Phil Cross, the first member of staff to celebrate 20 years service
Phil Cross, Car Sales-Co-coordinator at Derek Slack Motors achieved an employee landmark this month becoming the first member of staff to celebrate 20 years service at the SKODA and ISUZU dealership.
“Working in the motor trade, I’ve known Derek and Tony for over 30 years”, said Phil who first started work at the old Cumberland Road dealership in Middlesbrough. “So much has changed during that time. Technological advances by manufacturers means more electronic features are now standard requiring mechanics to have different sets of skills. Features such as, warning lights, airbags, abs and engine diagnostics just weren’t around 20 years ago. Plus, due to the internet, customers have far more information when they arrive, often knowing the exact model and features they’re looking for.”
One thing, which hasn’t changed, says Phil, is how the dealership still enjoys recommendations from customers to friends and family. “As the oldest SKODA dealership in the North East with nearly 25 years selling and servicing SKODA, switching career from the family-run dealership has never been a consideration. In fact, many of the staff at Derek Slack Motors have been with us for many years and we’ve sold vehicles to generations of famalies!”
Phil finished by adding, “I firmly believe one of the contributions sustaining our success, is how we’ve remained customer-focused. We’ve received many industry accolades over the years for customer satisfaction. Most recently, voted one of the Top 1000 Companies to Inspire Britain, by the London Stock Exchange. So no, I won’t be going anywhere in a hurry.”