Skoda hold more awards aloft

Communication, the standard of workmanship carried out and technical knowledge afforded were the key criteria that swung the result Skoda's way in recording second-spot at the 2008 Auto Express Driver Power survey for 'Best UK Dealers'.

That's according to 85% of 32,000 pretty chuffed drivers who visited over 6,000 Skoda sales and service centres last year.

Clearly its most loyal fans - yet potentially its fiercest critics – believe Skoda's 135-strong UK dealership network did enough to elevate it to the runner up position on the Auto Express prize-winners podium based on these results.

On the off-chance that Skoda felt overlooked at automotive awards bashes, the Volkswagen-owned manufacturer now has to pen yet another acceptance speech after being handed this recent brace of Auto Express' gongs. That's because back-to-back 'Car of the Year' plaudits have made the new Skoda Octavia the car to beat yet again when it comes to client satisfaction.

However on this occasion UK car buyers informed the manufacturers just what they think of its cars reliability, build quality, running costs, performance and ease of driving. Not to mention its dealers standards of customer service - all in a no-holds-barred, box-ticking manner.

Seen as the true litmus test to determine what British car buyers really think of their cars and whether or not dealers are attending to their motoring needs, the yearly Auto Express 'Driver Power' survey ensures almost by stealth that the car industry pricks its ears as it measures UK car buyers responses to a myriad of searching questions.

Questions whose answers establish who does what best, how long it takes them to do it, where and why it's done and exactly what customers think of the service offered all figure when the count is complete and the votes are in.

In 2007 Skoda received the runner up accolade for customer satisfaction in the What Car? JD Power Survey, as well as being named as 'Best Manufacturer' by Top Gear magazine at the same time.