Monthly Archives: June 2014

New Hondajet takes to the skies

 

Hondajet completes initial test flight

 

By Jamie White – Head of Communications

 

Honda Aircraft Company has announced that the first production HondaJet has completed its first flight.

New Hondajet takes to the skies - Douglas Stafford Mystery Shopping

 

The event took place at the company’s world headquarters in Greensboro, North Carolina, and marks another milestone toward aircraft certification and entry into service in 2015.

 

Honda Aircraft Company President and CEO, Michimasa Fujino, said: “With this first flight, the program has entered an exciting phase as we prepare for delivery.

 

“Today’s celebration is the culmination of extensive engineering and production efforts, and this is an important achievement in bringing the world’s most advanced light jet to market.”

 

The first production aircraft lifted off from the Piedmont Triad International Airport. During the 84-minute flight, the aircraft climbed to 15,500 feet and reached a top speed of 348 Knots True Air Speed (KTAS). Following a smooth landing, the aircraft and its crew were greeted by more than 1,000 Honda Aircraft team members to commemorate the milestone.

New Hondajet takes to the skies - Douglas Stafford Mystery Shopping

 

Aircraft production continues its steady pace in advance of entry into service with ten aircraft now on the final assembly line.

 

The steady build up supports the company’s objective to have aircraft ready for delivery immediately after Federal Aviation Administration type certification is achieved.

 

The HondaJet will be single pilot certified and is currently offered for sale in North America and Europe through the HondaJet dealer network.

 

 

Lewis Hamilton steals the show at Goodwood Festival of Speed

 

Formula 1 star Lewis Hamilton wows crowds at Goodwood

 

By Jamie White – Head of Communications

 

Lewis Hamilton signed off the third and final day of the Goodwood Festival of Speed in spectacular style in his Mercedes AMG Petronas W03 Formula One car – lighting up the tyres to the delight of the thousands of watching fans.

Lewis Hamilton steals the show at the Goodwood Festival of Speed - Douglas Stafford Mystery Shopping

 

Hamilton also orchestrated the biggest selfie at Goodwood with a little help from Lord March, Sir Stirling Moss and Jean Todt when a giant Gigapixel image was taken of the crowd on the lawn in front of the House.

 

The Festival drew to a close with Mercedes-Benz cars, old and new, from the road and the race track and spanning a century having been celebrated in the most fitting way possible – being driven hard up the Goodwood Hill.

 

Nine-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb added victory at the Goodwood Festival of Speed shoot-out to his enormous trophy cabinet with a stirring run during Sunday afternoon’s against-the-clock timed run.

Lewis Hamilton steals the show at the Goodwood Festival of Speed - Douglas Stafford Mystery Shopping

 

Two Ferrari Formula 1 legends, John Surtees and Kimi Raikkonen, were also united for a unique moment on the iconic 1.16-mile Hillclimb.

 

Team members from Douglas Stafford attended the event as guests of clients Honda UK and Volkswagen UK and were able to soak up the glorious atmosphere, while meeting clients in a relaxed environment.

 

Footage from the Goodwood Hillclimb, filmed by the Mercedes-Benz team, will form part of a special Goodwood app by Mercedes-Benz, launching next week through the iTunes store – the experience made even more vivid on an iPad by using the gyroscopic sensors in the device to control the action.

Lewis Hamilton steals the show at the Goodwood Festival of Speed - Douglas Stafford Mystery Shopping

 

Mystery Shopping and Performance Improvement company, Douglas Stafford, works with many of the UK’s leading automotive manufacturers and dealer groups, providing tailored and bespoke nationwide mystery shopping and customer experience programmes to include Report-Based Mystery Shopping Telephone Mystery Shopping, Email Mystery Shopping and Video Mystery Shopping.

Douglas Stafford team members at Goodwood Festival of Speed

 

Goodwood Festival of Speed is in full swing

 

By Jamie White – Head of Communications

 

Team members from mystery shopping and performance improvement company, Douglas Stafford, are at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend.

 

Every year the Goodwood Festival of Speed creates an impressive centrepiece for its Central Feature that celebrates the main sponsor. This year, there is an enormous and impressive sculpture paying homage to Mercedes-Benz’s illustrious motorsport history, which spans 120 years.

Douglas Stafford Mystery Shopping team members at Goodwood Festival of Speed

 

The sculpture, which soars 26 metres over Goodwood House, weighing 160 tonnes and measuring 90 metres in length, was unveiled in spectacular style by Lord March and Michael Bock, Head of Mercedes-Benz Classic.

 

Created by artistic genius Gerry Judah, the sculpture is the most complex and ambitious yet conceived at Goodwood and is a fitting celebration of 120 years of motorsport participation by Mercedes-Benz – clients of Douglas Stafford.

 

During the weekend, a host of exciting models will be on display from manufacturers including McLaren, Renault, Bentley, Ford, Aston Martin, Honda and Jaguar. The 450bhp Lexus RC F will also be making its UK debut at Goodwood this year.

Douglas Stafford Mystery Shopping team members at Goodwood Festival of Speed

 

Team members from Douglas Stafford are at the annual event as guest of valued clients Honda UK and Volkswagen UK.

 

Alongside the main theme, the show will also celebrate the centenary of Italian manufacturer Maserati, with come classic models on display.

 

Along with some thrilling events and attractions, including the legendary Hill Climb, there will also be some famous faces in attendance, including Sir Stirling Moss, Sir Chris Hoy, Mark Webber, Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton.

 

 

Follow mystery shopping and performance improvement company, Douglas Stafford:

 

on Twitter @DouglasStafford

 

on Facebook facebook.com/douglasstafforduk

Kellaway set sail with Douglas Stafford

 

Team building day for Kellaway Building Supplies with Douglas Stafford

 

By Jamie White – Head of Communications

 

A Douglas Stafford team-building sailing day with our clients Kellaway Building Supplies is taking place in the Solent today.

Kellaway set sail with Douglas Stafford Mystery Shopping

 

Top performers from the building supplies company took to the water this morning, leaving Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth on board the 40ft Beneteau sailing yacht, Lady Diane.

 

The crew, which includes Douglas Stafford Client Relationship Director, Roger Muggridge, are heading across the Solent on board Lady Diane towards Cowes on the Isle of Wight, where they will stop for lunch and take in the local surroundings.

 

After lunch, there will be an opportunity for the group to do some more sailing, and helm the Beneteau Oceanis 393 yacht, along with raising and dropping the sails to get fully involved in the experience.

Kellaway set sail with Douglas Stafford Mystery Shopping

 

Douglas Stafford provides Kellaway Building Supplies with a bespoke mystery shopping and customer experience programme to include Video Mystery Shopping across its UK network.

 

Throughout the summer months, Douglas Stafford, offers a number of team building and reward recognition programmes as well as corporate entertainment.

 

These initiative programmes are conducted on Lady Diane, which is managed by a yacht charter company and uses a professionally qualified skipper.

 

 

Douglas Stafford team member teaches in Cambodia

 

Trip of a lifetime for Douglas Stafford team member

 

By Jamie White – Head of Communications

 

A team member from Douglas Stafford has recently returned from an adventure she will never forget.

Douglas Stafford Mystery Shopping team member teaches in Cambodia

 

Emma Chandler, who works in the Video Editing and Quality Control department at the Douglas Stafford head office at 1000 Lakeside, Portsmouth, embarked on a three-month trip to Asia.

 

During her travels, Emma visited a remote part of Cambodia, where she taught children at an orphanage, aged between four and 20 years old.

 

Emma said: “I applied to teach through the Cambodia Volunteer Foundation online, but I didn’t hear anything back for sometime. But then, out of the blue, I received an email telling me I had been accepted.

 

Douglas Stafford Mystery Shopping team member teaches in Cambodia “I found it quite tough going at first, but once I had got used to the conditions and the surroundings I soon settled in. The children all seem very content with their lives. The orphanage survives purely on donations and by growing their own mushrooms and selling them at a local market.

 

“I ended up staying and teaching longer than I had anticipated because I enjoyed it so much. It was amazing to teach the children English. We played games and acted out role plays and they loved it.”

 

Emma would teach for up to six hours a day during the week, and then visit other parts of Cambodia with other back-packers during the weekends. During the trip she also took in the sights of Thailand, Vietnam and Laos.

Douglas Stafford Mystery Shopping team member teaches in Cambodia

 

She added: “The children were really fantastic and it puts so much into perspective when you see how they are living out there. But, it was an amazing experience and I want to do it again.”

 

Emma is part of the Video Editing and Quality Control department at Douglas Stafford, which ensures all mystery shopper videos are scored and processed efficiently, before being uploaded to the exclusive industry leading Douglas Stafford online portal, DS Insight, for clients to review.

 

Audi UK appoints new Head of Sales Operations

 

Cian O’Brien named as new Head of Sales Operations at Audi UK

 

By Jamie White – Head of Communications

 

Douglas Stafford clients, Audi UK, have announced a new Head of Sales Operations – Cian O’Brien – who will take up the position on September 1st.

Audi UK appoints new Head of Sales Operations Cian O'Brien - Douglas Stafford Mystery Shopping

 

The 36 year old, from Cork, Ireland, replaces Paul Sansom, who has been promoted to the role of Managing Director of Audi South Africa.

 

Cian moves to this new Milton Keynes-based role from his current position as Director of SEAT Ireland, where he has overseen a period of significant success where the business was Ireland’s fastest-growing car brand in 2013.

 

In a career spanning 15 years, he has also held the position of Aftersales Manager and Fleet & Used Car Manager for Audi Ireland, along with a variety of management positions at Renault, Lexus, Audi and Nissan.

 

Andre Konsbruck, Director of Audi UK, said: “We are excited about Cian joining our team as he brings a real depth and breadth of experience and we feel he is the right person to continue to lead our ambitious sales plans in which Audi aims to remain the UK’s number one premium brand, with continued focus on customer satisfaction and profitability.

Audi UK appoints new Head of Sales Operations Cian O'Brien - Douglas Stafford Mystery Shopping

 

“Paul leaves Audi UK sales in terrific shape and we are very grateful for his tremendous contribution to our success. Under his leadership in various management roles over the last eight years, Audi UK achieved numerous record results in both sales and aftersales. We wish him plenty of success in his international assignment.”

 

Mystery Shopping and Performance Improvement company, Douglas Stafford, provides Audi UK with a tailored and bespoke nationwide mystery shopping programme to include Telephone Mystery Shopping, Email Mystery Shopping and Video Mystery Shopping.

 

You can follow mystery shopping and performance improvement company, Douglas Stafford on Twitter @DouglasStafford and Facebook facebook.com/douglasstafforduk

 

 

Honda UK releases teaser advert ahead of the new Civic Type R unveiling

 

New advert emphasises the new R-Rated Honda Civic Type R

 

By Jamie White – Head of Communications

 

Honda UK has launched a new teaser campaign to introduce its hotly-anticipated Civic Type R, which is set to launch in 2015.

Honda UK releases teaser advert ahead of the new Civic Type R unveiling - Douglas Stafford Mystery Shopping

 

Dubbed by the design team as a ‘racing car for the road’, the new model promises to be the most extreme Type R yet, with bold and aggressive styling reflecting the strong performance characteristics for which the marque is renowned.

 

The campaign leads on the theme of ‘R-rated’, a reference to the experience the car will deliver and the strong heritage of the red ‘R’ badge; born from Honda’s racing spirit and only ever appearing on a Type R.

 

Viewers are advised to use their discretion when looking at the ‘Honda restricted content’ on YouTube.

Honda UK releases teaser advert ahead of the new Civic Type R unveiling - Douglas Stafford Mystery Shopping

 

The campaign kicks off with the 60-second film, ‘Disruption’. Opening on a sunny suburban street, a family is packing a picnic into the boot of their car. Everything is happy and jolly, including the music.

 

Then suddenly, the picture distorts and pixelates and the Honda R-Rated advisory flickers up on screen, as though someone just hijacked the broadcast. The Honda R-rated advisory notice appears, before the mood of the video changes.

 

Olivia Dunn, Head of Marketing for Honda UK said: “The new Type R promises to be the most extreme yet, it’s born from racing and it pushes the boundaries. This new campaign encompasses this spirit perfectly, with ‘Disruption’ the ideal curtain-raiser in setting the energy and adrenaline levels very high.”

 

The key strapline of the campaign is ‘We R Back’, a nod to both the rebirth of the Type R and the huge 2015 which Honda is looking forward to with its return to Formula 1 and an all new version of the NSX supercar.

Honda UK releases teaser advert ahead of the new Civic Type R unveiling - Douglas Stafford Mystery Shopping

 

The new Honda Civic Type R will arrive in UK dealerships in 2015. The Type R Concept model makes its UK debut on the Honda stand at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.

 

You can get involved in all the Civic Type R conversation on Honda’s Twitter and Facebook channels and by following #TypeR conversation.

 

Mystery Shopping and Performance Improvement company, Douglas Stafford, provides Honda UK with a bespoke nationwide mystery shopping and customer experience programme to include Video Mystery Shopping.

Top customer experience accolades for Douglas Stafford clients Renault UK

 

Seven Renault UK dealerships named ‘Dealer of Excellence’ by J.D Power

 

By Jamie White – Head of Communications

 

Seven top-performing Renault dealers have been rewarded for their outstanding customer care by global market research experts J.D. Power.

 

Seward Renault Portsmouth, Smiths of Peterborough and Renault Wirral, Slough, Orpington, Romford and Enfield were all presented with the coveted ‘Dealer of Excellence Award’, for servicing Renault vehicles.

Top customer experience accolades for Douglas Stafford Mystery Shopping clients Renault UK

 

Ken Ramirez, Renault UK Managing Director, said, “The seven dealers receiving the Dealer of Excellence Award really have gone the extra mile and fully deserve this recognition and accolade for delivering what customers rightly demand most – outstanding service experience.”

 

The honour was bestowed after each of the seven dealerships successfully completed the certification process for Renault service operations through a two-part evaluation process, consisting of a customer satisfaction survey and an extensive on-site audit.

 

Renault had commissioned J.D. Power in January to measure the performance of its dealers as part of its bid to climb into the top 10 vehicle manufacturer list of independent UK quality surveys by 2017.

 

The launch of the J.D. Power Dealer of Excellence Award Programme, the first of its kind in Europe, is to give high-performing dealers enhanced status compared to competitors, and demonstrate a commitment to customer servicing satisfaction, irrespective of their brand. The J.D. Power Dealer of Excellence program is independently administered by J.D. Power.

Top customer experience accolades for Douglas Stafford Mystery Shopping clients Renault UK

 

It is the most significant move made by the French marque when it comes to listening to consumer feedback, and will help shape the future of its business and comprehensive range, including long-running favourite Clio, the Captur crossover and all-electric ZOE.

 

Renault UK’s Head of Network Quality and Training, Steve Whitcombe, said: “For 2014, our strategy brings customer feedback even further into the heart of our business. We are committed to providing the right framework of development and support to ensure all our teams have the skill, knowledge and aptitude to deliver an excellent customer experience.”

 

Mystery Shopping and Performance Improvement company, Douglas Stafford, has been working with Renault UK for more than 10 years, providing tailored and bespoke nationwide mystery shopping and customer experience programmes to include Telephone Mystery Shopping, Email Mystery Shopping and Video Mystery Shopping to analyse and improve levels of customer service.

Lexus RC F to make its UK debut at Goodwood

 

New Lexus RC F set to wow crowds at Goodwood

 

By Jamie White – Head of Communications

 

Crowds at this week’s Goodwood Festival of Speed will be treated to the first UK appearance of the new Lexus RC F. Lexus RC F to make its UK debut at Goodwood - Douglas Stafford Mystery Shopping

 

The RC F will be moving off the show stand and on to the track to give just a taste of its performance potential, making speed runs on the festival’s hill course. The Lexus LFA will also be storming the hill as one of the festival’s supercar competitors.

 

The RC F, due for market launch at the end of the year, has at its heart the most powerful V8 engine Lexus has yet produced for a road car. The 5.0-litre, 32-valve unit produces more than 450bhp and 520Nm of torque, matched to a specially calibrated, eight-speed Sports Direct Shift transmission.

 

New technology includes the world-first use of a torque vectoring differential in a front engine/rear-wheel drive configuration.

 

Three operating modes – Standard, Slalom and Track – let the driver adjust the system to provide to gain the optimum degree of traction and control. Lexus RC F to make its UK debut at Goodwood - Douglas Stafford Mystery Shopping

 

The RC F has evolved from the new Lexus RC coupe, which will follow it to market in 2015. As well as benefiting from a more advanced and powerful engineering package, the RC F has even greater visual impact, reflected in an emphatic treatment of the Lexus spindle grille and cues directly inspired by the LFA supercar.

 

The bodywork includes carbon fibre elements to help keep weight down, including the roof, bonnet and active rear wing.

 

Mystery Shopping and Performance Improvement company, Douglas Stafford, provides Lexus with a tailored and bespoke nationwide mystery shopping programme to include  Telephone Mystery Shopping, Email Mystery Shopping and Video Mystery Shopping.

 

 

Follow mystery shopping and performance improvement company, Douglas Stafford:

 

on Twitter @DouglasStafford

 

on Facebook facebook.com/douglasstafforduk

Volkswagen GTI International event set to be best yet

 

Thousands expected to attend GTI International next month 

 

By Jamie White – Head of Communications

 

This year’s GTI International – Britain’s longest-running event for enthusiasts of the Golf GTI and other related high-performance Volkswagen Group models – is set to be bigger and better than ever.

Volkswagen GTI International event set to be best yet - Douglas Stafford Mystery Shopping

 

The event, now in its 27th year, will be held at the Shakespeare County Raceway in Warwickshire from July 4th-6th.

 

It’s the second year running that the show will be held at the Shakespeare County Raceway, at Long Marston airfield near Stratford-upon-Avon, after last year’s event boasted a record attendance and received positive feedback from the press, clubs, trade and visitors alike.

 

The main focus of attention will be the quarter-mile sprint track where visitors can test the acceleration of their cars against the clock on a real drag strip, watched by the crowd.

Volkswagen GTI International event set to be best yet - Douglas Stafford Mystery Shopping

 

The strip will also host demo runs from many of the country’s top tuning companies, as well as members of the Volkswagen Drag Racing Club. One highlight will be Paul Jordan’s four-wheel-drive Scirocco 20VT that can cover the quarter-mile track in 8.95 seconds at 150 mph.

 

Away from the Sprint, the Show ’n’ Shine and Concours competition, sponsored by Autoglym, attracts hundreds of the best-kept Volkswagens in Britain and Europe, with entries from original and restored concours classics to highly modified and customised cars.

 

On top of this there will be a wide range of trade stands, cars for sale, an autojumble, children’s amusements, overnight camping on site, catering, and a clubhouse with a bar and evening entertainment.

 

 

Follow mystery shopping and performance improvement company, Douglas Stafford:

 

on Twitter @DouglasStafford

 

on Facebook facebook.com/douglasstafforduk