I had a Provenance handover to my customer Mr Enda Woods. He was collecting his Dawn (777 MAK).
It had been a difficult process leading up to the handover due to some issues with how the car was acquired into the business. So I was keen for the handover to be a positive experience for the customer.

Being new myself I am still lacking knowledge in certain areas so when Mr Woods asked to lift the bonnet I asked Mike for some assistance. Without any fuss, he immediately agreed to help me and came over and answered all of the customer’s questions. Which not only reassured the customer but helped me gain some valuable knowledge too!

I wanted to make you aware as it was so helpful to me, but I have no doubt the customer went away feeling positive about his handover experience . Rhys Evans, Sales

***MANAGERS COMMENT** Rhys is a fairly new member of the team and was carrying out a handover in our workshop ( due to the showroom refurbishment) and was struggling as below Mike has only been with us since March this year from Audi, so no RR experience, but was happy to help and give his guidance from a technical background. In addition to this, Mike has also put two candidates forward for vacant roles we have had here in the last two months, leading to the successful recruitment of another technician and a Service Advisor
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A customer came to the dealership for the 60th Anniversary drive out but as his Lamborghini failed was going to attend in his Range Rover so as to not miss the day. Chris offered to go out to the customer on Saturday and attempt to get it started. Chris went out and got the car started. The customer then drove and caught up with the other Lamborghinis resulting in the customer being part of the 382 recorded attendance! The customer came over to me at the event and was buzzing to have made it to the event in the car. The customer has also left a 5-star Google review.

Shaun has demonstrated a real desire to make sure every customer’s vehicle is right the first time and ensure the highest level of customer satisfaction.

We have had Mr Lansdell’s Bentley in for quite a substantial amount of repairs where Mr Lansdell waited in the dealership for 3 days whilst the works were completed on his Bentley. Shaun made Mr Lansdell’s visit an enjoyable one and kept Mr Lansdell informed throughout the entire visit.

Amanda / Chris, I am pleased to be able to report, that Charlotte Bentley made it home safely. She drove like a new car, with the suspension and steering all firmed again. Amanda, my wife Alison was absolutely delighted with your lovely gifts, thank you so much, also many thanks for hosting me on site for the whole repair and overhaul event. Also many thanks to Miss Jolly for her courteous attention to my coffee needs. Please convey my grateful thanks to your technicians, Sean, Andrew Innis and the young apprentice (whose name I didn't get) for their dedication and professional workmanship in restoring my Flying Spur back to full roadworthiness again. I also offer my sincere thanks and compliment you and Chris on your professionalism in the running of your service department. I am always suitably impressed by the excellence of your Bentley showroom and the polite and friendly attitude of all the staff. It may seem like an outdated view these days, but the whole set up as displayed at Bentley Edinburgh, instils confidence in the customer, that their vehicle is in safe hands and that the quality of the care and attention is second to none. I would have no hesitation in recommending to my associates the purchase of a Bentley vehicle from Bentley Edinburgh and the superior high quality of the after sales service and maintenance provided by you. It's the people on the front line that make the difference. Many thanks again for a very pleasant experience and a valuable learning curve on my part. I am off to Houston Texas on Friday morning, to an offshore drilling rig, for a long period of carrying out maintenance on subsea well control equipment. Myself and my own engineers aim to provide a "Bentley" quality service to my clients.
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Our sales team recently sold a McLaren GT in early October. It is the customer’s first McLaren and after a few days of ownership, he rang Aftersales concerned about why the car would not start and a few other questions.

Sam ran through the procedure for the key with the customer but could sense that customer had lots of technical questions rather than operational ones. On hearing the call Andy offered to visit the customer in Darwen (approx. 2 hours from the dealership) and run through the systems. Andy did this the next day and spent over 2 hours with the customer.

The customer rang me on 31/10/22 to say thank you for sending Andy. The customer said he answered all his questions in a professional and knowledgeable manner and couldn’t have been more helpful. He didn’t rush and spent as much time as was necessary. The customer said this was beyond any service he had received before and was now confident with his McLaren and was enjoying his ownership experience.

We had a call from Mr Pope to say they had left their home in the Isle Of Man and were on route to a holiday in France. Unfortunately, their Bentley developed a stability drive fault resulting in a harsh ride and several warning messages on the driver’s instrument display. The following morning they had a pre-arranged visit to a vineyard for champagne testing as the first stop of their tour Mr and Mrs Pope were both looking forward to this.

The vehicle arrived at our dealership and Gary quickly got to work investigating what was at fault. After spending a couple of hours testing and going back to the technical team at the factory this then got escalated within the factory to second level engineering. Gary called and spoke with the Bentley’s technical team, past his finish time to try and resolve this.
It seemed to not be a quick turnaround and during this time Mr and Mrs Pope were in our showroom hopeful to be away promptly.

I called Bentley Motors and spoke with our area Aftersales Manager and explained the situation after several phone calls we came to the conclusion that new parts were needed. As the time had now passed 5:30 pm we needed to think about what Mr and Mrs Pope could do for accommodation for the evening.
We booked and paid for a hotel for Mr and Mrs Pope explained where it was and offered to chauffeur them there or for them to go away in a demonstrator, whilst we ordered/ replaced the parts required.

A little distressed and conscious of their commitments for the days ahead, they had no alternative so they gratefully went to the hotel in our demonstrator.
We wanted to get Mr and Mrs Pope away as quickly as possible the following day so we arranged for a new comparable stock car to be in the workshop so we could use the parts off this car for their car. Gary suggested coming in several hours early so he could get underway with the parts swap over. Gary managed to get the car repaired and back on the road for before 10:30 am the following morning. (our parts delivery with the parts we ordered arrives circa 10:30 am)

This took a bit of work behind the scenes to arrange and Gary truly went above and beyond to help make this happen and had the customer’s best interests in mind. We got a nice bottle of champagne ready in the car as a surprise for them to enjoy.

We had this email come through to the dealership early July. We had no idea who it was until we went on to CCTV and found out it was Rob. Something so simple and kind but clearly meant a lot to this person. Well done Rob!!!

I would like you, if possible, to convey my thanks to one of your employees. I’ll try to keep this bit short. At 08.30 this morning I left B&Q which is around the corner from you carrying 3 tubs of fence paint (36 litres). Not the best idea for a man of nearly 60, I was going to Honda dealership to fetch my car. At 09.00 I reached your dealership, I had to keep stopping to let my heart rate slow down and fingers to start working again. Anyway at 09.00 one of your staff was pulling away from the yard in a grey Maserati, he saw me and stopped, wound his passenger window and asked me if I was ok. I told him what I was doing and why I was struggling and he told me he thought I was having a heart attack and was checking if I needed help, he then offered to let me leave all my fence paint at the dealership so I could fetch my car and come and pick it up. All the way from B&Q to Honda I was in difficulty due to the weight and size of the tubs, (my fault for doing it) but your staff member was the only person who stopped to check on me and make sure I was alright. Please can find him and thank him. He is a credit to your company.

Mr Skilton was experiencing charging issues with his Taycan, Andy dealt with the customer from start to finish and worked with the customer to identify the issues. This involved visiting the exact chargers the customer uses in Maidstone and Cobham to identify if it was an issue with the car or chargers. None of these chargers were local and Andy offered to do this in his own time during the evenings. Going above and beyond is an understatement.

Mr Martin after collecting his 911 GTS had a number of issues within the first few days of ownership. Having part exchanged a Panamera Turbo which had plenty of issues he wasn’t expecting any problems with his new car! Unfortunately, this lead to Mr Martin putting in a complaint to Porsche.

Andy Baker took it upon himself to contact the customer and talk through the options, and attempt to get the vehicle back into the workshop. Due to a busy diary, Mr Martin was unable to book the vehicle in for more than a day during the week. Andy offered to meet the customer at his house to attempt to repair the vehicle so the customer was not inconvenienced further. Unfortunately, the vehicle needed to come back into our workshop, Andy then agreed to meet with the customer on his Saturday off to fix the issues. Mr Martin left extremely happy with how Andy had handled the situation and how quick the issues were fixed.

As I start writing this I have a pang of guilt that I haven’t nominated Andy before as the reasons behind my nomination are not just one-off or recent behaviours; but qualities that Andy has consistently displayed throughout his employment here and those qualities I believe embody this award – going above and beyond, rallying the team, leading by example and putting customer delight first and foremost each and every day.

Andy is always the first to put his hand up to help without complaint, to put himself out and push personal plans aside for the sake of the business. Andy will always happily help to resolve last minute issues with very little (or occasionally no) notice.

As we all know, working with the unpredictability of component supply issues and the resulting delays to the delivery of customers’ cars, time is of the essence once a car does arrive on site. A rapid turnaround ready for handover is hugely important both to the business and the customer. Andy is wholeheartedly on the same page when it comes to looking after our customers and will go above and beyond in order to get the customer into their car as soon as possible. Andy will stay on, working after hours without complaint, occasionally meaning that he won’t head home until 11pm and yet he will still arrive on time the next morning with the same positive hardworking attitude. Andy has naturally become a leader and role model for the team, effectively encouraging them to follow his example.

For me, Andy is a great team player, who will always ensure that the needs of the business and the delight of the customer are first and foremost in everything that he does. His hard work, attitude, flexibility, leadership and commitment are a huge asset to myself, the Sales department and to Porsche Centre Mid Sussex.

Dear Divisional Team

I would like to nominate Andy Baker for the Quarter 3 winner of “Going Beyond” for always being extremely helpful. Going out of his way to discuss ongoing issues with customers. Stepping in to run the workshop when Steve is off and rallying the Technician to work late into the evening or on Saturdays to get internal work done outside working hours.

Particular customer example of going beyond :

Mrs Fiedosiuk’s 911 broke down one Friday just as the technicians were leaving for their well-earned Friday Beer after work. Michael Elliott went with another technician to try to recover the car as it was local. Unfortunately, they were unable to help as it appeared to be a VTS tracking issue. Upon hearing the situation Andy Baker immediately offered to assist and miss Friday beers. Unfortunately, the AA was unable to recover the car until later that evening. Andy went above and beyond to complete a VTS hard reset on the side of the road and managed to get the car started. Andy’s selfless nature resulted in him missing Friday beers and was also late to a friend’s BBQ that night. Mrs Fiedosiuk was amazed at the response from our team and could not be more appreciative of the effort made.

This is just one of many examples of why Andy deserves to be recognised. I hope he is, he deserves it

Thank you

Mrs Fiedosiuk was amazed at the response from our team and could not be more appreciative of the effort made.
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On the way back from a McLaren Lakes tour Andy came across a stranded vehicle…
the pictures sent to Lara say it all

Couldn't believe Andy stopped and sorted it.
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On 2 occasions Jamie has wowed customers who have wanted to see the workshop. Firstly, a McLaren customer came to see his McLaren being worked on by Jamie and brought along his grandson. Jamie not only explained the work carried out to the customer but made a special fuss of the grandson finding out he one day wanted to be a technician. Jamie then presented the grandson with a toy McLaren car which he keeps on his workbench. The grandson sent a lovely thank you card to Jamie.

On the second occasion, Sam Britland-Jones spotted on CCTV a young boy and his mum every night peering through the gates at the cars on site. He investigated and found out it was a local resident who has an autistic son who is fascinated with cars. Sam contacted them and told them to call in during working hours. He gave the mother & son a full tour and again, Jamie spent time with the son explaining how cars work and even letting him sit inside a McLaren Senna. Jamie again presented the son with a model car from his ramp and he was delighted.

I would like to nominate Russell and Aran for the making it special award.

They spent the weekend at Donnington supporting the challenge series, however on the way home about 25 mins into their journey home they passed an F8 on the side of the road with a distressed-looking client standing next to it. Aran and Russell pulled in to see if they could help.

The client said the wheel had come loose, (this is a Dick Lovett client) the client saw many people drive past him including other techs which he had seen that day. Aran and Russ drove back to Donnington to get some tools and then headed back to help the client, fix his car and get him on his way. They then had to go back to drop the tools back and then head back home.

The client called today to thank Russ and Aran and wanted to know how grateful he was that they made the effort to stop and help when no one else did.
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Matt and Harry were called by the reception as they had noticed an elderly gentleman struggling with his car on the road outside the dealership.

Ongoing outside they found the poor chap had, unfortunately, had a blowout and was driving on the rim of his car without realising! The elderly gent seemed confused and insisted he had to get to the Honda dealer down the road for his MOT, Matt took the chap inside and sat him down with a coffee. Harrison proceeded to jack the car up and remove the damaged wheel and tyre.

Matt called Honda and spoke with the service manager to explain the situation, he arranged for a tech to bring a wheel down to get the car mobile so it could be driven to the dealer and he arranged for the gent to be taken down to Honda where he could be collected by a family member. The car and the wheel were fitted by Harrison and then driven down safely after a coffee or two. The elderly gent was also dropped down at Honda after his car and was then picked up by his family safely.

The customer called back later to say he was very grateful for our help and couldn't believe a Ferrari dealership would help someone in an old Honda.
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Feedback from the customer that Andrew met during a road test and fuelling a Lamborghini. Please see below the email sent to the dealership from the customer.

Hi Dominic

I would like to acknowledge one of your members of staff. The member was called Andy and is one of your mechanics.
My son Josh met Andy when he was filling up a Lamborghini at the petrol station.

Josh is 9 and is a really really big fan of Lamborghini. We were on our way back to Edinburgh sick Children’s hospital where Josh has spent the last 17 weeks after having a bleed on his brain which left him paralysed down his right side. He has managed to regain most of his right movement back but not all. He has been through two brain surgeries and was due to be discharged last Friday after a routine scan. Unfortunately on the scan, it picked up an abnormality and he was told he would have to have yet another brain surgery on Wednesday, hence the reason for our return to the hospital.
At the time Josh was so happy to see the car and asked me if he could have a look, I asked your mechanic and he said Josh could but to be careful. I lifted Josh over to see the car, Andy was so nice to him and chatted to us and asked Josh if he liked the car and Lamborghinis. We were chatting and Josh told Andy a bit of what had happened to him.
Andy was so nice and understanding and took time out of his day to show Josh the car and make a young boy’s day. This may not mean a lot to some but to him it really has. It has made him that little bit happier on what’s not a great day for him.

There is a lot going on but trust me when something deserves recognition I will always do so. What Andy did today has really made Josh’s day and show that from a brand like Lamborghini anything is possible. You should be so proud of him as an employee, he didn’t have to take the time but he did. And also thank you for taking the time to respond. We very much appreciate it.

I would also like to say it’s a real credit to you, your garage and your staff for being so approachable and friendly.
Again could you pass on my appreciation and thanks to Andy the mechanic for his time. Hope this is ok and you can realise just how good this is and for a big brand to do.

Thank you

Ben

It was near the end of the day after a busy Friday when we got a call from Mr S who had been on holiday and on his return has found that his Maserati wouldn’t start. The customer was distressed as the car was being used for a friend’s wedding on the Saturday morning but the customer had no way to get the car started.

Harrison overheard the conversation in the service office and offered to drive out to the customer to try and get the car started. Harrison drove to the customer’s house with a battery and jump-started the car but the battery had failed. Harrison fitted a new battery at the customer’s house, reset all the car’s systems and managed to get the car ready for the wedding.

The customer rang on the Monday to say how great Harrison had been and he said it’s the best service he has ever received.

As you know, we discussed recognising individuals who consistently go beyond the call of duty for customers in our HOB meeting.

I would like to recognise Andy Baker.

One of Andy’s real strengths is that he always like to speak to the customers directly and openly and honestly discuss what he has found and what he proposes to do. He is in most cases always having to deal with customers who are very frustrated with product issues. He manages to get them on side every time.

Tom Gunter runs a computer company and went from :

“Can you also please provide a list of confirmed faults for the history of the vehicle and fixes applied. I can compare this to my list to ensure you have all the facts for the rejection.

A swift response I believe would now be appropriate.

Kind regards

Tom Gunter
Director

To :

Dear Andy

Just a quick note to say thank you for all your help and big thanks to your team for resolving the issues with the car, so far all appears well. Andy Baker demonstrated great communication, ownership and determination in achieving a resolution to the faults even after additional faults presented themselves following the central computer replacement. He clearly went above and beyond. I could hardly ask for a better service following your involvement in reaching the resolution.

Kind regards

Tom
Tom Gunter

In addition :

Today, he went out to a customer, Arthur Maxfield 20 miles from the dealership to do a check on his Taycan battery after he had a failure notice. Two weeks ago Andy did the same thing for the customer when his car’s smaller battery got drained by an alarm issue. (see his emailed comments below)

We had another customer in December who had a number of issues with his Cayenne and the new 911 he bought from us. Andy without being asked offered to go out to the customer at his home in the evening to reset the service lights on the Cayenne and bring the 911 back to sort out a number of frustrating rattles on his doors. Both cars are resolved.

Andy always orchestrates the PDIs so they can be done outside hours by rallying the team together. Last week, having had massive delays on new cars, Andy arranged for him and three Technicians to stay late to PDI 15 customer cars in one night.

He starts early in the morning and stays up to midnight if he needs to to get the new car customer cars out, an absolute team player for all departments

I believe he needs to be recognised for consistently “Going beyond the call of duty”

I hope you agree he should be recognised as a worthy winner

Thank you

Andy

Dear Andy Just a quick note to say thank you for all your help and big thanks to your team for resolving the issues with the car, so far all appears well. Andy Baker demonstrated great communication, ownership and determination in achieving a resolution to the faults even after additional faults presented themselves following the central computer replacement. He clearly went above and beyond. I could hardy ask for a better service following your involvement in reaching the resolution. Kind regards Tom Tom GunterGood morning Andrew, Thank you I appreciate your email. On a more positive note I have the utmost praise and respect for the help and communication shown by Andy Baker, absolutely first class also the same from Micheal in service, Two exemplary employees.I will leave my beloved car in your hands and look forward to its return. Kindest regards, Arthur Maxfield.
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At the end of June, one of our customers took delivery of a brand new McLaren GT. The customer contacted the service team on 29th July to report a rattle from the engine cover. The customer lives in Chippenham, Wiltshire so Andy volunteered to drive to the customer to address the rattle. He left his house at 4.30am to meet the customer’s time requirements and then proceeded to not only fix the rattle but also complete a secondary/technical handover with the customer answering all the questions he now had since he had been driving the car for a few months. Andy returned home that evening close to 8pm and the customer was delighted with the service and level of details Andy provided.

Andy was exceptional, a credit to your business.

We took a call late in the afternoon from a customer who had promised a friend’s son that he would take him to his school prom. He had to leave at 5:30 to make his way to the event and whilst getting the car ready for the trip he found that the battery had gone flat!

He called us and explained that he was part of the RAC but they were unable to help on time. Matt was in the office at the time and heard the phone call. Without hesitation, he offered to go and help get the customer on the way.

When Matt arrived at the customer’s house the car that we had been told was flat was not the car that we went prepared for. Matt had taken tools for a 458 but the customer had purchased a new Portofino and this is the car that had the issue. Using his own initiative Matt left the customer’s house and drove home to collect his own jump pack. Matt returned and got the customer on the way to the prom just in time.

On top of this, Matt offered to drive back with the relevant tools over the weekend in his own time to fit the battery in the customer’s garage.

The customer is over the moon with the level of service that Matt provided.

Mr P was using his Ferrari 355 for a friends son’s prom which had been booked for some time. He got the car out to clean it and put the roof down but whilst moving the roof it locked halfway down.

Mr P called us to see if we could collect the car and get it back to him for the prom on the Friday. This wasn’t possible with the distance as he was in Lincoln.

Sam heard about the issue and offered to drive out to Mr P’s house to try and fix the roof issue so he could use the car.

Sam drove to Lincoln after work and after a couple of hours managed to get the roof working again. Mr P was over the moon and the car was able to complete the prom run.

Mr P called me about a week after the repair to say he thought the service was amazing and how grateful both himself and his friend’s son was to be able to get the car to the prom.