16 February 2020

Hyundai’s retail network has issued an open letter of complaint to UK boss Ashley Andrew over actions which have had a detrimental impact on profitability.

Several retailers have told Auto Retail Agenda that Hyundai had been making the job of selling cars, and hitting targets, ever more complex, which has seen reduced dealership profitability even though volumes and customer satisfaction had been maintained.

A Hyundai spokesperson said that Mr Andrew had responded to the open letter which was sent at the end of last year and has addressed some of the specific points raised.

The open letter, sent by the Hyundai Dealer Council, could be followed up by the NFDA, should Mr Andrew’s responses not be received well, according to one retailer who wished to remain anonymous.

Mr Andrew has been in the role of managing director for just over a year, having taken over from Tony Whitehorn. When Mr Andrew joined Hyundai, the brand was ranked 14^th in the NFDA Dealer Attitude Survey, with a score of 6.0.

The mid-2019 result saw the company record the score largest drop to 3.9, taking it to 23^rd position.

One retailer that spoke to Auto Retail Network said they would be watching the next NFDA Dealer Attitude Survey, due out next month, very closely.

Tags: Ashley, Hyundai, Hyundai Dealer Council, NFDA