Sandown Vans Poole: A Successful Three Years

Three years after opening its doors for the first time, Sandown Vans Poole is going from strength-to-strength with an expanded service offering.

The landmark operation commenced trading in the summer of 2021 as the first dedicated Mercedes-Benz light commercial vehicle aftersales centre in the UK within the Sandown Group. Situated in a 12,000 square foot facility on Tower Park in Poole, the site cemented the Group's long and proud association with Mercedes-Benz - its portfolio already including Passenger Car retailers and after sales outlets in Basingstoke, Dorchester, Epsom, Farnborough, Guildford, Hindhead, Newbury, Salisbury and Poole.

Sandown Vans Poole is fully-equipped with the latest diagnostic tooling to undertake servicing, maintenance, MOTs and repairs on the Mercedes-Benz Class 7 van range with servicing and MOTs now offered on other makes and models too. Its state-of-the-art, 10-ramp workshop features a dedicated MOT test lane and geometry bay and, since opening, has benefited from the installation of two additional lifts which have helped to boost efficiency and meet demand from customers eager to get their vans back on the road. The centre is also home to a team providing around-the-clock support as part of the manufacturer's roadside assistance programme, MobiloVan - a service available to local customers but also Mercedes-Benz van owners travelling in the region.

"It's a busy operation where business has increased nicely in the past three years and we have a 20-strong team that continues to grow in terms of skills and expertise and remains committed to delivering an outstanding level of customer service with real attention to detail," said Charlie Charman, Sandown's Group Head of Aftersales.

Whilst very much a Mercedes-Benz trained team, our approach to customer care has led to a number of customers asking us to look after their wider-branded fleets so we do now welcome all makes for service and MOT," he added. "We take enormous pride in delivering a highly professional and very personal service to many local businesses and national companies based in the area - indeed, only last week, we turned our hands and focus to getting two South West Ambulance vehicles back on the road and serving the community in double quick time."

As a Mercedes-Benz Electric Van (EV) Centre, the team at Sandown Vans Poole are experts at maintaining the ever-expanding range of vans now wearing the famous three-pointed star. Recent months have seen the launch of the new eCitan, the most highly-equipped vehicle in the small van segment, as well as the new eSprinter that offers more range, technology, safety and uptime for fleet operators than ever before.

"There is a lot of excitement and interest around the Mercedes-Benz electric van line-up," explained Charlie. "We're already servicing a large number of these vehicles and we're well placed to meet the future demand created by this range expansion, which comes from the infrastructure we had installed in our facility but also through the know-how of our team who have achieved a high level of Mercedes-Benz EV qualification and will continue to receive ongoing training."

Since opening in 2021, Sandown Vans Poole has linked into the Group's well-established Passenger Car trade parts operation to offer a dedicated delivery service for van parts that is now being utilised by independent garage businesses across southern England.

Other key developments include the launch of a used sales van operation at Sandown Vans Poole's nearby sister site in Holes Bay Road that is proving to be a huge draw for local businesses seeking great value, reliable vehicles. Meanwhile a programme providing preferential rates and the reassuring benefits of official Mercedes-Benz servicing to owners of older vehicles has also proved very successful.

"We're always looking at ways to extend our appeal amongst owner-operators as well as companies running large van fleets," said Charlie. "With the opening of our Approved Used Van sales operation at Holes Bay Road, we've been able to make Sandown the first port-of-call for local companies wanting to acquire high quality, pre-owned vehicles and then have them expertly maintained by an authorised Mercedes-Benz repairer close by."