The Motor Ombudsman is pleased to announce the launch of its 2022 Star Awards covering both the Garage Star and Customer Service Star accolades. The annual competition was introduced in 2020 to allow consumers to nominate a staff member or a business that is accredited to The Motor Ombudsman for going the extra mile to assist them during the past 12 months.
Close to 1,100 nominations were received from motorists across the country in last year’s competition, which saw The Garage (Whitburn) in Scotland crowned the National Garage Star. With the contest once again open for entries from motorists until 17th of October 2022, individuals are invited to write a short account on The Motor Ombudsman’s dedicated online Awards portal (TheMotorOmbudsman.org/Awards) about how a business or individual went above and beyond to help resolve an issue, and why they should win one of the trophies on offer in the 2022 contest.
For this year’s Customer Service Star Awards, the number of categories have been expanded from the existing vehicle manufacturer and extended warranty provider accolades, to include an award eligible for head offices of either independent garage groups, franchise dealer groups, or body repair groups and their staff members.
The Motor Ombudsman’s 2022 Garage Star and Customer Service Star Awards will be decided by a four-strong judging panel, including members of the media and the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI). Based on a shortlist of nominations compiled by The Motor Ombudsman from consumer examples of acts of generosity or kindness – which go beyond what would ordinarily be expected, as opposed to the quantity of submissions received for a person or business, judges will have the task of choosing the eight regional Garage Star Award and three Customer Service Star Award winners, as well as the two highly commended entries in each category.
The National Garage Star Award recipient will be chosen from the eight regional winners – an accolade bestowed so far to the Western and Scottish regional winners during the past two years. In recognition of claiming the coveted top prize, a business or individual will receive £1,000 worth of vouchers, as well as valuable marketing exposure and a bespoke promotional video filmed at their premises to highlight their achievement.
Bill Fennell, Chief Ombudsman and Managing Director of The Motor Ombudsman, said: “Accredited businesses and individuals within our nationwide network are working hard to ensure that the highest level of work and service is delivered to customers, day in, day out. Our Star Awards are therefore the perfect platform to publicly recognise exceptional examples of going the extra mile, and to put those individuals and organisations in the spotlight.”
Bill added: “This year’s awards will undoubtedly be another exciting and closely-fought competition, and we look forward to announcing The Motor Ombudsman’s Star Award winners of 2022 in November.”