Harts-are-25
This year we are 25 years old! This article appeared in the local newspapers around Honiton;
Harts of Honiton are having their 25th birthday and they want to celebrate!
Harts of Honiton was opened in January 1986 as an Austin Rover franchise; set up by Richard Hooper with partners Keith Hoskin and Robert Lindley (who has since retired). The business was built on old fashioned values of customer care and personal attention that became the foundation of the business. Indeed they won many awards with Rover for Customer Satisfaction.
Richard Hooper said… “I have had the pleasure, over the last 25 years, of working with some great characters that make up the team at Harts of Honiton. We have shared some good times and there are many stories that I could recount that make up some fantastic memories.
We have a very loyal base of customers and it is a great pleasure to serve the local community of Honiton and the surrounding area, although we also have a large number of customers who travel quite a distance to remain loyal to the business. I would like to thank all those who support Harts of Honiton and look forward to the next 25 years of supplying and maintaining their cars.”
In October 1998 Harts changed their franchise to Renault and have since grown to employ seventeen staff. Harts now have some of the most up-to-date diagnostic equipment and highly trained and skilled technicians (winning awards from Renault over the last few years), but the values and ethos that the business was built on still remain. This can be seen by the long term service of a number of the staff, including Grahame Jackson, Sales Manager, who has been with the company for 23 of the 25 years, joining at the tender age of 17, and has taken personal pride in seeing the business grow into what it is today.
Grahame Jackson said… “Over the years I have enjoyed meeting a very wide and varied range of customers who have purchased a large number of cars from me in that time.
For me, Harts is all about helping customers to make the right decision for their purchase in a relaxed and comfortable environment. That’s what makes Harts special.”
As well as a large number of new Renaults available for test-drive Harts of Honiton carry a broad range of up to fifty used cars from many different manufacturers. Some have come from part exchanges against cars that have been sold, others are carefully selected, high quality used cars from other sources such as Renault used cars, ex Motability cars and part exchanges from other dealerships. All the used cars are comprehensively checked in their workshops and supplied with a minimum of 6 months high quality warranty. Harts offer a range of finance solutions for both private and business customers to make the cost of purchasing a car more affordable.
As the internet has become increasingly important in all our lives, Harts of Honiton have embraced this technology and now receive more enquiries by the internet than through any other source, their website is www.harts-renault.co.uk. They also offer a free nationwide delivery service within the UK!
The service department will service, maintain and MOT all makes of cars. They supply and fit tyres at competitive prices, they can valet any make of vehicle, supply and fit front and rear parking sensors, maintain and service air conditioning systems and make a nice cup of tea if you ask them!
Robin Clapp, Harts’ Workshop Supervisor, who has worked at the company for 20 years commented… “When I started as a Rover technician all those years ago cars were very different to what we see today. Renault has evolved into a class leading manufacturer with their innovative designs and technologies, which makes my job challenging but very interesting.”
At the Harts of Honiton their part side is run by Parts Service Ltd, who took over form ‘The Gearbox’ when Mike Welch retired, Part Service provides an excellent range of parts and accessories for any make of vehicle at the site, from a replacement bulb to a complete sound system. They also specialise in Renault genuine products and can supply anything in the Renault range of accessories to make your Renault more individual to you.
Harts’ Service Department is open from 8:15am to 5:45pm Monday to Friday and 8:15am to 12:30pm on Saturdays. The Sales Department is open from 8:30am to 5:30pm Monday to Friday and 8:30am to 4:30pm on Saturdays. If you have never experienced Harts customer service then come down and try them out; whether you are looking for your next car or having work carried out on your existing vehicle, they will always be pleased to see you and keen to help.
