It all began in the 1950s, when Nanni Fodde conceived a new way of selling cars in a completely new way for Sardinia. These were the years of the economic boom and thousands of Sardinian families, also thanks to Acentro, brought the car into their homes for the first time.
“My father was a pioneer. He was among the first to understand that it was necessary to put not the car, but the person "at the centre" of everything. He even invented the little red book of consumer rights, a detailed list of what the customer should expect from us and that we would undertake to do for him. A true innovation for its time."
Enrico Fodde, son of the founder and current sole director of Acentro, tells the story. The famous Cagliari company has just turned 70, but is more than ever a point of reference in the area.
The customer at the centre: a philosophy that has been going on for 70 years and which is carried forward with pride by this family company which has helped hundreds of thousands of Sardinians to purchase the right car for their needs.
In Sardinia, saying Acentro and saying car is practically the same thing. The bond established by the Cagliari dealer with customers on the island is as solid as ever. This is according to a market survey carried out in September 2023 by Interactive Market Research on a sample of 1000 interviewees. From this survey it emerged that Acentro is the first brand that comes to mind when you think of a dealer, therefore qualifying itself as a "top of mind" company, to use marketing jargon. The second brand is six times less mentioned. Again according to the Interactive survey - Acentro also excels in customer trust, quality of customer care, quality-price ratio, possibility of alternative financial solutions, after-sales assistance and breadth of choice of car brands and models: Fiat, Abarth, Jeep, MG, Iveco, Nissan, Evo, Fantic and the vast range of used, company and 0 km cars.
“The results of the survey are a source of pride and satisfaction for us - comments Enrico Fodde -. According to the people interviewed, we are a company that offers support and assistance to its customers, that does everything to make mobility accessible to everyone through numerous financial solutions. We range from machines that cost a few thousand euros up to vehicles that cost up to one hundred thousand euros, passing through all the intermediate solutions that we call 'Corporate, the quality will amaze you' and not 'used' precisely because they are of like-new quality. Lately we have dedicated ourselves to satisfying new mobility needs by providing a wide choice of vehicles, from electric scooters to bicycles and electric scooters, from single-day to long-term rental. These results are the result of the mutual trust built over the years between us and our customers. The credit goes to them and we can only thank them."
But another secret of this company, leader in the sector in Sardinia, is certainly the family structure. “For us, the Acentro is an identity asset - states Enrico Fodde proudly -. Selling cars is now part of our everyday life, of our being. It's in our veins. Acentro is the story of a family in which there are two Giovannis: one, better known as Nanni, who is my ninety-eight-year-old father in great shape, the other is my son Giovanni, who represents continuity. But there is another person who was and is fundamental, not only for her role in the family, but for the support she gives us in our work: my wife Carla. And it is therefore natural that the family identifies with the company and vice versa. Without our cohesion it would have been really difficult to overcome the difficult moments."
A family of which the employees are also part. "They are our daily lifeblood - underlines Fodde -. A company that does not take care of choice, growth and relationships with employees and collaborators would not exist. Our employees are exceptional and together we undertake a journey of daily search for excellence, of error correction and improvement. Above all, we try to be transparent with them. It is essential that they are made responsible and involved in our actions and strategies. Otherwise there is no future and nothing can be built".
So what is the greatest satisfaction? To answer this question Enrico Fodde has no doubts and returns to Acentro's uninterrupted mission, putting the customer at the centre. “There is one thing that still excites me today - he confesses -. Every time I meet customers who have had difficulties during the purchasing experience, the greatest satisfaction is seeing them smile when we were able to solve their problem without them having to pay the consequences. Very often a family that comes to us is making a large, important investment which affects their economy. We know well that it is a moment as important as it is delicate. Here, when I or my collaborators reassure them, face the problem and solve it, seeing relaxation, satisfaction and happiness on their faces is still a priceless emotion, the greatest of all".
And so it is easy to explain the result of the Interactive Market Research survey which sees Acentro not only as the No. 1 brand in terms of notoriety and image among dealers in Sardinia, but also the most visited, the one that is mentioned spontaneously by those interviewed and the first answer that is given when targeted questions are asked about dealers on the Island. Acentro is the No. 1 dealer in Sardinia, the place where one in four Sardinians decides to buy their car.