It might be famous for Sir Francis Drake, Smeaton’s Tower and a futuristic dome, but thanks to the hard work of Bob Saunders and his team of HiQ technicians, Plymouth has now been put on the map for an enviable automotive accolade.
HiQ Plymouth, based in Sutton Road, has just been crowned as the National Tyre Distributors Association’s official ‘Tyre Retailer of the Year’, beating scores of other garages across the UK to the award.
So with their shoes suitably polished and their suits pressed, retail director Peter Tye and regional franchise manager Mark Widdows visited the centre to officially present the team with their honour.
The centre was the inaugural recipient of the award, following an intense assessment programme aimed at recognising standards in customer service and satisfaction.
Peter said: “It was a pleasure to visit Bob and the team to officially hand over their award, which was richly deserved.
“The Plymouth team is testament to the goals we are striving to achieve as a fully franchised retail network, having activated all of our campaigns and initiatives so effectively.
“HiQ prides itself on being driven by ‘local heroes’ offering honesty and jargon free advice to motorists and ensuring peace of mind at all times.
“Bob has turned this brand pledge into reality through a great deal of hard work and an engaging, warm attitude towards every single customer.”
Bob said: “It was great to officially receive our award from Peter and Mark. They have supported us all since I became a franchise partner and the relationship we have is key to the success we have achieved here.
“I am still over the moon to have won the award. I am delighted to win this award and it is with great thanks to the team I have around me.
“We take pride in the fact that we recognise good customer service and we work hard to ensure our standards are maintained at the highest possible level, every day. To be officially recognised for this is a superb reward.”