National award for Tauranga dealership

Mike Farmer, David Smitherman and Farmer Autovillage's Warren Carter and Graeme Cameron. Photo/supplied

Tauranga's Farmer Autovillage has won New Zealand's best small Alfa Romeo Fiat dealer award from national distributor Fiat Chrysler.

Farmer Autovillage group managing director Mike Farmer said the company had only had the Alpha Romeo brand for about three years.

"It's the first time we've won it for this brand and we're delighted," he said.

Auckland's Andrew Simms dealership in Newmarket took out both the Large Dealer of the Year Awards, taking home the trophy for both the best large Fiat Alfa Romeo dealer and the best Chrysler Jeep Dodge dealer. The other trophy was won by Dunedin's Armstrong Prestige for the nation's best small Chrysler Jeep Dodge Dealer.

"These three dealers may have collected the prizes for 2016, but there'll be no resting on their laurels because the judging for 2017's awards starts immediately and every dealer will be out to topple this year's award winners," said Fiat Chrysler chief executive David Smitherman.

Mr Farmer said a small portion of the award was based on total sales and most of the rest was based around general business practices.

"But the most important factor is our customer satisfaction rating," he said.

The dealer awards assess every Fiat Chrysler dealer throughout the year. Customers are surveyed and followed up through the ownership performance.

Mr Smitherman said every dealer had been set goals they had to reach in every aspect of their business and they only became eligible for the top prizes when they exceeded those goals - and did so across every area of providing the best customer service.

"This is to ensure that every dealer knows they are in with a chance for an award and therefore it motivates them to lift their customer care performance," he said.

"They could not excel in one area and not others - to win they had to excel in all areas."

Farmer Autovillage
-Founded: 25 years ago by Peter Farmer
-Hewletts Rd site: Biggest single site new vehicle operation in New Zealand.
-Agents for: Audi, Chrysler, Dodge, Hyundai, Jeep, Nissan, Skoda, Subaru, Volkswagen, Alfa Romeo and Fiat