More often, it comes down to people.

Some of you may remember me talking about #vanlife over the last couple of years.

Well, I recently became a van owner for the first time.

A shiny, new-to-me Mercedes-Benz AG Sprinter campervan, and I’m over the moon.

A small issue needed sorting, which meant a visit to a Mercedes-Benz Vans UK retailer.

My nearest was Rygor Group Heathrow, about 30 minutes away, and I’ll admit, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect.

Years ago, I’d done a “Showroom Safari” of commercial vehicle dealerships for another brand and, at that time, van drivers weren’t treated in the same way as car drivers.

So as I arrived on the edge of Heathrow, I had that little niggle in the back of my mind:

“How are they going to look after me and my shiny new purchase?”

I’ll be honest, first impressions weren’t amazing.

A packed car park.

Some uncertainty on timelines for the fix.

And that lingering feeling of being just another van job.

But then I met Henry.

Enthusiastic and optimistic, he changed the whole tone of the experience.

He’d spotted my campervan, loved it, and immediately I felt valued and looked after. He told me they had the parts in stock and it would be fixed within the hour.

Even better, it would be covered under goodwill.

He also introduced me to the wider team, who explained more about what it means to own a Mercedes commercial vehicle.

I left reassured that I’d bought the right brand.

And that got me thinking. Not just about cars and vans, but about business more broadly.

Why do brands still treat customers differently?

For existing #LCV brands, and newer brands entering the market like Kia UK Limited, Farizon Auto UK and BYD UK, should drivers really be treated differently, and expect less, just because they are categorised internally as ‘van drivers’?

Across industries, businesses love categorising customers into neat internal groups.

In #automotive, it’s Fleet vs Retail customers, New vs Used customers, or Car vs Van customers.

And yes, there are real differences in what those customers may need.

A Fleet customer may be focused on whole-life costs, tax and efficiency.

A Commercial Vehicle owner may care deeply about first-time fix rates, workshop turnaround times and keeping the vehicle on the road.

But the softer stuff still matters to all of them.

Because what Henry reminded me is that, when you strip away the labels, people are still just people.

They still want to feel respected, valued and looked after.

The brands that understand that are the ones that turn a routine interaction into a memorable one.

So well done to Rygor Heathrow.

You exceeded my initial expectations and reminded me that great service is rarely about process alone.

More often, it comes down to people.

And for any business reading this: by all means segment your customers internally if it helps you run the business better.

Just don’t let those categories get in the way of treating people well.

Let’s pick this up at the Commercial Vehicle Show.