Honda UK and Autoguard Warranties scoop The Motor Ombudsman’s 2024 Customer Service Star Awards
- Honda UK and Autoguard Warranties have been named the winners of this year’s Motor Ombudsman Customer Service Star Awards
- The Customer Service Star Awards recognise the head offices of vehicle manufacturers and extended warranty organisations that are accredited to The Motor Ombudsman’s New Car and Vehicle Warranty Codes of Practice
- Both Honda UK and Autoguard Warranties become the first two-time winners in their respective categories
- At nearly 3,300, this year’s Star Awards saw a record number of consumer nominations for Motor Ombudsman-accredited businesses and individual team members, which also encompasses the Garage Star Awards for independent garages and car dealerships
- A shortlist of six finalists from the submissions received in this year’s contest, was drawn up by The Motor Ombudsman for the judging panel to choose the 2024 Customer Service Star Award winners and the highly commended entries
The Motor Ombudsman is pleased to announce that Honda UK and Autoguard Warranties have won this year’s Customer Service Star Award trophies for accredited vehicle manufacturers and extended vehicle warranty providers. They also become the first ever two-time winners of their respective categories of the annual Star Awards competition, which allows consumers to publicly recognise individual staff members, or organisations as a whole, that have gone the extra mile when assisting them.
The Customer Service Star Awards were unveiled in 2021 to recognise the UK head offices of the organisations accredited to The Motor Ombudsman’s long-established New Car and Vehicle Warranty Product Codes of Practice. Combined, there are currently more than 60 businesses that are committed to the comprehensive Codes, which are designed to promote the delivery of even higher standards of service to consumers in the sale and management of warranty policies for both new, and older vehicles once the initial term offered by a manufacturer has expired.
Nearly 3,300 online nominations were submitted by motorists in the latest Star Awards contest, across both the Customer Service Star and Garage Star Award categories – the highest ever volume of submissions received. These are short accounts written by consumers which showcase exceptional levels of service delivered by businesses and individuals after going beyond the call of duty, making them worthy of being recognised with a trophy.
A shortlist was then drawn up by The Motor Ombudsman to determine the businesses and individuals in the final 30. Six related to the Customer Service Star entrants, with the remainder making up the shortlist for the Garage Star Awards. In the running for the 2024 vehicle manufacturer title, were the UK headquarters of Alfa Romeo, Genesis (a 2023 trophy holder), and Honda (a previous winner in 2022).
From these three contenders, which highlighted a memorable experience for customers, it was the entry from a consumer regarding their communication with Honda UK that stood out for all three judges. With the individual owning a 30-year-old vehicle, and with parts hard to come by for their model, the customer service team went above and beyond to source information on what was needed for repairs, with calls to the home of the brand in Japan to ensure that the consumer was equipped with the right information to rectify a fault with a roof mechanism on their sports car.
Sarah Roseblade, Head of Customer at Honda UK, explained: “We are delighted to once again be the holder of a Customer Service Award, and even more so, to be the first vehicle manufacturer to ‘achieve the double’ in the history of the competition. Regardless of how big or small a customer’s needs are, a car is often someone’s pride and joy that carries a substantial investment, especially if it is a classic, as is the case with the individual who kindly put us forward.”
Sarah added: “As a brand, Honda’s philosophy has always been to put our customers first – they are at the heart of what we do, and we always strive to do our upmost to find solutions for them. I’m incredibly proud to see that this philosophy was put into practice when our team diligently supported one of our very long-standing Honda owners to get their car back to a full working condition.”
In the vehicle warranty products section of the awards, Autoguard Warranties, The Motoring Organisation (last year’s winner), and Warranty First, were all in contention to emerge victorious. In what was a unanimous decision by the judging panel, Autoguard Warranties clinched their second title in four years having won a Customer Service Award in 2021. This year’s trophy recognised a commitment to exceptional service each time the customer made contact with the business, and for going the extra mile to provide efficient support to swiftly organise the repair of the consumer’s vehicle.
Robert Dockerill, CEO of Autoguard Group, said: “To repeat the triumph of 2021 is tremendous, and this is very much a team effort where everyone comes together to deliver a swift and seamless service that meets the high expectations of today’s discerning motorists. With vehicles providing a key source of independence and transport for many, we recognise the importance of providing a swift and efficient service to minimise the time vehicles are off the road.”
“Receiving an award from The Motor Ombudsman further reinforces our commitment to excellence, following our expansion into 32 international markets. This recognition will instill confidence in our Dealer Partners and consumers alike, assuring them that our core values remain steadfast.”
Commenting on the 2024 Customer Service Star Awards, Bill Fennell, Chief Ombudsman and Managing Director of The Motor Ombudsman, said: “We would like to congratulate both winners, as well as the businesses that have been highly commended in the year’s Star Awards competition. They all set great examples of the brilliant levels of customer service that today’s motorists rightly expect. Equally, they cast the spotlight on the willingness of people to take the time and effort, to go above and beyond what would be ordinarily expected of them to ensure the total satisfaction of customers. We are delighted to have these businesses within our accredited network.”
For more information on The Motor Ombudsman’s Star Awards, visit www.TheMotorOmbudsman.org/Awards.
ENDS
Notes to editors
2024 Customer Service Star Award winners and highly commended entries
Vehicle manufacturers
WINNER: Honda UK
Highly commended: Alfa Romeo UK and Genesis Motor UK
Extended vehicle warranty providers
WINNER: Autoguard Warranties
Highly commended: The Motoring Organisation and Warranty First
Customer Service Star Award winners – Hall of Fame
2024: Honda UK / Autoguard Warranties
2023: Genesis Motor UK / The Motoring Organisation
2022: Honda UK / Timothy Ellis at Car Care Plan
2021: Polestar UK / Autoguard Warranties
Judging panel for The Motor Ombudsman’s 2024 Star Awards
Bill Fennell: Chief Ombudsman and Managing Director, The Motor Ombudsman (Host Judge)
Neil Barlow: Head of Vehicle Policy and Engineering, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA)
Gavin Braithwaite-Smith: Features Editor, Garage Wire
