2023 STAR AWARDS SHINES SPOTLIGHT ON EXCELLENCE

The 2023 Star Awards, encompassing both the Garage Star and Customer Service Star accolades, are now open for customer nominations on The Motor Ombudsman’s Awards portal (www. TheMotorOmbudsman.org/Awards).

The annual competition recognises individual team members and businesses accredited to one or more of its four Motor Industry Codes of Practice, that have gone the extra mile in the eyes of consumers. Since the Star Awards were launched, around 3,500 nominations have been submitted, highlighting examples of excellence and remarkable acts of kindness and generosity to help motorists in their time of need.

More than 7,000 Motor Ombudsman-accredited franchise dealerships, independent garages and body repair centres across the UK are eligible to be put forward by motorists for one of the eight Garage Star trophies representing di erent regions of the UK, spanning Jersey in the south, to the Shetland Islands in the north.

Entries can be submitted by consumers up until the 15th October 2023, during which time, businesses can promote the contest, and be recognised in return by their customers. From the nominations received over the coming months, a shortlist of three names will then be compiled by The Motor Ombudsman for each of the 11 awards available in the competition.

The nalists will then be passed to a panel of judges to collectively decide the respective trophy winners for this year’s Garage Star and Customer Service Star Awards and the

League Of True Mechanics Receive Their Rewards

Denso’s annual League of True Mechanic (LOTM) competition puts technicians through their paces with IMI accredited, online technical training and assessment. Prizes up for grabs included a DENSO WEC sports prototype model, laptop bag, Toyota Gazoo Racing polo shirt, a team racing jacket, Sonos One speaker, wireless Bose headphones and a Sonos Playbase. The seven high achieving technicians receiving these rewards were Jason Sprake, Brian Hurst, Darren Douglas, Sam Buettner, Andrew Tweedle, Roan Troy, and James Cauvain. In third place and winning a £500 Red Letter Day was Mark Lamont of Grasmere Garage, pictured, second with a £1,000 holiday voucher was Philip Scott of Robsons Motor Services and taking the top spot and winning the £2,000 luxury holiday rst prize, as well as taking the accolade of 2022 LOTM champion, was Edd Hunt of The Car Consultants.

“Our congratulations go out, not just to Edd, Philip and Mark, but to all the prize winners and everyone that entered the LOTM competition in 2022,” said DENSO Europe, Pan European Strategic Marketing Manager, Fatiha Laauich. “We launched the 2023 competition in

National Garage Star Award, chosen by the panel from eight regional winners.

This year, the Motor Ombudsman has partnered with the Chartered Trading Standards Institute’s Hero Awards. The National Garage Star Award will be presented in-person to this year’s winner at a ceremony within the Houses of Parliament in London’s Westminster. The business or team member will receive £2,000 worth of vouchers and marketing exposure; including a video lmed at their premises to highlight their achievement.

April, so we urge both previous entrants and technicians who’ve so far yet to enter, to register this year and aim to knock Edd o the top spot and take the prestigious title.” Registering for the e-Learning platform is free via the following link www.denso-technic.com/uk/ and you can also sign up to the LOTM competition.