Lodge City Rentals chooses Ebbett Volkswagen as their fleet provider
Lodge Real Estate are Hamilton’s real estate industry leader.
They pride themselves on “knowing Hamilton like nobody else”. When it came time to replace their existing fleet of cars for their rental team, they wanted to reinforce this message – and make a statement of their own. Total cost of ownership was also a factor. So, with these elements in mind, Ebbett Volkswagen recommended the Volkswagen Polo Comfortline DSG. Though not the cheapest car on the market, it wasn’t the most expensive either, but it had what Lodge were looking for – overall value.
Richard van den Engel, Dealer Principal, Ebbett Volkswagen, was aware of the perception in the marketplace that the Volkswagen was a premium vehicle. “We knew we could show Lodge that the Volkswagen Polo was a viable option for them. They were considering other cars including Suzuki Swift, Kia Rio, Hyundai i20 and Toyota Yaris and we wanted them to understand that the Volkswagen could be included in their considerations, particularly as they were extremely budget conscious.”
The Volkswagen would provide Lodge with a premium vehicle solution without adding cost. This would allow them to choose the best car and the best fit for them as a brand.”
A real brand statement
Purchasing a fleet of 13 Volkswagen Polos also gave Lodge Rentals a competitive advantage. The new fleet not only reinforced Lodge’s commitment to value, quality, excellence and efficiency – everything this European car is known for – it portrayed consistency. The company’s new fleet would be instantly recognisable – and so too would their brand.
David Kneebone, general manager, Lodge Rentals says when they began searching for a new fleet provider they wanted to reward their staff and partner with a vehicle that said something about their own brand: “quality, excellence and premium”.
“We wanted to give our agents quality vehicles, something economical and comfortable to drive, and something that reflected our image,” David says. “We were really impressed with the Polo, as well as the back-up and service Ebbett Volkswagen offer.”
Every car comes with a three-year warranty, a valet and service and there’s no limit on kilometres. Additional features include automatic gears, Bluetooth and day time running lights. What’s more, the cars are reliable and they turned out to be the cheaper option. “Longer service intervals (meaning less time off the road), better fuel efficiency (meaning less time at the gas station) and higher resale values add up to a lower total cost of ownership,” says Richard. “It was this association with quality and being premium that Lodge felt added value to their own brand.”
“The overall experience we had of purchasing the fleet with Richard and the team was outstanding,” says David. “We now have a fleet of Volkswagen Polo that our staff our proud to drive around the Waikato and be seen in. These vehicles match the quality of the brand we want to portray. “Nobody knows Hamilton like we do here at Lodge; but nobody knows Volkswagens like Ebbett Volkswagen.”
