sales Executive Amy deliver a customer’s new Range Rover by driving in convoy to bring Amy back once the customer’s vehicle had been handed over. Unfortunately upon setting off the vehicle developed a slight issue so the trip had to be cut short and the vehicle was back in the workshop. Having resolved the issue it was somewhat later in the day and the customer was unable to take delivery for the rest of the month and was panicking, so even though it would be at least 10pm before they would be back home that evening, Daniel kindly volunteered to drive Amy back home after the customer handover. Daniel said the customer’s needs were the main priority. Well done Daniel what great customer service!
Paul Williams (right), Managing Director , congratulating Nathan Dawson.
Award Nominee, October 2022
Mr McWilliams had recently taken delivery of his new vehicle and was very excited as this coincided with a trip to Chicago to his Son’s wedding. Unfortunately on the way to the airport the vehicle went into restricted performance in the fast lane of the motorway which was very scary. Thankfully both passengers and vehicle were safely recovered to a Land Rover dealership and then onto the airport. Mr McWilliams understandably upset rang Nathan to explain what had happened and that the dealership where the vehicle was couldn’t start any work on the vehicle for some weeks. In stepped Nathan to save the day reassuring Mr McWilliams not to worry and enjoy his holiday and wedding all would be taken care of. Nathan contacted the dealership where the vehicle was and had it recovered to Wakefield where he followed the vehicles progress through the workshop every step of the way and regularly updating Mr McWilliams and even organising return travel for them on their return to the UK. Through Nathan’s hard work and building rapport and faith with the customer avoided a complaint and a potential buyback as Mr McWilliams had lost all faith with the vehicle. Mr McWilliams even emailed Nathan to thank his for the extraordinary lengths he went to. Well done Nathan for owning it and solving it!
Geoff Stevenson (left), New Car Sales Manager , congratulating Jake Wassell.
Award Winner, September 2022
We are consistently delighting our customers and on this occasion we thought that Jake made our customer feel that extra bit special.
New to the brand Mrs Shabana Yousaf-McIntyre had eagerly and patiently awaited her new Range Rover Evoque, Jake wanted to make this experience extra special for Shabana this being her first Land Rover product.
Jake knew that Shabana loved cupcakes so as a real unexpected treat, a bouquet with a difference was organised. Jake arranged a surprise cupcake bouquet for Shabana and her son who were absolutely overwhelmed with the special handover as the bouquet looked just like a real bouquet of flowers with the added twist of a sweet treat!
Paul Williams (right), Managing Director , congratulating Adrian Stenton.
Award Nominee, August 2022
With his passion for customer service, Adrian has been truly exception in spearheading the way with our ‘Hotel Wakefield’ bringing a little bit of Mayfair to our Wakefield Retailer with the Sales into Service Programme.
It has united both our Sales, Reception and Service Team’s with our extended meet and greet programme which in turn has left the whole team with a huge morale boost. The customer feedback has been extremely positive with customers commenting that his has enhanced the regular service they receive.
A big thank you to Adrian for all the extra time and effort that you have generously given without hesitation, well done!
Nathan Dawson (right), Service Manager , congratulating Keith Hancock.
Award Nominee, July 2022
Our Sales & Service Driver, Keith has really put his heart and soul into ensuring the very utmost in customer satisfaction recently when returning and delivering customers vehicles.
Firstly offering to do an emergency handover to a customer in Scotland who was extremely grateful relaying some wonderful feedback and then taking it upon himself even giving up his own time to help our Sales team by detailing customer’s cars before delivery.
Caring Keith was very aware having recently changed our valeting company which had resulted in a few teething issues which had impacted on our Sales Department, so Keith had stepped in to help out and pass on his expertise.
A big thank you Keith what a star!
Nathan Dawson (right), Service Manager , congratulating Paul Howden.
Award Nominee, June 2022
Special concern for a customer.
I would like to thank everyone at Sytner Wakefield Land Rover for their assistance in resolving my issues with my Discovery Sport. I would like to thank all the staff who were involved. Chris on the service desk was most helpful and kept me updated and explained what the issue was and how it was going to be fixed. Also a big thanks to the gentleman who rang me up to ask a few questions about my experience. He listened to my concerns about the problems I had experienced with the car and that I wasn't happy about driving a car in 'Limp home' mode with a red service light on , which Land Rover recovery thought was OK! Finally I am absolutely delighted with the gift that I was given as compensation for my experiences with the car. Also a big thank you to the gent that delivered the goodwill gift personally. In short, a big thanks to Sytner Wakefield Land Rover for making a customer very happy! Well Done! Regards, Paul Edwards
– Paul Edwards
Nicholas Miernik (right), General Sales Manager, congratulating Billie Jo Hicks.
Award Nominee, May 2022
Fantastic Review.
I cannot express enough, how professional and first class, the experience was I had from start to finish with Sytner Land Rover Wakefield, especially Billie Jo Hicks , who was unbelievably awesome, from the initial first contact, all the way, to sales completion and is still continuing within after sales being so so wonderful, along with Callum, genuinely I can’t find the words to praise enough. Due to the experience and service, I will now remain a loyal client to Sytner Land Rover Wakefield, for all my future purchases and business. I own several companies, and I’m hard to please, but these guys tick all the boxes to deal with ….Professionalism, efficiency , people & communication skills , plus, absolutely spot on and very unique the whole team , as I said , I am rarely impressed, but Sytner Land Rover Wakefield is perfect in every way. Just want to express again, a massive thank you to everyone, and lost for words, with the respect and appreciation I have for Billie Jo Hicks … I would give a hundred and ten , out of a hundred as beyond perfection, and the very best I’ve ever encountered in my vehicle purchasing history of over thirty years dealing within this industry .. Cool Dude
– Mark Rawcliffe
Paul Smith (left), Head of Aftersales , congratulating Andrew Harman.
Award Nominee, April 2022
Andrew Harman has made an exceptional contribution to the team here at Wakefield since starting with us and regularly gets letters of thanks from customers for turning their stressful situations with regards to their damaged vehicles into positive ones, but we think this event needed a special mention.
A customer was involved in a substantial accident just 2 weeks in to ownership of his brand new Range Rover Sport SVR. The vehicle in question had been purchased with the intention of it being used at the customers family wedding as transport for the Bride and Groom so the importance of getting the car back on the road was one of paramount importance! This gradually turned into somewhat of a nightmare for Andrew as one of the parts in question for replacement was a carbon fibre bonnet which was on back order with no ETA. Andrew put his heart and soul into getting the customer’s car back on the road with just one day left before the wedding and even coming in on the weekend to handover the vehicle as the customer had travelled up from London to take the car back for the wedding.
Andrew didn’t stop there he pulled out all the stops for a red carpet handover for the customer with the car covered as it would have been on the customers very first day of handover! The customer was amazed and also extremely touched by all that Andrew had done for him and even said it just looks like it did on the day of handover.
One very, very happy customer, well done Andrew!
Paul Williams (left), Managing Director , congratulating Stuart Maun.
Award Nominee, March 2022
Stu Maun our Business Manager has a fantastic relationship with all his customers but in this case showed real empathy and compassion.
A few months back Stu was attending to his retention calls when he came across customer Julie Wardman. Julie and husband Dave bought their vehicle back in 2019. When Stu called Julie to see if she was in the market to change, she informed Stu that Dave had recently passed away suddenly and she wasn’t looking to do anything at this moment in time due to this. Stu passed on condolences from the whole dealership and offered to help in any way he could. Also as a gesture he took it upon himself to send flowers to Julie for which she was extremely grateful.
Recently Julie got in touch with us and bought a new car for herself and wanted to explain why she had chosen us. She was so taken back by the generosity and compassion Stu had shown that she knew she was in very safest of hands coming back to us!
Paul Williams (right), Managing Director , congratulating Stuart Murray.
Award Nominee, February 2022
Stuart is always on hand to help with customer and staff alike, but in this instance we were totally blown away with his achievement. Over a period of time Stuart was concerned about the amount of wood packaging that we were accumulating on a monthly basis and decided to see if there was anything positive that he could do with the waste rather than just leave it to the normal waste collection. He made enquiries with Leeds Wood Recycling and created a partnership in 2021. They got in touch at the beginning of March to relay how Stuart and Guy Salmon Wakefield had impacted on the environment during 2021. The results were astounding, we successfully diverted 20 cubic yards rescued from the waste stream, 13.8 tonnes of CO2 were saved we created 16 paid jobs, 30 volunteers were trained, a total of 4095 volunteer hours were gained and helped give disadvantaged and disabled people the chance to learn wood work skills all in all changing people’s lives in Leeds. Stuart so very well done!
PAUL WILLIAMS (right), MANAGING DIRECTOR, congratulating Carl Brady and Peter Hennessy.
Award Nominee, January 2022
Customer Service With The Greatest Compassion
Good afternoon Paul I have requested your details from Peter Hennessey so that I can reiterate what excellent service I have been provided by your team at Wakefield and now demonstrated by Peter. I have been in the motor trade all of my life and owned many Land Rovers from an 80
– Mr Chris Roberts
PAUL WILLIAMS (right), MANAGING DIRECTOR, congratulating Rob Hallam.
Award Nominee, December 2021
Rob always goes that extra mile for his customers and in this instance we think he went that little bit further.
JLR Stockport contacted us as one of their customers had been having trouble with their vehicle and had been into their local dealership in Hull on a few occasions for their infotainment system fixing without success which was proving extremely exasperating for the customer.
As the customer had a young child Rob arranged for a courtesy vehicle for the customer to keep her mobile for the duration of the repair which was carried out successfully and as a special surprise for the customer a Land Rover Tricycle was awaiting for their little girl on collection of their vehicle.
The customer was absolutely blown away with the treatment she received and even took the time to write into JLR Stockport to thank them for suggesting coming to us.
Well done Rob fantastic customer service as always!
Good afternoon! You recently transferred us to the Wakefield Guy Salmon for the fixing of our media system after being let down by our local dealership. I would just like to thank you.A crushed wire was found behind the screen and replaced.The customer service as Wakefield Guy Salmon has been amazing and we really appreciate this being sorted to efficiently and quickly. Thankyou! Kirsten Render
– Mrs Kirsten Render
PAUL WILLIAMS (left), MANAGING DIRECTOR, congratulating Kieran Scott- Churm.
Award Nominee, October 2021
We would like to nominate Vehicle Technician Kieran – Scott-Churm for October’s Making It Special. Kieran’s attention to detail in how he applies himself to his work on a daily basis has clearly shone through. He is very thorough with his vehicle health checks that a customer was so impressed, not only did she leave a gold star on her survey she also wrote in to thank Kieran for being most informative with regards to her tyre, brake disc wear and general explanation of work that needed to be carried out and from a safety factor this was fantastic. We think this is worthy winner that demonstrates above all care.
Well done Kieran.
PAUL WILLIAMS (left), MANAGING DIRECTOR, congratulating Chris Glew.
Award Nominee, November 2021
Our November Making It Special Chris Glew is often nominated due to his consistent outstanding high level of customer service Chris ‘Super’ Glew will go out of his way to make every single one of his customers feel special and this occasion was no different to any other.
Mr & Mrs Robinson had set off on their long awaited post-covid holiday towing their caravan on their new Discovery Sport when disaster struck, the timing belt failed resulting in total vehicle break down. Luckily this occurred just a few minutes away from the dealership so a rather stressed Mr Robinson walked his way to the dealership to explain what had happened and was also very upset as he had left his wife with the car and caravan in a rather precarious position.
Super Glew to the rescue by managing to loan the customer a vehicle with a tow bar straight away to enable them to manoeuvre the caravan to the dealership so it was secure overnight. Chris worked hard with the whole team to turn the vehicle around overnight so that Mr & Mrs Robinson were on their holiday the very next day with minimal delay and much to their enjoyment as they thought their holiday wouldn’t go ahead.
A very special well done Chris!
PAUL SMITH (left), HEAD OF AFTERSALES, congratulating Paul Howden.
Award Nominee, September 2021
One of our customers, Mrs Thomson Parkin had booked a waiting service appointment at the dealership. With her son being autistic she was very conscious he would not want to wait inside and become agitated. Quick thinking Paul suggested the park which is just a few yards down the road to entertain her son whilst her car was in the workshop Mrs Thompson Parkin thought it was a wonderful idea. Whilst they were away Paul took it upon himself to make their visit extra special by purchasing a remote control car from our Parts Department to give to the little boy when he came back. Due to his autism Paul wanted to make sure the car worked immediately for him to prevent him from becoming upset, so he shot off to the local shop to buy batteries in preparation. On Mrs Thompson Parkin’s return Paul presented the car to the little boy and WOW he was thrilled. Mrs Thompson Parkin was so moved by Paul’s generosity she became very emotional and said she was extremely grateful for all of the team for being so kind it had made their day. Well done Paul for thinking outside the box!
PAUL WILLIAMS (right), MANAGING DIRECTOR, congratulating Chris Addle and Matthew Summersgill.
Award Nominee, August 2021
A double nomination for Wakefield prompted by a customer commendation new starter Matthew Summersgill – Service Advisor and Chris Addle – Workshop Quality Controller went out of their way to make this customer reassured and happy once again with their vehicle, well done guys!
I had taken my Evoque into Guy Salmon at Wakefield because of the poor performance of my car and what we thought was the turbo after looking it up on youtube and speaking to others about it. We had Matthew, Service Advisor to ensure us that they would look into this problem by running a diagnostic test and taking the car out test drive. Matthew was very friendly and professional in making sure this problem would get sorted and asked a couple of work colleagues to listen and notice the problem. At first this wasn't noticed by the test drives but he didn't give up and then asked Chris their expert Mechanic to come out with myself to see if we could find the problem together. Chris was brilliant with myself and made me feel confident by being patient with me and taking over the driving as I was a little nervous driving on motorways due to a back injury and confidence lost. Chris noticed the problem with the car pretty much instantly and explained what it was and why it was doing it and that it can be fixed with no problem, he also gave a detailed explanation to my Husband and myself. Once back Chris and Matthew wrote a detailed quote for us to send to the warranty company. The service from Guy Salmon was brilliant and I would definitely recommend them to anyone. Thank you so much for your patience and expertise. Mrs Lisa Jane Collins
– Mrs Lisa Jane Collins
NICK MIERNIK (right), GENERAL SALES MANAGER, congratulating Mark Dale.
Award Nominee, July 2021
A slightly different Making It Special but we thought it was well deserved as the act in question helped our customers and colleagues alike.
Mark Dale our Warranty Administrator has set a lot of time aside recently even encroaching into his own time and is still continuing to do so, in order to attend to all the decal transfers on New Land Rover Defenders in fact all decals that need addressing within the dealership!
Mark is only too happy to help which in turn has helped us out massively not to mention the cost savings as well as no requirement to employ the services of a signage company.
Well done Mark!
PAUL WILLIAMS (right), MANAGING DIRECTOR, congratulating Michelle Ryman.
Award Nominee, June 2021
Michelle is always showing her caring side to both customers and colleagues alike but in this instance, we thought it was extra special.
Michelle had learned that a customer had purchased a new vehicle and was due to collect. The customer in question had recently lost his wife to breast cancer leaving him with two teenage girls to look after. Michelle thought it would be a nice idea to arrange small pink peony hand tied bouquets with pink satin ribbons for both girls. This act of kindness went so much further as it was more than just selling a car as when we followed up with the customer to ask if everything was okay, he said it was the only thing he has connected on with his daughter’s since losing his wife in April, the fact they had shown any excitement or emotion, he was just made up.
Truly an inspiring Making It Special Michelle well done!
PAUL WILLIAMS (left), MANAGING DIRECTOR, congratulating Kirsty Hudson.
Award Nominee, May 2021
Kirsty has a HUGE list of jobs she has to do on a daily basis, whether it is ordering cars, dealer transfers, IDT’s, getting packs ready, updating the stock list, the list is endless!!
This has also been impacted even more so with May being one of the dealerships biggest and busiest months on record, we think this is nothing short of heroic the way Kirsty has dealt with it. The Sales team nominated her as she is always happy to assist with a big smile on her face and we definitely think this is a worthy nomination for Making It Special.
Paul Williams (left), Managing Director , congratulating Michelle Ryman.
Award Nominee, April 2021
A very distraught customer Mrs Bell telephoned the dealership as she had broken down on a dual carriageway and was stranded in a dangerous position due to her brake calliper disengaging.
She had telephoned Land Rover Assist only to be told that she was no longer covered as her policy had only just ran out that week and unfortunately, they could not recover her.
Michelle came to the rescue, she calmed Mrs Bell down on the phone and told her to wait away from the vehicle, she then telephoned Land Rover Assist and requested them to recover the customer as she was a lady on her own and purely as a duty of care even if she wasn’t covered could they please arrange for her and her vehicle to be moved from the dual carriageway to a safe place.
She kept ringing the customer periodically until she was safely recovered into the dealership.
Mrs Bell was so grateful and on collection of her repaired vehicle had bought Michelle a little gift as a token of her thanks for helping her out of a very frightening situation.
Paul Williams (right), Managing Director , congratulating CHRIS GLEW.
Award Nominee, March 2021
Saving The Day Customer Service At It’s Best!
First and foremost, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Chris Glew and Nathan Dawson at Guy Salmon Land Rover in Wakefield. When my Range Rover Sport engine seized on the 17th February 2021, I lost the will to live considering how much it would cost me to get a new engine. My HEART was beating fast than during my first engagement with the enemy in Iraq in 2003. I called the garage who sold the vehicle to me who only offered me sweet words and baseless promise. They kept my vehicle for exactly 4 weeks before they were able to tell me what had happened to my car. I decided to call Chris Glew and explain the matter to him. He took his time and listened to my problems and was very frank with me throughout our conversation. He promised to call me back after speaking with his boss (Nathan Dawson). This he did and again offer me various option which puts my mind at ease. My vehicle is now on track to be on the road and only god knows how I feel right now. These two individuals are at the TOP of the range in their professionalism. Their ability to be Frank with customers, yet offering unwavering support is what separates them from everyone else. They are a great asset to Guy Salmon Land Rover and I would not hesitate to recommend anyone who may require their service and you will never regret it. Their kindliness and professionalism is unmatchable. Thank you very much guys and above is a well deserved 5 ***** rating.
– Mr Alex Gomez
Paul Williams (left), Managing Director , congratulating Samantha Beighton.
Award Nominee, February 2021
Our ‘Making it Special Nomination’ is for Samantha, who in her role deals with lots of customers on a day to day basis, often being involved with customers who are not as happy as we would like them to be, situations Samantha works hard to resolve for the customer and us as a business.
Samantha consistently receives 5 Star customer feedback and commendations. Recently having been presented with a very tricky situation and still managing to receive the customer quote below we thought this was a well-deserved ‘Making It Special Nomination’.
Amazing feedback for a job well done!
I’ve given this a 5 star as the service I received from Samantha Beighton was second to none. After purchasing a Discovery Sport HSE I encountered a significant issue with the car but with Sam’s intervention, commitment and dedication professionally to me as a customer we were able to resolve the issue. Sam went above and beyond and for that I would definitely recommend using Guy Salmon Wakefield when purchasing a vehicle.
– Carla Williamson
Paul Williams (right), Managng Director, congratulating Stuart Murray.
Award Nominee, January 2021
A double celebration for the month of January 2021 for Stuart Murray. He celebrated his 10 year work anniversary and was also nominated unanimously for Making It Special by his colleagues. Unexpected wintry conditions over the week prompted Stuart to assist clearing the dealership site for customers and staff alike. For 2 days solid, Stuart kept the site clear and safe, helped passing motorists who were stuck in the snow on their way. In one day alone Stuart covered a staggering 30,000 steps, never once complaining in the bitterly cold weather. Well done Stuart -very well deserved!
Dave France (left), Workshop Manager, congratulating NEGIN HADAVAND.
Award Nominee, December 2020
Negin works hard every single day to ensure our customers get the best experience possible. With the run up to Christmas being slightly marred this year due to COVID, Negin came up with the idea for a Chocolate Advent Calendar and homemade Christmas Cards to be left in the customers vehicle after servicing as a little surprise. Customers were really touched by the gifts and even rang in afterwards to thank her for being so thoughtful. Spreading a little Christmas Cheer in adverse conditions!
Paul Williams (right), Managing Director, congratulating Christopher George Addle.
Award Nominee, November 2020
Chris very kindly spent a lot of his spare time to create a useful help guide for all Guy Salmon Land PHEV customers (Knowing Your P400e). As well as educating customers regarding the finer detail of their vehicles, this has also caused fewer issues for both the Sales and Aftersales Department in general. Definitely a worthy Making It Special, well done Chris!
Laura Wright (right), Dealership Accountant, congratulating Joe Clarke.
Award Nominee, October 2020
Joe really has gone out of his way since his return to work to make sure that he delivers that extra special touch with his customers to make them feel even more special in these trying times. He has received some excellent reviews from customers who have commented how Joe made them feel really valued during their handovers. Two customers in particular were blown away by Joe’s kindness. One customer’s Range Rover Velar was a total surprise present by her husband – Joe made sure that the event was a resounding success by trimming up with banners and presenting her with chocolates. Another customer also received the ‘Joe Touch’ with banners, balloons and a birthday cake during handover. What a very generous and lovely touch certainly Making It Special in our eyes!
Paul Williams (right), Managing DIrector, congratulating Negin Hadavand.
Award Nominee, September 2020
Negin has been nominated for our September Making It Special for her thoughtful customer care. Negin very thoughtfully purchased a gift of a dog bowl out of her own money for a customer who was picking up his new puppy a Golden Retriever the day his vehicle was in for service.
She also instilled goodness within the dealership, Negin very thoughtfully purchased and individually packaged surprise treats (COVID-19 friendly) for all staff to bring a little happiness back to the dealership and visited each staff member to let them pick their very own treat lots of smiles all round.
Paul Williams (right), Managing Director, congratulating Paul Howden.
Award Nominee, August 2020
Paul has been nominated for our August Making it Special for his excellent customer support. A service customer called up extremely stressed as he was moving house and discovered his vehicle had a flat tyre.
Paul spoke to the customer over the phone and was waiting on hand to greet the customer. Whilst the puncture was repaired at the retailer the customer went to de-stress and walk his dog. Paul went out of his way to get a ‘moving house present’ for the customer and left a Land Rover HUE dog bowl in the car.
Paul received some lovely feedback from the customer:
Many thanks for the excellent support and service provided by Paul during my recent visit to Sytner. I was moving house from York to Oxford, and found, to my horror a full flat tyre on my Range Rover Sport.
I put the run flat on and limped to Wakefield where Paul and team saved the day being able to promptly repair the puncture whilst my wife and I waited. Paul was extremely helpful and professional throughout and a credit to the dealership.
Paul Williams (right), Managing Director, congratulating Jenni Bingham.
Award Nominee, July 2020
Jenni our Sales Administrator has been excited and stressed as she is moving house. In the middle of lifting boxes, furniture and the like she received a call from a frantic work colleague as a customer had turned up to collect their car and the invoice needed to be processed.
Jenni very kindly and calmly stopped mid-move and spent a good hour of her time talking the work colleague through how to do this on the phone, to enable the customer to collect their new vehicle and not be disappointed of having to wait for an alternative date to collect.
The team really appreciated Jenni for taking time out to do this and think of others.
Paul Williams (right), Managing Director, congratulating Yasmin Khan.
Award Nominee, June 2020
Yasmin has been nominated for our June Making it Special for going out of her way for an NHS Doctor. Yasmin our Showroom Host was chatting to customer, an NHS Doctor who had come in quite late on in the day in to collect her vehicle due to the extended shifts she was working during the COVID-19 crisis.
She explained to Yasmin that she had tried to buy blue top cravendale milk for her son as that is the only milk he could have but everywhere she had tried the shelves were bare and she was extremely tired. Yasmin to the rescue! She told the customer that she already had a stock of the milk in her house for her own children but was quite prepared to give two, four pint bottles away for the customers son.
Yasmin lives within walking distance of the dealership so she quickly set off and returned 10 minutes later with the milk. The customer was very touched by Yasmin’s kind gesture and thanked her profusely for helping her out of a situation. Well done Yasmin for thinking of others at an extremely difficult time faced by everyone.
Paul Williams (right), Managing Director, congratulating Chris Glew.
Award Nominee, February 2020
Chris is well deserving of our February nomination, he hasn’t been with us for long but in his short time he has made a big impact on customers. Chris has been recognised in multiple Truspilot and Google Reviews.
Customers are not the only ones sending their thanks to Chris, he also had another retailer thanking him for dealing with one of their new customer’s vehicles which could have resulted in a buy back had Chris not investigated and took control of the situation, both customer and retailer were left very happy.
Even on his day off he helps out! On a Saturday, Chris came into work to collect a parcel and noticed that the Service Department was extremely busy due to unexpected recoveries, so in true Chris style he sat down at his desk and helped out seeing customers in and preparing loan vehicles. The duty manager that day said for the few hours that Chris had been in he had saved customers waiting up to an hour.
Paul Williams (right), Managing Director, congratulating Andrew Harman.
Award Nominee, January 2020
Our nomination goes to Andrew, he’s only been with us for a short period of time but has already made a big impression to both colleagues and customers.
He has helped the Aftersales Department with bodyshop issues in an efficent and streamlined manner. He also gets regular mentions through the Aftersales Department questionnaires below is one of many customer commendations Andrew has recieved.
Delighted with the service I received, Andrew could not have been more professional, courteous and efficient. My experience was exceptional in fact so much so I will be returning in March to by a car from you, thanks to Andrew’s efforts…
Paul Williams (right), Managing Director, congratulating Negin Hadavand.
Award Nominee, December 2019
Our December Making it Special Award goes to Negin, who’s been chosen for going out of her way for a customer and their nephew.
A customer had taken the day off work to attend to his vehicle, but more importantly he had promised his nephew a special visit to see Santa at 11am that very day. Unfortunately his visit unexpectedly turned up a few glitches that required him to wait longer than anticipated.
Our customer was now faced with having to cancel Santa’s visit. However, Negin managed to procure a vehicle at extremely short notice so the customers nephew could see Santa!
I am delighted and extremely thankful. Thank you Negin for making a little boy’s dream come true over Christmas…
Paul Williams (right), Managing Director, congratulating Ryan Clay.
Award Nominee, November 2019
There isn’t a month that goes by that Ryan is not nominated for helping out a colleague and customers alike. These are just a couple of statements made from his colleagues this month:
(1) For me it’s the little things that make it special, not just one act. This man works hard day in day out. (2) Feeling down? He will have a brew on the table for you. Too busy to tag some keys? “I will do it for you”. (3) The back bone of used cars (4) He’s like the glue that holds us all together’
A very well deserved Making It Special, well done Ryan your help and kindness year in year out is very much appreciated throughout the dealership and makes the place a happier place to be
Nicholas Miernik (left), General Sales Manager, congratulating Lindsey Evans.
Award Nominee, October 2019
Lindsey is no stranger to Making It Special and often gets nominated as she is forever helping customers and colleagues alike. One such occasion was recently when she took it upon herself to act quickly when a customer who’s vehicle was booked into have a emergency repair, found themselves in need of transportation to get to an important meeting. With the earliest taxi being a wait of half hour and the only available vehicle had little fuel in, Lindsey offered her help to her service colleagues and fuelled the car whilst the customer was getting their vehicle booked in. The customer was so grateful for this time saving gesture, as they were able to leave in time to get to their meeting.
Thank you Lindsey
Paul Williams (right), Managing Director, congratulating Michelle Ryman.
Award Nominee, September 2019
Michelle Ryman our Head Receptionist often goes out of her way to help both customers and staff alike, on this occasion she really did go the extra mile. Michelle very kindly donated her Land Rover Experience Day to Mr Tim Bilton a customer who sadly has terminal cancer. Tim absolutely loves the Land Rover brand and has always wanted the experience of driving the vehicles in the environment they were built for having never had the chance to see just what they are capable of. Tim was blown away with Michelle’s kindness and cannot wait to experience a day to remember.
Paul Williams, Head of Business (R), and Richard Medd, Sales Manager (L), congratulating Paul Jones.
Award Nominee, August 2019
Our Making it Special award goes to Paul Jones for coming to the rescue of a ‘damsel in distress’! A lady from Pro-Driver came to collect a vehicle from the dealership and whilst handing over the vehicle unbeknown to her she dropped her wallet containing all her bank cards and also her fuel card. The wallet was later found by Paul Jones and he immediately attempted to make contact with the driver. However, in the interim period the lady had travelled some considerable distance down the A1 and had pulled into a service station to re-fuel only to be held to ransom at the service station because she couldn’t pay for her fuel, the lady was quite understandably very upset and in floods of tears. Paul to the rescue!! He jumped in his car and made the long journey to reunite the lady with her wallet who was extremely grateful for his gallantry. This selfless act was at Paul’s own expense and time as he didn’t return home until late that evening.
Darren Osborne (right), Aftersales Manager, congratulating Christopher Addle.
Award Nominee, July 2019
Unbeknown to the Aftersales Department Chris had been keeping a list of customers with recurring issues and had taken it upon himself to contact each of them in turn every couple of weeks to check that all their issues were sorted and the customers were happy.
These customers have been delighted with the level of customer service afforded to them and this has also helped the Aftersales Department immensely as it has eliminated any further repeat visits or unhappy customers. Having not been asked to do this shows initiative and also more importantly putting our customers first. Well done Chris!
Paul Williams (left), Managing Director, congratulating Nathan Dawson.
Award Nominee, June 2019
Double Nomination for Customer Service – Nathan was nominated twice in the month for two separate incidents involving customers who had concerns with their vehicles. The first vehicle had been into the dealership on a few occasions from delivery with water ingress. On this occasion the customer was actually at the hospital with his wife so to minimise the stress, Nathan very kindly went out of his way after finishing for the day to set out and deliver the vehicle back to their home address. Nathan also stayed for half an hour to relay all the vehicles history and the best resolution process for the concerns. The customers were very thankful for Nathan’s generosity. In the same month another customers vehicle required stage 1 detailing and Nathan came in on his day off to carry out the task going that extra mile.
Customer service at it’s finest!
Paul Williams (right), Managing Director, congratulating Thomas Cesi.
Award Nominee, May 2019
Excelling in Customer Service
Only managed to score 5/5 as 6/5 wasn’t an option. Having had a Range Rover Evoque for four trouble free years (purchased from Guy Salmon) my wife wanted a different car. After speaking with Stuart Maun and his “Out of the box thinking” he quickly located what we were looking for and passed things over to Tom Cesi. I tip my cap as he is an absolute gentleman, with mountains of knowledge & since the new car was not a Land Rover one could reasonably expect the handover to be basic. This was not the case, Tom had spent a considerable amount of time researching into the car so he could confidently and professionally convey everything we needed. You could say that is his job? But Tom stayed way passed close of business to ensure we had no further questions or concerns. Guy Salmon you have a young guy who is testament to what your business stands for. It’s once again a pleasure. Kind regards Andrea & Andy
Paul Williams, Managing Director, (Second Left), and Darren Osborne, Aftersales Manager (Third Left), congratulating Paul Howden and Rob Hallam.
Award Nominee, April 2019
A great customer commendation for two fantastic members of the Aftersales Team sees both Paul and Rob win the April Award for Making it Special
Shortened letter…
My Discovery Sport had the red warning triangle appear during a journey to work on the outside lane of the M1 motorway and straight into limp mode. Land Rover assist attended and diagnosed as the actuator on the Turbo. The turbo was completely replaced. Two days later the exact same incident happened and again Land Rover assist diagnosed same fault, so off back to your Garage. I have got my car back and the reason for my email, From the very start I was treated with the utmost respect, sympathy, support and kept up to date with everything that was happening, I had calls and chats with both Rob Hallam and Paul Howden on a very regular basis, I was given a full description and shown the paperwork describing what jobs and tests had been carried out, Nothing was off limits. Even when I was told my car was ready to pick up and I explained that I worked in Leeds, Paul waited at the Garage after his finish time. I am sending this email as a huge thank you for these two staff and really hope that this gets passed on to them as they truly deserve it. Sure its not great when your car is broken, however they are very complicated vehicle that I expect will sometimes have little faults. I now have my car back and since the fault has been rectified the car is back to being a joy to drive once again. I could have simply left it at that but I didn’t and have sent this as a big thank you to these two for making the experience more manageable. If you check your records you will see that my Wife Suzan and myself have now had vehicles from you for over 12 years and will continue to do so knowing we have peace of mind if something should go wrong. Thanks for getting it right.
Nick Miernik (left), General Sales Manager, congratulating Max Hemingway.
Award Nominee, March 2019
Our March making is special award goes to Max, our delivery driver who looked after one of our customers recently. The customer explained that he was struggling to get in and out of his vehicle as he has Parkinsons Disease, Max explained that the suspension could be lowered. When Max returned to the dealership where the vehicle was in for servicing, he went to the Parts Department where he priced up some deployable side steps. On returning the vehicle, he showed printed pictures and also explained that the side steps came out further and lower than his current fixed side step. The customer thought they were a little too narrow for him to balance on with his condition. Max looked to find an alternative solution and came up with the idea of a caravan step that could be kept in the car and was also light and easy enough for his wife to move into position thus enabling the customer to get in and out with ease. Also as the couple didn’t have access to the internet Max sourced a local shop for the customer to purchase the step, result one happy customer.
Well done Max
Paul Williams (right), Managing Director, congratulating Steve Mann.
Award Nominee, February 2019
Steve demonstrated our ‘one team’ values here at Guy Salmon Wakefield in avoiding a customer issue and turning it round to making it special! A customer who had booked his vehicle in online called the day before as he hadn’t heard anything regarding the booking. Due to errors encountered via our website, we had not received his request and the customer was extremely upset as he had made plans. Steve without a second thought called the customer and offered to collect his vehicle personally and also booked space in the workshop for the service to be carried out, which the customer was extremely impressed and grateful for.
Well done Steve
Darren Osborne (right), Aftersales Manager, congratulating Shane Bambrook.
Award Nominee, January 2019
Shane has definitely made a lasting impression during his very first week of his new role. On his first official day, one of our customers who’s Range Rover Velar was booked into the workshop was advised after diagnostics took place, that the vehicle needed replacement parts fitting before it was safe enough for the customer to drive again . Regrettably the replacement parts were not held in stock and the work was to be done on the Saturday, which left the customer extremely frustrated. Shane immediately stepped in and offered to come in on the Saturday morning once repairs had been carried out to personally deliver the customers vehicle back. This was a totally selfless act on Shane’s part as a rule our drivers do not usually work on Saturday’s, but Shane said ‘customer’s come first’!
The customer was absolutely delighted when she received her vehicle back and a little taken aback but very thankful as she could now enjoy the whole of weekend as she was mobile once more.
Paul Williams (right), Head of Business, congratulating Lindsey Evans.
Award Nominee, December 2018
Lindsey Evans is our Making it special nomination for December. Lindsey’s bright, bubbly and caring personality is a magnet for both customers and staff alike.
She often puts herself out to help others and on this occasion Lindsey demonstrated an exceptional act of kindness at a time of year that can be very lonely for some people. A customer visited the retailer a few weeks before Christmas and got talking to Lindsey. After she had made him welcome and gave him a hot drink she learned that the customer was very ill and had recently lost his son. Lindsey was touched by the customers impending Christmas predicament and that very evening Lindsey decided to pay the customer an unexpected visit at his home with her two daughters armed with mince pies. On arrival the customer was overcome with Lindsey’s kindness and generosity and said it helped make his Christmas a bit brighter.
Well done Lindsey on your well deserved award
Paul Williams (right), Head of Business, congratulating Nathan Dawson.
Award Nominee, November 2018
Our nomination is Nathan Dawson for our November’ Making it Special Award. On a recent Sunday afternoon after a recovery vehicle had a arrived with a very upset customer, our Receptionist reluctantly called Nathan on his day off to see if he could help. Nathan calmly reassured the Receptionist that he was on his way and on arrival immediately dealt with the customer and assisting in getting them mobile again.
On a separate occasion in the coming week another customer Mrs Chapman-Kemp was having trouble contacting LR Assist and was not happy, so Nathan left with a loan vehicle at 6pm that very evening along with his partner Megan following in her vehicle. He delivered the loan vehicle and also phoned and waited for LR Assist to attend the customer’s residence. Mrs Chapman-Kemp was extremely grateful for the exceptional customer service Nathan afforded her.
In addition the following week Mr Crook’s car had broken down at 4pm on his return from holiday and LR Assist had been delayed. Nathan left Mr Crooks with his mobile number so he could contact him when he was nearer and was so appreciative of Nathan for coming back after 7pm that evening to deploy the bollards in order to let LR Assist in and also let Mr Crooks retrieve his belongings, he called the dealership the next day to pass on his thanks.
Well done Nathan – great Customer service.
Paul Williams (right), Head of Business, congratulating Thomas Cesi.
Award Nominee, October 2018
Our October nomination is Tom who consistently delights his customers and is always doing that little bit extra to add that personal touch.
One of Tom’s existing customers had excitedly ordered their all new Discovery in time for the new arrival of their second child. Tom had thoughtfully arranged upon handover, toys for the new baby as his own son had been born a few months earlier. He went shopping and bought the same toys that his own son had liked and not to leave out big sister, Tom also bought sweets for the eldest child which went down a treat. The customers were extremely touched by Tom’s generosity and thoughtfulness towards the whole family.
Well done Tom!
Darren Osborne, Aftersales Manager (left), Paul Williams, Head of Business (right), congratulating Dave France.
Award Winner, September 2018
Our September nomination goes to Dave France, who recently helped one of our most loyal customers during their sales journey.
Mr & Mrs Wright were looking to change their beloved Freelander to a Range Rover Evoque, however expressed concern to their Sales Executive, Amy Beardshall on how they could dismantle the mobility scooter to fit in the rear of the vehicle. With Mr Wright being terminally ill, they depend on the scooter for everyday use, so this was a huge concern for them. Luckily, Dave was in the vicinity and Amy asked for his advice. He arranged without question a trip to their home that very evening after work to show them how to dismantle and store it in their new car. Dave stayed for over an hour and half to put their minds at rest. He also paid a second visit to their home later that week to reunite Mr Wright with his walking stick, that he had left in the back of the Freelander.
The epitome of making It special and putting our customers first. Well done Dave.
Paul Williams, Head of Business (Left), Steve Gough, Divisional Managing Director (Right), congratulating Kelly Fowler.
Award Winner, April 2018
A double nomination this month for Kelly Fowler. Mrs Lori Fullarton brought her new Range Rover Velar into the service department, with her young son and daughter. Her son was so overwhelmed by all the new cars in the showroom he insisted on working out how many years worth of pocket money and Birthday money he would need to save up before he could buy one. Kelly had listened and together with Mrs Fullarton worked out how long he would have to save ……. apparently it would be 34 years, the little boy looked a tad crestfallen.
Upon collection of Mrs Fullarton’s vehicle Kelly had secretly arranged for a small toy Range Rover Evoque for him to take home. He was so excited with the toy car and not to leave his sister out, Kelly had also arranged a sticker book for her to take home to. This was totally unexpected for both mum and children, but they all left the dealership feeling extremely happy with their visit.
Also that very same week Kelly Fowler went above and beyond again when looking after her customer Mrs Muniz when she bought her car into for repairs. Kelly had remembered that Mrs Muniz was due to give birth to her daughter and presented her with a bunch of flowers. Mrs Muniz was delighted and in her own words of feedback for Kelly said the following
Kelly Fowler has been particularly pleasant to deal with, having remembered I was due to give birth to my daughter and having the lovely gesture of a bunch of flowers. She was polite, effective and efficient
Mrs Muniz
Paul Williams (left), Head of Business, congratulating Michelle Ryman and Amy Beardshall.
Award Nominee, August 2018
Our August Making it Special nomination goes to joint winners Amy Beardshall and Michelle Ryman, who made sure one little boys visit to the dealership was very special indeed.
A teaching assistant from local Silcoates school asked if she could bring her student Henry into the dealership. Henry suffers with Autism but loves anything and everything to do with cars. Michelle straight away said that it would not be a problem. When the teacher and Henry arrived, Amy took them on a test drive around the village in a new Land Rover, Henry was in his element! When they returned to the dealership Henry was presented with his very own personalised number plate; as the team were aware of his fascination and recollection at remembering number plates, the look on his face was priceless.
Henry said it was his best day ever and gave everyone a big hug and high 5. A few days later a lovely handmade thank you card was received from Henry that still stands proudly on Reception at Guy Salmon Wakefield.
Paul Willim (right), Head of Business, congratulating Lindsey Evans.
Award Nominee, July 2018
Lindsey, our Showroom Host is our July nomination for making it special. Whilst carrying out service follow up calls recently, a customer explained that when she had got home following her visit she had found one of the sites walkie talkie radios in her vehicle. Although the customer could not return the walkie talkie as her daughter was unwell, Lindsey took it upon herself to collect the walkie talkie when she left the dealership that evening and also delivered a bouquet of flowers to the customer by way of an apology. The customer was genuinely touched by Lindsey’s thoughtfulness.
Well done Lindsey.
Paul Williams (left), Managing Director, congratulating Callum Ward.
Award Nominee, June 2018
Our June Making it Special award goes to Callum, who kindly gave up his own half-day Land Rover Experience which he received when purchasing his own vehicle recently, to very loyal customer of Wakefield.
The customer shared with Callum that she had gone through breast cancer in 2016 and since then has raised much needed funds with her husband for Yorkshire Cancer Centre in Leeds, where she had received wonderful treatment. The couple raise funds on a yearly basis in support and over the past 2 years have raised £1400 by selling their own organically grown fruit and vegetables on a weekend outside their home.
They were delighted with Callum’s kindness and generosity and will be using this as a fantastic auction prize at a Gin Tasting Event they have arranged to raise further funds.
Well done Callum!
Paul Williams (right), Head of Business, congratulating Amy Beardshall.
Award Nominee, May 2018
Amy is well known for consistently delighting our customers and recently as one of them was eagerly awaiting delivery of their new Range Rover Evoque, the only time that they had free to collect was when Amy had booked holiday for her best friends wedding in Cheshire. With the next suitable delivery date being a month later the customer left the showroom disappointed. Amy straight away looked at the logistics and where her customer lived in relation to the wedding venue. Amy decided that she would deliver the customers new vehicle en-route to the wedding venue thus giving up her valuable time on such a special occasion and ensuring in true Amy fashion that she put the customer first. The customer was delighted and extremely grateful for Amy going out of her way. Well done Amy truly Customer First at it’s finest!
Paul Williams (right), Head of Business, congratulating Kelly Fowler.
Award Nominee, April 2018
A double nomination this month for Kelly Fowler. Mrs Lori Fullarton brought her new Range Rover Velar into the service department, with her young son and daughter. Her son was so overwhelmed by all the new cars in the showroom he insisted on working out how many years worth of pocket money and Birthday money he would need to save up before he could buy one. Kelly had listened and together with Mrs Fullarton worked out how long he would have to save ……. apparently it would be 34 years, the little boy looked a tad crestfallen.
Upon collection of Mrs Fullarton’s vehicle Kelly had secretly arranged for a small toy Range Rover Evoque for him to take home. He was so excited with the toy car and not to leave his sister out, Kelly had also arranged a sticker book for her to take home to. This was totally unexpected for both mum and children, but they all left the dealership feeling extremely happy with their visit.
Also that very same week Kelly Fowler went above and beyond again when looking after her customer Mrs Muniz when she bought her car into for repairs. Kelly had remembered that Mrs Muniz was due to give birth to her daughter and presented her with a bunch of flowers. Mrs Muniz was delighted and in her own words of feedback for Kelly said the following
Kelly Fowler has been particularly pleasant to deal with, having remembered I was due to give birth to my daughter and having the lovely gesture of a bunch of flowers. She was polite, effective and efficient
Mrs Muniz
Paul Williams (right), Head of Business, congratulating Andrew Hearne.
Award Nominee, March 2018
With many customers due in over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend to collect their new Land Rovers, Andrew was busy in the workshop carrying out the vehicle PDI’s. Around midday on Thursday prior to Good Friday, he was notified that there was a new map update for all new vehicles, which would take over 7 hours. Andrew was faced with a dilemma, either let our Sales Team know in advance of the delay in handovers or re-book all the vehicles in at a later date for the map update, which would then in turn leave our customers extremely inconvenienced, frustrated and unhappy.
So in true ‘Andy Fashion’ as neither choice was an option, he selflessly chose to give up his own time on Good Friday when he himself had plans with his partner to come into the dealership and personally ensure every vehicle was updated and ready for our customers to collect. One customer who was collecting his new Range Rover had already pre-planned his Bank Holiday weekend break around his handover to encompass a trip to Cardiff as he had purchased tickets for a very important boxing match so the map update was crucial.
Well done Andy and thank you for putting our customers first!
Paul Williams (right), Head of Business, congratulating Geoff Stevenson.
Award Nominee, February 2018
At the end of January we delivered the first of our latest 18my’s to our eagerly awaiting customers. Unfortunately, due to these vehicles being fitted with the latest and most up-to-date software our customers experienced a wave of technical difficulties. You can only imagine how disappointed our customers felt having just picked up their brand new vehicles and having to return them in their first few days and weeks of ownership. The faults with all the vehicles were not an easy fix and were on-going for nearly a month. Geoff spoke to each customer individually and ensured that he personally owned each and every one of the customer problems. He made sure that alternative transport was provided, each customer was kept informed at every stage and through his professionalism and with the help of his colleagues, made sure all customers received a goodwill gesture.
Without this level of commitment and personal service, the majority of the customers said they would have gladly handed their cars back and bought another competitors brand. A massive well done for restoring faith and maintaining a constant first-class level of customer service throughout.
Paul Williams (right), Head of Business, congratulating Ali Alavi.
Award Nominee, January 2018
Ali is nominated on a regular basis by the Team at Wakefield as his level of commitment in his role as Service Administrator and his customer feedback especially is always exceptional and on this occasion was in true Ali fashion absolutely above and beyond. During January’s inclement wintry weather Mr Darnton’s vehicle had been in the dealership that day for service. At the end of a long day as the bad weather had a knock on effect with more vehicles being in the service department than normal Ali was set the task of delivering Mr Darnton’s vehicle back to his home after he had finished work that evening, but with the bad weather taking hold as it had started to snow the traffic was against him for the entire journey. Ali didn’t reach Mr Darnton’s home until 7.30pm in the evening before then embarking on his own journey home. This was something that he didn’t have to do but as always with Ali, his strict customer first principles shone through. The next day Mr Darnton made a point of telephoning into the dealership first thing to personally express his gratitude to Ali for going out of his way in such bad weather conditions to reunite him with his vehicle.
Paul Williams (left), Head of Business, congratulating Dave France.
Award Nominee, December 2017
‘Customer Care at the drop of a hat‘! A customer telephoned the dealership to advise us that she had a low coolant warning light showing on her vehicle dashboard and was extremely concerned about driving the vehicle into the dealership to be attended to with the warning light showing. After being passed through to Dave for technical assistance without delay he very kindly offered to take time out of his busy schedule in the workshop that very day and personally collect the vehicle.
On arrival back at the dealership, Dave then set about looking after the vehicle himself as it wasn’t booked in the workshops busy schedule for that day. After carrying out a number of checks and also topping up the coolant level he then set off on the 20-mile trip to deliver the vehicle back. The customer was absolutely delighted, so much so that she sent a thank you card to Dave showing her appreciation for going that ‘Extra Mile’ and attending to her vehicle at a moment’s notice.
To Dave, thank you very much for your assistance with my Evoque last week. Your customer service was excellent. Thanks again.
Matthew Farrer
Award Nominee, November 2017
When Mr Ackroyd was due to the dealership to pick up his new Range Rover Velar, Matthew had found out prior to collection that it was actually Mr Ackroyd’s Birthday on that very day. Matthew thought it would be a really nice gesture to go one step further and make the hand over extra special by arranging for Happy Birthday bunting at the front of the vehicle, a Birthday Cake and a Bottle of Champagne.
On collection of his new vehicle, Mr Ackroyd was totally overwhelmed with the kindness and thoughtfulness of the gesture that made his Birthday a truly wonderful experience.
Matthew Farrer
Award Nominee, October 2017
When Mr Ackroyd was due in the dealership to pick up his new Range Rover Velar, Matthew had found out prior to the collection that it was actually Mr Ackroyd’s Birthday on that very day. Matthew thought it would be a really nice gesture to go one step further and make the hand over extra special by arranging for Happy Birthday bunting at the front of the vehicle, a Birthday Cake and a Bottle of Champagne.
On collection of his new vehicle, Mr Ackroyd was totally overwhelmed with the kindness and thoughtfulness of the gesture that made his Birthday a truly wonderful experience.
Paul Williams (right), Head of Business, congratulating Wayne Potts.
Award Winner, September 2017
Wayne consistently receives great feedback from customers but in this instance, he excelled himself with his professionalism and attention to detail with customer Mr Ian Harrison, who purchased an Aston Martin DB9 in September. Mr Harrison has Parkinson’s Disease and his son-in-law, Nick Bean, had called to say his father in law’s last wishes on his bucket list was to purchase a DB9.
Nick explained that Mr Harrison had deteriorated now to an extent where he cannot walk or talk and could we do something to make the purchase special like placing a sign in the vehicle when Mr Harrison came to view it. Wayne went a few steps beyond and had the car strategically placed at the top of the entrance to the dealership, roped off and adjoined by the Sytner Select flag, also inside the vehicle was a sign reading Reserved For Ian Harrison and a bottle of champagne ready and waiting to present to Mr Harrison upon arrival.
Mr Harrison and Nick were absolutely delighted and even posed for pictures. Prior to delivery, Wayne also arranged to get the car to Aston Martin, Nottingham for a service and also asked Aston Martin for a goodie bag as another nice surprise for Mr Harrison on delivery. Wayne then delivered the vehicle to Mr Harrison’s nursing home where it has been placed outside Mr Harrison’s window for him to view 24hrs a day and on a weekend enjoy a ride out with Nick.
All in all, Wayne truly pulled out all the stops and made this customer’s experience genuinely special.
Amy Beardshall
Award Nominee, August 2017
For Making a Little Boy’s Dreams Come True! Mrs Catherine Osborne had emailed the dealership to ask if it would be ok if she brought her son Thomas into the showroom as he was mad about all things Land Rover. We responded by saying it wouldn’t be a problem at all but just to let us know when they would be coming in so that we could organise for somebody to show them around. We asked Amy if she could spare some time to do this and in usual Amy, fashion said, “of course, it would be my pleasure”. Thomas was delighted with the tour of all the vehicles in the showroom and best of all the little toy Land Rover car that Amy gave him! Thomas personally sent a card and a drawing to thank Amy in his own words …
Thank you for showing me around the showroom, it was the best day ever!
Well done Amy for making Thomas’s day so special!
Adam Hoyle & Callum Osborne
Award Nominee, July 2017
Parts and Service came to the rescue of Mr and Mrs Price, who were new to the Land Rover brand and had owned a Mercedes for 12 years, were due into the dealership for their handover of a brand new Discovery Sport. During the handover, the vehicle starting giving out malfunction readings saying the bonnet wasn’t closed properly. Having opened and closed the bonnet several times this wasn’t having the desired effect and it continued to show warnings on the dashboard. Craig Archer, Sales Executive reassured Mr and Mrs Price that is was an errant reading and giving that the time was getting on lead Mr and Mrs Price back to the hospitality area. Craig then drove the vehicle down to the workshop for assistance.
As it was late, all of the Technicians were finished for the day, but he just managed to catch Callum and Adam when they were literally walking out the door. Craig explained the problem to them and without hesitation or delay, Callum told him to drive the vehicle into the workshop where he would look at the problem. It turned out the bonnet catch was actually faulty and not tightened properly during the cars build. The problem involved the removal of the grille and part. Whilst Callum was investigating the problem, Adam stayed late to see if any parts were needed as this department was also closed for the day. After the first fix failed, it was decided that a new bonnet catch was required and Adam went to check if we had one in stock. Thankfully, we did so this was supplied and fitted and problem sorted.
Thanks guys for wonderful team effort thus eliminating any disappointment to Mr & Mrs Price with their first journey into Land Rover ownership.
Kirsty Hudson
Award Nominee, June 2017
For her tireless work within the Sales Admin Department, all this as well as having to cater for our ever-growing sales team, the complex ordering of new models and extremely high demand for vehicles in general. Kirsty has stayed late on numerous occasions to ensure the smooth running of the Sales Admin Department and remained calm throughout. She hasn’t complained and has just got on with the job! Her hard work and dedication have not gone unnoticed many thank you for the fantastic job you have done. Customers always get their cars on time as Kirsty always puts the customer first that’s why she ‘Makes it Special’.
Wonderfully well done!
Paul Williams (right), Head of Business, congratulating Ali Alavi.
Award Nominee, May 2017
Mr & Mrs Wright’s brand new Discovery Sport originally from Farnell Land Rover Leeds had several issues since its purchase and the vehicle was booked into our service department. Over the 6 week period the vehicle was with us Ali ensured Mr & Mrs Wright had regular updates on the vehicle and even made sure they had a courtesy vehicle for the entire duration of the fault finding exercise. Mr & Mrs Wright had all but lost confidence in the vehicle and were at the point where they did not want it back as they had lost all faith with the Land Rover product. Ali remarkably managed to turn the situation around so that Mr & Mrs Wright had their faith restored in their Discovery Sport and on collection even issued Mrs Wright with a bouquet of flowers which was a lovely touch. Well done Ali for showing an unprecedented level of service as he could quite easily of forwarded the problem back to Farnell Land Rover Leeds! In our opinion Ali Owned It, Solved It and Guy Salmon Wakefield gained a customer for life!
Paul Williams (right), Head of Business, congratulating Sean Wright.
Award Nominee, April 2017
Our nomination is for Shaun Wright, for selflessly helping an exasperated customer.
A long-standing customer of Guy Salmon Wakefield suffered a gearbox failure which resulted in Land Rover Assistance being contacted and a loan vehicle deployed. The loan vehicle never materialised which left our customer without any transport, extremely frustrated and angry as she couldn’t get to work. Shaun immediately came to the rescue, he said the customer could take his own company vehicle and thus very swiftly calmed the situation and she was promptly on her way to work. Shaun then set to addressing why the vehicle never arrived and then organised for it to be delivered to her place of work recovering his own vehicle at no inconvenience to the customer. Shaun turned a very negative situation into a positive outcome and demonstrated a real team effort with sales and aftersales working together. A classic 100% owned it, solved it situation well done Shaun!
Josh Taylor
Award Nominee, March 2017
Josh always provides excellent customer service and his willingness to help others be it customers or his work colleagues shines through every day. On this extremely busy day in the Parts Department, Josh very kindly helped this customer get to where he needed to be with the minimum of fuss. He immediately took action by requesting the use of a vehicle to drive the customer to the petrol station. Even though this impacted significantly on his day leaving him staying later to finish his workload, Josh was just happy to help and in turn received great feedback from one very happy customer.
“I visited this branch to collect a part for my Range Rover Evoque. My vehicle was low on fuel and the petrol station was my next stop! The car park was very congested and the only place I could park was on a steep incline. After collecting my part I came out to find my vehicle wouldn’t start! I went back to the parts department to buy a jerry can preparing for a long walk to the petrol station. The guys kindly offered to lend me one and personally drove me to the petrol station!
Many thanks, Josh and the team for going above and beyond the call of duty”. “Jon”
Paul William (left), Head of Business, congratulating Ali Alavi.
Award Nominee, February 2017
Our nomination is for Ali Alavi for providing that personal touch, this just proves what a difference you can make as Ali did in exceeding all customer expectations and in so doing received exceptional feedback. This is just one example of Ali’s thoughtfulness. A key member of the service team Ali is efficient and extremely hard working and even when the department is hectic Ali is always smiling, calm and happy to help and always puts others before himself.
Visited Land Rover in Wakefield on the 22nd February 2017 for a diesel ad blue top up, I was asked what I was doing today by the lovely Ali Alavi on reception, I said it was actually my wedding anniversary he said hang on …. then came across with a lovely bunch of flowers for my wife. Brilliant customer service not just on the car but take care of the actual customer 100%, very very impressed, will buy my next Range Rover from this garage without hesitation. Thank you for the team at Wakefield especially to Ali Alavi a credit to the motor trade and team.
Paul Williams (right), Head of Business, congratulating Dave France.
Award Nominee, January 2017
Each Month, the dealership has a selection of new magazines delivered so that customers have access to the latest copies to read whilst they wait. As a result, the dealership has a monthly excess of magazines which would ultimately be discarded if it wasn’t for Dave, who generously recycles the magazines. Dave has been recycling magazines for many years. He takes nearly-new magazines and distributes them to local charities, hospitals and the local hospice so that the magazines can be used for others to read and enjoy instead of going to waste. We believe that this act of kindness deserves a Making It Special Award as Dave’s thoughtfulness not only benefits the environment but also helps local charities and the wider community.
Paul Williams (left), Head of Business, congratulating Ali Alavi.
Award Nominee, January 2017
Our nomination is for Ali Alavi for providing that personal touch, this just proves what a difference you can make as Ali did in exceeding all customer expectations and in so doing received exceptional feedback. This is just one example of Ali’s thoughtfulness. A key member of the service team Ali is efficient and extremely hard working and even when the department is hectic Ali is always smiling, calm and happy to help and always puts others before himself. “Visited Land Rover in Wakefield on the 22nd February 2017 for a diesel ad blue top up, I was asked what I was doing today by the lovely Ali Alavi on reception, I said it was actually my wedding anniversary he said hang on… then came across with a lovely bunch of flowers for my wife. Brilliant customer service not just on the car but take care of the actual customer 100%, very very impressed, will buy my next Range Rover from this garage without hesitation. Thank you for the team at Wakefield especially to Ali Alavi a credit to the motor trade and team.”
