A multi-award-winning Tyne and Wear car dealership has won another national accolade – this time at the Car Dealer Magazine Used Car Awards, often described as the Oscars of the motor trade.

The trophy – for providing motorists with the Best Used Car Customer Care – was presented to representatives of Redgate Lodge at the 2024 awards ceremony held at The Brewery in London.

Hundreds of automotive retailers, plus MOT testing stations and workshops, enter the awards every year. Each one undergoes a rigorous judging process and mystery shopping test before the gongs are handed out.

In the Used Car Customer Care category, judges were looking for a first-rate website and a flawless mystery shopping experience delivered by polite and personable sales staff.

The team from the dealership, in Shiremoor, Newcastle upon Tyne, scored highly across the board. All available cars are presented online with up to 100 high-quality images and the atmosphere at the showroom is warm and welcoming, the judges said.

Redgate Lodge also caught their eye because of the huge number of awards the business has won over the years and the large number of positive online reviews submitted by happy customers.

Scott Sibley, Managing Director of Redgate Lodge, was also highly commended in the Dealers’ Dealer of the Year category and the company has enjoyed plenty of success at The Brewery in previous years.

Ben Dewar, General Manager at Redgate Lodge, said: ‘We were absolutely delighted to be nominated for the customer care award, and to win is an amazing feeling – simply fantastic.

‘‘Looking after our customers is the number-one priority for us. We always put them first and we make sure that every single customer has a positive and hassle-free experience – from the time they initially view a particular car, right through to the actual purchase.’’

James Baggott, editor and founder of Car Dealer Magazine, said: ‘‘Many congratulations to the team at Redgate Lodge. They have triumphed in a category that was especially keenly contested this year so they should definitely feel proud of an amazing achievement.

‘‘Our judges simply loved their website and showroom and it’s clear that the team deliver a fantastic used car sales experience. Well done to everyone involved and many congratulations to Scott Sibley for his individual ‘highly commended’ prize too!’’

Awards night host, the TV personality and automotive legend Mike Brewer, said: ‘‘Quite often at the Used Car Awards, we say it was hard to decide the winner of a particular category.

‘‘However, Redgate Lodge made it easy for us in the Used Car Customer Care section this year. They ticked every box and got everything right. They’re entitled to feel super-proud of a banging result.’’

The Car Dealer Magazine Used Car Awards have been celebrating the top operators in the UK’s used car industry since 2012, rewarding manufacturers, car dealerships, workshops, and exceptional people working in the sector. They are organised by the UK’s leading automotive trade title, Car Dealer Magazine.