James Routledge Celebrates 10 years at Lloyd Motor Group
James Routledge is Celebrating 10 Years at Lloyd Motor Group!
Tell us a little bit about yourself!
"I’m James, I’m 40, and I started my career in the motor trade in 2010 with another local family-owned business as a Sales Executive. I don’t have much spare time at the moment with our 19-month-old daughter, but I do enjoy playing golf and watching football. I’ve always had a keen interest in cars and have owned MINIs in the past, so I have ended up with the brand that I’ve always known quite a lot about, even before joining the motor trade”.
What drew you to Lloyd Motor Group?
“A colleague I worked with at a previous garage approached me to join him as one of his Sales Executives at Lloyd Cockermouth MINI. He had just been offered the Brand Manager Role there, and even though it would be a 40-minute drive each way for me, he said it was a really exciting time to join the brand as the All-New MINI 3 Door Hatch was launching in the next month (back in 2014). I always knew that I wanted to work for a company who strived to look after their customers and staff, and had heard a lot of positives about Lloyd Motor Group”.
Tell us about your career journey with us, from where you started to how you got to where you are today.
“I started at Lloyd MINI Cockermouth in February 2014 as a Sales Executive. Moving to a premium brand was an eye-opening experience for me - I very quickly realised that even though MINIs were small cars, they were most certainly a different build quality over other small cars, and the technology on them was also advanced for its time.
“After 4 and a half years in the MINI side of the business, I was offered a position on the BMW side where I worked for 12 months. Then in February of 2019 I decided to move closer to home, and when a position came up in the sales team at Lloyd Carlisle MINI, I jumped at the chance”.
Over your 10 years here, what have been some of your proudest accomplishments?
“I have always measured my success in my current role by the number of customers who return to me for their next car. I have customers who travel past 2 or more MINI dealerships to get their next cars from me, and this is the biggest 'pat on the back' you can get. I have a very laid back and friendly approach, and I think a lot of customers like that. I’m a firm believer that you should never try pushing a customer into a car that’s not right for them, or push them into making a decision”.
How has the company changed over the years since you've been here?
“Even before working in the motor trade, I knew of the Lloyd name in the automotive industry, mainly in the Carlisle and Cumbria areas. Since then, the company has acquired a number of other businesses further afield and grown quite considerably in the south Cumbria and Lancashire areas. An advantage of the business growing is that we now have access to a lot more stock, which means we can source cars for customers who may not be looking for the manufacturers we primarily represent".
What advice would you give someone just starting out at Lloyd Motor Group today?
“Whether you see yourself fixing or selling cars, administration or any of the other roles in the automotive industry, Lloyd Motor Group is a fast-growing and very customer-service-focussed company. Despite the growth of the business, it is still family run, which is a very important factor for many people who work here.
“Senior management pop their heads in often, and are genuinely able to remember everyone’s names, which I still think is incredible. I also think a lot of customers really appreciate the personal touch that you get from a family business rather than a massive national PLC. If you have a genuine talent for treating people the way you would want your relatives to be treated, you will go far at Lloyd Motor Group and make some really good colleagues and friends”.
What would you say to your colleagues at Lloyd Motor Group after 10 years of service here?
“The motor trade is like no other industry and the people really make it. I can genuinely say each and every person at Lloyd Motor Group genuinely want to provide our customers with a great experience when they visit for whatever reason. We have a lot of very loyal customers to both our brands and our staff".
Congratulations on your 10-year anniversary, James!
Here at Lloyd Motor Group, we’re dedicated to supporting our colleagues throughout their careers, and providing opportunities to progress. If you think a career at Lloyd Motor Group could be for you, browse our current vacancies below.
