Return on Investment (ROI) has secured a five-year-deal to provide fleet sales and CRM support services to Volkswagen Group UK.

More than 50 ROI staff will work with the VW Group’s five vehicle brands, as well as Volkswagen UK Financial Services.

The Nantwich-based, B2B specialist agency had already successfully managed the existing operation for four years – winning a European award for the outsourced partnership – but had to compete in a rigorous, five-month competitive tender process against eight other companies before eventually becoming successful.

ROI’s chief executive, Nigel Sandiford, said: “Our aim is to continue and improve upon the award-winning solution we have provided to Volkswagen Group for the last four years.

“Last year we arranged circa 15,000 test-drives for Volkswagen and put the Volkswagen Group sales team in front of more than 7,000 fleet decision makers helping Volkswagen Group to a record year for sales.

“We are setting ourselves a tough challenge to try and better those figures, but we have huge confidence in our incredibly talented team.”

ROI will operate from newly branded offices in Milton Keynes, where they will support over 50 field-based sales managers with appointment setting and diary management. It will also facilitate a bespoke CRM system, analytics and mobile sales tools.

A lead generation operation for Volkswagen Financial Services will be run from ROI Cheshire HQ.

Martin Barrow-Starkey, head of group fleet services at Volkswagen Group, said: “ROI already demonstrated that they were operationally excellent over the last few years of working with us. What helped win them the contract though, was a commitment to drive the operation forward with the latest sales and marketing tools and analytics.”

Photo: ROI’s chief executive, Nigel Sandiford, and Martin Barrow-Starkey, head of group fleet services at Volkswagen Group, seal the deal.