Body Text:
Car buyers now have further confidence in the UK’s largest sub-prime car dealer, ACF Car Finance Limited.
ACF Car Finance has become the first specialist sub-prime dealer in the country to be awarded the coveted ‘SAF Approved’ kite mark by the Finance and Leasing Association (FLA).
The award recognises the high levels of competence, product knowledge and professionalism shown by ACF Car Finance dealership employees in advising customers on all aspects of motor finance and associated products.
The SAF (Specialist Automotive Finance) programme was introduced by the FLA - the industry body for the motor finance industry - in 2007, to raise standards across the industry and to improve consumer confidence. It is now recognised as the benchmark for motor finance product knowledge and customer service.
All point of sale dealership employees are required to sit and pass a comprehensive test of their knowledge of financial services products and industry regulation. Once every individual in each dealership has passed, the dealership becomes SAF Approved, then once every dealership achieves SAF status, the dealer group gains accreditation and can display the SAF branding throughout the dealer network and throughout all marketing and customer communications.
This ground-breaking approach has been backed by the Financial Services Authority (FSA), the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) and Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMIF).
“This is a welcome development that underlines the company’s on-going efforts to develop a more sustainable approach to customer service,” said ACF Car Finance
Sales and Marketing Director, Norman Beaumont.
“Customers can now approach our showrooms with an even greater degree of confidence, knowing that our teams are delivering the best standards of knowledge and expertise in a clear, consistent and reliable way.”
Norman added: “What that means for families and individuals in the market to buy a car on credit, is complete, up-to-the-minute information on the full range of products available and the pros and cons of each.”
ACF Car Finance has now seen every Sales Executive, Administrator, Sales Manager and Dealer Principal across its eight dealerships successfully complete the competence test and each received a certificate for their personal records. New starters will be asked take the test within the first three months of joining the company.
Paul Harrison, Head of Motor Finance at the FLA said: “The SAF programme is helping to improve customer confidence in car finance when visiting a car dealership. By having full SAF approval staff are recognised to have been correctly trained, to a high standard.
“This also encourages staff to improve their overall knowledge and is crucial to building trust between the company and the customer.”
Norman Beaumont added: “The SAF approval scheme is another step towards ACF Car Finance’s ‘Investment in People’ programme. We want all of our employees to work to the highest level while motivating and supporting them through relevant training and development.
“It is also important for us to continue to build up the view that the sub-prime market is completely professional and fully credible. Being the only major sub-prime car dealer to have the ‘SAF Approved’ kite mark proves that we are continuing to move ACF Car Finance’s reputation forwards.”
Ends
Notes to Editors:
• The ACF Car Finance dealerships are located in Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, East Midlands, Bristol, Dunstable, Maidstone and Isleworth.
• Each showroom stocks pre-owned cars in a wide range of popular makes and models with something to suit every taste and budget, starting from as little as £25 per month.
• Every car offered for sale is subject to a 136 point vehicle quality inspection and independent MOT.
• Customers can apply for car credit conveniently online via a short application or by telephone.
• ACF Car Finance is an Independent Garages Association (IGA) member of the Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMIF). The company also supports automotive industry charity, BEN.
• ACF Car Finance Limited. Registered in England number 4757280. Registered office: International House, Kingsfield Court, Chester Business Park, Chester CH4 9RF.
• For further information on ACF Car Finance go to www.acfcarfinance.co.uk.
Tag Words:
cars, car finance, car loans
|
|
