International Women’s Day 2022

At Dick Lovett, we are proud of our incredible team and how hard everyone works to deliver a fantastic experience for our customers. We believe in hiring the right person for the job, so we aim to recruit, retain, and grow hard-working and forward-thinking individuals.

With the automotive industry moving quickly in new directions with new models, new technology, and new ways of working, we need to ensure our teams are ready to take on new challenges.

In recognition of International Women’s Day 2022, we wanted to highlight and celebrate some of the team who are embracing and driving change within Dick Lovett. This is just a small handful of the great team members that we have at Dick Lovett with an interesting story to tell.

Kirsty Hodge, Senior Corporate Business Manager

Time with Dick Lovett: 15 years – Local Business Development Manager until 2018

My role involves offering tailored funding packages that suit businesses when they are leasing or purchasing vehicles. I manage accounts and work with the customer throughout the contract and ownership of the vehicle to ensure they have everything they need from us, BMW UK, and the funder.

Working at Dick Lovett has given me the flexibility to be able to continue with my career successfully, which I love, and I have the work life balance of being a mummy. I have support from my team while working part time and have regular meetings with my senior management team.

The past few years have been challenging with product and part shortages to contend with, however we are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. As the car industry changes, I believe the most important thing is to work with our customers to ensure car replacements and new car purchases are pre-ordered. Our goal is to plan ahead with customer requirements in mind to continue to provide an honest and reliable service.

As we see more businesses moving to electric cars, we can discuss the potential savings for clients with benefit in kind, and which will be the best car for the business and employee. We aim to build knowledge of the EV product and understand the benefits to the customer. We are proactively speaking to clients and working with them throughout the complete EV transition, and I am looking forward to seeing what the future of electric vehicles holds for our Group.

Marianne Vitti, BMW/MINI Group Reception Manager

Time with Dick Lovett: 9 years 

I joined Dick Lovett as a member of the Bristol Reception team in April 2013. It was a great opportunity to challenge myself and learn new skills in a lovely environment. After progressing to Senior Receptionist, Reception Supervisor, and then Reception Manager, I finally took on my current role as BMW/MINI Group Reception Manager, overseeing the Bristol, Bath and Swindon Reception and housekeeping teams.

My team currently consists of 22 lovely ladies, who work across 6 sites, and take over 15,000 calls a month in-between meeting and greeting all our customers into the businesses and keeping our customers hydrated and comfortable. My teams are the 'heart' of every business and must know a small amount about a great deal of things to be able to help our customers efficiently. They multitask brilliantly, face great pressure at times - yet do all this with a smile, even when it's very busy.

I am passionate about developing and investing time in my Reception team members, so that they see their role as not just a job, but the start of a great career with Dick Lovett. Over the last few years, we have had members of the team leave Reception and be very successful in other roles within Dick Lovett. These roles include BMW and MINI Sales Executives, BMW/MINI Digital Sales Specialists, Retention Specialists, Bookings Advisors and Jaguar Land Rover Sales Support and head of other reception teams! Career opportunities for all of my Reception team are absolutely there to be taken. It just takes passion, hard work and commitment.

In an ever-changing world, the Reception team has to constantly adapt to meet the needs of our customers. Our customers have busy lives, which we recognise, so we accommodate them working here while their cars are with us, assist them with express drop off and even look after their dogs on occasion while they test drive!

In 2019, I was lucky enough to be offered the opportunity of a place on a Dick Lovett Leadership Cohort. It has really tested me and challenged me to think differently about the way I lead my teams.I now have a much greater understanding of the fact that we all think in a different way, are all individuals, and that a management style that suits one person, may totally not be the right approach for another. This has added huge value for me, and in turn made me feel more confident in my approach and ability.

The Cohort programme also really drives us to be pro-active in developing ourselves in our careers and not just waiting for this to happen for us. I feel very grateful to Dick Lovett for giving me the opportunity and got so much from it to bring back into the business and carry forward.

Helen Burrows, Trainee Sales Executive

Time with Dick Lovett: 2 months

I have recently decided to take a new step in my life and change careers. I have gone from 8 years in childcare to working at Porsche Centre Swindon as a Trainee Sales Executive.

It has been a very exciting time to join the Porsche brand because the company is growing massively, and I love the cars. For me, it is something completely new to jump into, and working with an enthusiastic team is a big help too.

I have already had some positive interactions with customers, either whilst on Reception or just generally making sure they are okay whilst they are in the showroom. Some of them ask me questions that keep me on my toes but every day’s a school day!

Coming from a childcare background, I have experience of engaging with a range of people from parents, fellow staff members, outside agencies and children. All require different communication skills which I have picked up along the way and allows me to understand the correct way to engage with a customer in different scenarios. I have been able to bring enthusiasm, compassion, and a completely blank slate to the role. I am keen to get stuck in and learn all about the motor trade.

The highlight of my time at Porsche Swindon so far has been having the opportunity to be around, and sometimes drive, the amazing cars. My favourite is the Cayenne Coupe GTS in Crayon! I am lucky enough to be working alongside a great sales team who have been very helpful, and I am looking forward to learning from them.

I am also really looking forward to growing within Dick Lovett and becoming a successful Sales Executive just like the rest of my fellow team members! I absolutely love it and everyone in the team has made me feel welcome and excited for what the future holds.

Janet Clark, Customer Service Manager, BMW/MINI Bath

Time with Dick Lovett: 3 weeks

After 27 years in the motor trade, I have gained experience in Sales, Service and Dealer Operations, and now I am excited to tie this knowledge together in my new role with Dick Lovett.

I previously had a retail management background prior to working in the motor industry, which I also think will help to drive forward strong, customer-focused changes. I have an in- depth knowledge and high level of experience having worked in Customer Service related roles throughout my career.

I always strive for the highest level of customer service to be always delivered by my team and will achieve ‘excellence’ through the ‘coaching and development’ of everyone to believe in themselves, and always respect others in the working environment.

As BMW and MINI Bath make the move from the centre of Bath to a brand-new facility in Melksham, my goal will be to ensure we are taking care of our customers and communicating with them through the change. My success is rewarded through ‘Happy Customers’ along with the results and recognition of my team.

Lucy Hawkins, New Car Sales & Marketing Manager (2nd from right)

Time with Dick Lovett: 5 years

A working Mum of two little girls; since leaving University (more years ago than I like to admit) I knew I wanted a career to be proud of! I joined Dick Lovett in 2017 as the Digital Marketing Manager, after 10 years in the Financial Services Industry – a brave move many used to say, but I was so keen for a new challenge, and I knew Dick Lovett would give me that. I started with the Marketing team, and after months of discovery, I was challenged to deliver a new and improved website for Dick Lovett, which saw a traffic increase of over 60% in its first year and an organic traffic increase of 48%. Since then, I continued to look after (with a great team) organic, paid, social, CRO & content for the best automotive brands in the world. Launching the Aston Martin DBS Concorde Edition is a memory that will stay with me forever.

During the pandemic, I began helping Ferrari Swindon and realised that Sales & Marketing was intrinsically linked. I started interacting more and more with the Ferrari team through my marketing role, attending events and assisting with customer management to ensure we met KPIs set by the manufacturer. I decided to make the move from the Marketing team to work in the Ferrari Dealership full time in January 2022. A new role to Dick Lovett in many ways, and one the business supported me moving into. If there is one thing I love about Dick Lovett, it is their ability to spot talent and nurture it. I feel very privileged and proud of the growth I have seen in myself, because I know the business trusts me.

In my new role I am dedicated to looking after New Car Sales & Marketing; finding new and innovative ways to make the business better – I am never doing the same thing and can be found planning events, finding new ways to engage with clients, looking at systems to streamline the way we sell cars, managing customer relationships and being a key link between the manufacturer and the dealership.

I am only just settling into my new role, and I have learnt so much in a very short space of time, but all I do know is that my future is with Dick Lovett.

If you're interested in starting a career with Dick Lovett, please visit www.dicklovettcareers.co.uk to see our current opportunities.