The launch of Carcierge!
It's here. The day has finally arrived! JLVM has launched its latest luxury service, Carcierge, London's new home for premium vehicle management. But how did we get here, and why does the industry need it? Read on, because the answer may surprise you.
A different time
To understand why, cast your mind back to post-COVID life: back at work, but not quite back to normal. Remember what filled your day to day: the slow-moving queue for your coffee, pints ordered through an arduous app, being told "our phone lines are very busy right now, but your call is important to us."
Standards had slipped everywhere, and somehow that became acceptable. Long waits, poor communication, low staffing, all forgiven under the same narrative: “We don't have the staff. Unprecedented times. Please bear with us.”
What did this look like in the Automotive world?
Nowhere did that narrative play out more expensively than here.
Closer to home, quoting eighteen month lead times at Land Rover was an excruciating experience I'd rather not repeat. Incredibly, when those cars did arrive, two or three spec'd options were often missing. I can recall one prospective owner threatening to tarnish my name across all his newspapers.
So how did the brand respond? Radio silence.
Responsibility fell to the retailer, left to decide how often to check in, how the client was holding up, and what to do about a build slipping further behind schedule. More often than not, it was thrown back at the customer, who was told they could walk away instead. Hardly the experience a £120k delivery deserves. That same retailer, unsurprisingly, no longer exists.
The problem wasn't only patience. It was care. I once personally took a client's Bentley Bentayga into a brand-approved service centre, and what followed didn't uphold the marque's standards either. It took a manager stepping in just to put things right.
The industry standards
This was the first time I realised that these brands' service culture, and the wider industry's, lacked in something fundamental: how people were treated. I'm sure the reader can think back to a time they felt hard done by, taken advantage of, or even mis-sold.
It's commonplace with car ownership. Yet it shouldn't be.
Owning, maintaining, and servicing your car should be a joyous experience throughout its lifecycle, because these machines represent something to you: the path you followed, the money you earned, how you've ended up here. That's what matters to us at JLVM.
I value that. More than any brand seemingly does.
Carcierge by JLVM
Which is exactly why I built Carcierge.
Peace of mind comes from giving an expert both the responsibility and the means to act on it. Carcierge is exactly that: the chance to hand the management of your highly valued cars to someone who knows, who cares, and whose world revolves around delivering an unparalleled experience.
It's also a way to feel supported. Whatever you need, Carcierge gives you a resource unlike any other: a personal expert at your fingertips, whether that's a safe pair of hands, a car prepped and delivered without question, or a driver capable of both discretion and competence.
Service in the automotive industry needs revamping. Trust JLVM to do it.
We do have the staff. You are our priority. We're here for you. This is what we call the New Gold Standard.
Thank you for reading.
If you'd have something you think I can help, don't hesitate to give me a call on +44 7947 982 644.
James Leacock
Founder & CEO
