The Motor Ombudsman launches fifth annual Star Awards competition to find the next trophy winners across the UK
- The Motor Ombudsman has launched the fifth edition of its annual Star Awards, which recognises Motor Ombudsman-accredited businesses, and individual members of staff working within these organisations, who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in the eyes of customers
- Consumers are invited to submit a short online account via The Motor Ombudsman’s dedicated Awards portal (TheMotorOmbudsman.org/Awards) up until mid-October to explain how their nominee went the extra mile to assist them
- The Motor Ombudsman has partnered for the second consecutive year with the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI)’s prestigious annual Hero Awards to present the contest’s top prize, the National Garage Star Award, at the Houses of Parliament in Westminster
The Motor Ombudsman is pleased to announce that it is inviting nominations from consumers for the fifth edition of its Star Awards. The annual competition, launched in 2020, celebrates excellence in customer service delivered by Motor Ombudsman-accredited businesses across the UK, and individual team members working within these organisations.
The Star Awards are made up of the Garage Star Awards – for independent garages, franchise dealers, and body repair centres, and the Customer Service Star Awards – for vehicle manufacturers and warranty providers. Customers are able to enter their submissions via The Motor Ombudsman’s dedicated online Awards portal (TheMotorOmbudsman.org/Awards) up until 18th October, 2024. These are short accounts detailing how an employee or a business belonging to one of The Motor Ombudsman’s four Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI)-approved Motor Industry Codes of Practice, went the extra mile from their perspective, and surpassed what would ordinarily be expected of them in their day-to-day role.
More than 6,500 nominations illustrating examples of remarkable acts of kindness and generosity have been submitted in the contest to date, highlighting the high standards of service delivered by Motor Ombudsman-accredited businesses and their teams across the country, in relation to a vehicle repair, the purchase of a car, or when making a claim under a warranty.
From the customer nominations submitted in this year’s contest, a shortlist of three names for each of the eight Garage Star Award regions, and the two Customer Service Star Awards, for vehicle manufacturers and warranty providers respectively, will be drawn up by The Motor Ombudsman, and passed to a judging panel made up of consumer and automotive industry experts. Based on a pre-defined set of criteria, they will then be tasked with reaching a joint consensus to crown the ten different winners of 2024, and agree on the two highly commended entries for each of the categories.
From this year’s group of regional Garage Star Award winners – a remarkable achievement in itself, judges will then be asked to reconvene to select the recipient of the highest honour of the competition – the coveted National Garage Star Award. In 2023, the top prize was bestowed to an individual team member for the first time, after two independent garages and a franchise dealership previously lifted the trophy.
Following the successful debut of the partnership between The Motor Ombudsman and the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI)’s coveted Hero Awards in 2023, the National Garage Star Award trophy will be presented in-person to the winner for the second consecutive year in the prestigious surroundings of the Houses of Parliament in London’s Westminster. The chosen business or individual team member will also be the recipient of £2,000 worth of shopping vouchers, as well as valuable marketing exposure, including a bespoke video filmed at the winner’s premises.
Bill Fennell, Chief Ombudsman and Managing Director of The Motor Ombudsman, said: “We are excited to be launching the fifth edition of our Star Awards, and to shine the spotlight once again on Motor Ombudsman-accredited businesses and individuals across the country, who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to help their customers when it mattered most.”
Bill added: “During the past four years, it has been positive to see the competition growing in profile – accolades that today provide a unique platform to showcase outstanding achievements, and inspire others to strive for excellence in the work that they do. We look forward to seeing this year’s entries, and naming the winners for 2024 in a few months’ time.”
For more information about The Motor Ombudsman’s Star Awards, visit www.TheMotorOmbudsman.org/Awards.
The Motor Ombudsman’s National Garage Star Award winners (2020 – 2023)
2023: Luke Laurence, Sales Executive at Crown Suzuki, Hendon, North London (individual staff member)
2022: Roadside (Garages) Kia, Coleraine, Northern Ireland (franchise car dealership)
2021: The Garage (Whitburn), Whitburn, Scotland (independent garage)
2020: Dukes AutoTech, St Austell, Cornwall (independent garage)
