Mitchells named as dealer of the year for the third year running at Renault awards.

Eastern Daily Press: Mitchells has been Renault dealer of the year for three years running Picture: MitchellsMitchells has been Renault dealer of the year for three years running Picture: Mitchells (Image: Archant)

The customer might always be right, but it's clear that Lowestoft Renault dealer Mitchells is getting things right as well. The firm started 2020 on a high, having been named Renault UK's dealer of the year for 2019 - winning the award for the third consecutive year.

Dealer principle Matt Huke-Jenner thinks the secret of Mitchell's success is the people. "We have staff who've been with us for 10, 20 or even 30 years," he explains. "I think people like that. We have lots of customers who've been coming back to us for 10, 20 or even 30 years as well. They're friends as much as customers. We don't just sell them a car - we build a relationship with them and give them great service."

Mitchells employs more than 40 staff over its three sites in Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth. Established before the Second World War, the firm has been a Renault main dealer since 1974, adding the Dacia brand in 2013. "We had a great year in 2019 with the Dacia Duster," Matt notes. "But our best-selling new car was the Renault Captur, a compact SUV." Its popularity helped Mitchells sell twice as many new Renaults as the average dealership.

That success helped the Norfolk firm triumph over 150 other Renault dealers, but the dealer of the year award is about more than sales targets. "We're assessed on 10 criteria, with everyone who buys a new car or has their car serviced filling in a customer-satisfaction survey," Matt explains. "For new-car sales, the national average score was 85pc but we scored 97pc."

Can that success continue for a fourth year? Matt hopes so, with exciting new models arriving in the showroom. "There's an all-new Renault Clio and the new, all-electric ZOE with a range of more than 200 miles," he says. "Plus an all-new Captur - and we know our customers love that."