A CUMBRIAN family firm has been named one of the best in the world at what it does.

Lloyd BMW - part of the Carlisle-headquartered Lloyd Motor group - has been recognised as the top ‘BMW Retailer in Customer Care’ at the worldwide 2016 BMW Excellence in Sales Awards.

It was handed the title at a ceremony in Munich, where it was the only company representing the UK.

BMW celebrated its top 36 dealers in the world during the Excellence in Sales awards ceremony, with the prizes presented by members of the auto giant's board.

The judges picked the winners from 3,000 entries from 80 different countries with finalists were assessed on their customer communication skills and ability to anticipate customer demands and resolve customer problems.

Bryan Lloyd, Lloyd Motor Group's managing director said: “There were only 36 nominees across six awards categories, so to have been recognised at this level in such a competitive and professional global retailer network is an exceptional honour in itself.

"To win this award and be honoured as the best ‘BMW Retailer for Customer Care’ in the world is an incredible achievement. It is a testament to our staff and our belief that a people-focussed culture delivers a great customer experience”.

BMW has placed a particular focus on listening to and acting upon customer feedback and Lloyd has received heavy praise from the German giant and is the current holder of the 'BMW UK Retailer of the Year', an accolade it won for the second consecutive year in 2017, this was also the fourth time in ten years it had taken the gong.

The group is based in Kingstown, Carlisle and employs more than 1,200 people. It was set up in 1976 and is owned by the Lloyd family.

Lloyd Motor Group operates 31 dealerships, all of which are in the north of England and southern Scotland.

The BMW division of the company operates in Carlisle, Blackpool, Cockermouth, Colne, Newcastle and South Lakes.

Alongside BMW the company also has dealerships for new MINI, Honda, Land Rover, Jaguar and Volvo vehicles and also sells used cars.

Mark Powell, head of business, accepted the award in Munich.

He said: "“At Lloyd BMW we know the key to our success is our customers, which is why we strive to put them at the heart of everything we do whether they are choosing a new BMW or maintaining their current one. Our goal isn’t to simply sell them a BMW; we try to go above and beyond every day, doing everything we can to guarantee an enjoyable customer experience that’s designed to accommodate everyone’s unique needs.”

Staff Lloyd's MINI division has also taken a top award.

Marketing managers Rebecca Sharpe and Emily Cunningham are the winners of the MINI Marketer of the Year award.

In a joint statement they said: "“We’re so lucky to work with some incredible motoring brands here at Lloyd Motor Group. Being able to combine our passion for marketing with our passion for the MINI brand is very rewarding.”