Jack Cameron
26 November 2024
At Pike + Bambridge, it’s our exceptional service that sets us apart from the competition. We may sell cars (really nice ones), but what interests us far more is the people that drive away in them.
That means if you’re going to drive our cars, it’s important you learn who drives us. That’s why we’re introducing our new ‘Meet the Team’ series!
Next up in this series of articles is one of our Schemes Relationship Managers, Louis Sumner. Louis joined the team in 2024 after working within the electric vehicles sector of the motor trade for nearly 2 years. If you have any question regarding EVs, he’s your man.
Without further ado, let’s find out more about Louis and why he’s the perfect fit for P+B…and for you.
Tell us a bit about yourself
Let’s start at the beginning. I spent a lot of my childhood living in Blackpool, and developed a love for cars at an early age. My dad also had a passion for cars, which meant I was getting dropped off at the school gates in his Porsche or Subaru Impreza. I also did a bit of motorcross when I was younger, which is very niche.
I like to travel whenever I can, and even set a record for being part of the first UK school to climb Mount Tai in China, standing at 5,069 ft. As I worked my way through school, I started to develop an interest in people and the inner workings of society, so I decided to study sociology at university after I left school.
I lived in Birmingham for 7 years while at university, and used this opportunity to travel the world as an exchange student, visiting the likes of Dubai, Singapore and Cambodia. Different cultures, strange customs, languages you’ve never heard before, but I got used to Birmingham eventually.
My career started when I enrolled in a Graduate program with Starbucks. This was a great opportunity for me, and I went on to compete in Barista championships and became a Master Coffee Maker. It’s safe to say I know the ins and outs of everything coffee. I was then headhunted by a dessert chain to help them improve the working environment at one of their struggling stores. I’m happy to say I quickly turned things around.
I’m passionate about my place of work being a champion of sustainability and people. So passionate, in fact, that I managed to get in front of the CEO of this dessert chain to talk him through how we can improve our service to make it better for the planet. This landed me a new role as Sustainability & Engagement Manager down in London, so he must have liked it.
Tell us about your experience in this industry
My first taste of this industry began at Cinch, being a part of the delivery team. I was then approached by Elmo which was exclusively for electric vehicles. I quickly became head of the Customer Experience team, and became an expert in EV Salary Sacrifice. Our service was flying, comfortably beating the competition in customer satisfaction.
I love electric cars, and have no doubt that they are the future of how we drive. There’s been phenomenal growth in charging infrastructure and range in the past few years, and this looks to continue. The UK’s fastest EV public charging station was just built in Blackpool, funnily enough, which is capable of pumping out an impressive 480kW of power.
Why did you want to work at P+B?
When I was approached for this role, I knew I was the right person for the job just from a brief description of the business. My knowledge of good customer service and my love of EVs meant I was a great fit for the EV Salary Sacrifice team.
There is an ideal mix of personalisation, product and technology here, which you don’t see very often in the motor trade. At Pike+Bambridge, ensuring people get the right vehicle for them is more important than the sale itself.
I’ve loved it here so far, and I’m looking forward to the future.
“Whether you’re considering salary sacrifice or just need guidance, I’m here to make finding your next vehicle a breeze.”
Why should people buy a car from you?
People should come to me to buy a car because of the way I build relationships with my clients. I’m always aiming to learn as much about them as I can to ensure they get the right vehicle. I make sure to go above and beyond with everyone that comes through my door because that’s what I was brought here for.
My passion and knowledge of electric vehicles helps me to provide expert guidance to clients and non-clients alike. Being simpler, faster and more personal is embedded into the company’s values and my own. If my clients aren’t smiling, I’ve not done my job right.
What gets you out of bed in the morning?
It’s helping people, that’s what motivates me to come to work every morning. It’s not about just selling cars, but offering support to the people who need it most. You build up such great relationships here. You really get to know people, learning all about them and their family, too.
Helping people helps me to look after myself. The satisfaction you get when you feel you’ve improved someone’s situation. That’s what we’re all about here
Always a pleasure, Louis. If you’d like to find out more about how Louis can help you get the car you dreamt of, you can contact him here!
