How Yeomans Honda demonstrates the best of the brand

More than 74,000 customers can’t be wrong. This year, they have voted Honda the UK’s top retailer network in the 2022 Driver Power Dealers Survey run by consumer magazine Auto Express. Although the figures show there are no bad brands in 2022, it is Honda that is the best of all – and for Luke Devitt-Spooner, general manager of Yeomans Honda Bognor Regis, the result is further validation of the hard work he and his youthful team have been putting in over the past few years.

“I’ve worked here since school, and am proud to work for Yeomans. I consider it the jewel in Honda’s UK retail crown.” In recent years, as Luke has moved up through the ranks, he’s faced challenges, not least during the pandemic when some of the older team elected to retire. “We said goodbye to our general manager, our aftersales manager, our head tech: it means we now have a young team across the board. I’m 35 and most of my sales team is of a similar age. Everyone’s stepped up.” 

Brilliant at the basics

Luke is in no doubt as to Yeomans Bognor Regis’ past achievements. “We’ve been the best through the years, and all the trophies are displayed right outside my office door.” He is not daunted by this though, seeing it instead as inspiration to maintain Yeomans’ high standards. “It’s achieved by focusing on the basics. Aim to achieve the best in every department, by every team member. In one respect, it’s really simple.”

But you need to get buy-in from the team to put this into action. Luke’s approach throughout is to constantly talk to people, be it his team, his customers, his Honda regional managers – even his rival retailers. He’s a magnet for any information that will help him maintain high standards, do things better, and address any concerns that may arise.

In the retailer’s daily team meetings, news and information is studiously collated so it can be relayed to others. “We give everyone all the information we have, so they know exactly how things stand, even down to individual product availability – and this goes down to the availability of individual colours.” Empowering the team in this way makes for smoother transactions and less risk of customers being disappointed. Any potential sticking points are better-managed. 

Thank-yous and Google reviews

The constant influx of thank-you cards to be displayed in the retailer shows the high regard in which it is held by customers. “I’ve never seen so many Christmas gifts coming in for the team,” says Luke. “We’re constantly getting letters, emails and cards: it’s something that really does mean a lot to everyone in the business, and is a great validation of the work we’re doing.”

In the modern era, online reviews is another area where delighted customers can express their thanks; Yeomans is thriving here, too. “I’m enormously proud of our 4.9-star rating on Google My Business. I check it daily and the reviews are great, providing instant validation of what we’re doing. We display the reviews prominently on our website and I even arranged for a billboard to be put up outside, simply displaying our Google My Business score. We’re not shy with things like this! Maintaining and improving on this, plus our other ratings such as Auto Trader and Feefo, is high on the agenda of everyone in the team.”

Luke has embraced other technology since arriving at Yeomans. “CitNOW has been a massive boost to the workshop. We have many longstanding customers who bring their car back each year for service. Being able to go into detail and show them the underside of their 25-year old car, and why certain aspects need replacing, has wowed them. It brings an honesty to the business – previously, we simply told them their car needed work. Now, we’re able to show them in great detail, thanks to technology. The response has been exceedingly positive.”

He’s even taken inspiration from retailers outside the automotive industry. “I was shopping in Wren Kitchens, when I noticed they use extra-large screens to help customers configure their kitchens. It was a far more interactive experience, so I brought in larger screens at Yeomans. Customers love it, and because it showcases the used car images much more clearly, it’s encouraged the sales team to spend time taking better photographs to make best use of it.”

The professionalism and commitment of Luke and his youthful team is clear. This extends to his relationship with Honda GB. “It’s the closest working relationship of any brand I’ve worked for. We talk daily and feedback is delivered as soon as possible. It’s a strong and straightforward two-way relationship.”

Luke’s even been invited to be part of Honda’s own working group, “which is a great thing from a retailer point of view to be involved with”. He particularly values on-sites, as a chance to continue building relationships: “We always like visits from the manufacturer!” Almost 75,000 customers can’t be wrong – and it’s thanks to the clear-sighted approach of professionals such as Luke that Honda is enjoying its status as the Driver Power top retailer of 2022. And you can be sure Luke won’t be resting on the brand’s laurels…