Vertical Markets

Added vans

by Mark Rowe

A north-east Mercedes-Benz dealer, Bell Truck and Van, has supplied a Newcastle upon Tyne-based installer with another five mid-sized Vito models and a small Citan. Their arrivals mean that 18 of MRM Solutions’s 25 vans are now by Mercedes-Benz.

MRM, which also has offices in Glasgow and Sheffield, offers TV, audio-visual, fire and security systems. It also does general electrical work. The company’s Mercedes-Benz vehicles are fitted with roof racks for carrying ladders. Most are Long-bodied 109 CDI variants of the Citan small van range, and assigned to service engineers. The latest Citan is an Extra Long 109 CDI.

Of MRM’s six Vito Compacts, four are 111 CDIs used by installation engineers who carry extra equipment and make use of the larger vehicle’s higher load capacity. The other two are 116 CDI models with automatic gearboxes – they are driven by national field service engineers, one of whom is also a director.

The Mercedes-Benz vans have replaced vehicles which were less than two years old and still covered by their manufacturer’s warranties. The installer says its decision to switch suppliers was the back-up offered by Bell Truck and Van, and other members of the Mercedes-Benz Dealer Network.

Managing Director Michael Muxworthy said: “Our vans travel all over the country and are taken home at night by the engineers, so reliable, nationwide after sales support is crucial. We’d been having some major issues and suffering a lot of unplanned vehicle downtime at the time we approached Bell, and they were able to give us the customer service reassurances we were seeking. The fact that Mercedes-Benz Dealers are open round-the-clock was a big attraction. Unlike our previous supplier’s agents, they are also commercial vehicle specialists. This means they appreciate how important it is to a company like us, particularly at a time when we’re growing strongly and very busy, that our vans should always be available for work when we need them.

“I’m happy to say that Bell have lived up to all of their promises as far as repair and maintenance support is concerned, while Van Sales Executive Gary Stephenson arranged the highly competitive Mercedes-Benz Agility finance and has a great personal touch.”

Mr Muxworthy recalled an incident on the M1 in Yorkshire, which prompted a call to the Mercedes-Benz MobiloVan emergency roadside assistance service. “It happened late one Friday night. One of our Citans suffered two tyre blowouts after running into some crates strewn across the carriageway. The local dealer came out straight away and despite the fact that it was a weekend our van was back on the road first thing on the Monday morning. That’s exactly the kind of support we need to run our business.

“Our engineers thoroughly enjoy driving their new Mercedes-Benz vans. The Citan and Vito are also both very economical – I would estimate they’re saving us a couple of hundred pounds a week on our diesel bill – and lead the field in terms of safety features, which is another important ‘plus’ given our Duty of Care obligations. Finally, of course, Mercedes-Benz has a great image of quality, which can only reinforce our own reputation.”

The Agility agreements from Mercedes-Benz Financial Services to which MRM has signed up offer hire purchase with a balloon payment, including monthly outgoings, and provide customers with options at the end of the term.

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