19 October 2015

Another week, another titbit of information emerges from the so-called dieselgate Volkswagen scandal. There was some UK-centric excitement this past week with the appearance of the head of VW UK in front of a parliamentary select committee.

Look past the apologies and, sadly, the activity didn’t really add much value for auto retailers. However, we do have a rough timetable for UK-based retailers and customers. The recall – which isn’t a compulsory one unlike what’s shaping up in Germany and the US – is likely to kick off in the new year.

It’s going to be a lot of vehicles and, likely, customers who would rather be somewhere else on the day they choose to commit their pride and joy to the so far unknown rectification process. All of which means this is your chance to shine, both internally and in the eyes of the public.

Before the scramble for courtesy cars commences, now would be a good time to beef up your communications policy – the information dump from VW UK will likely be considerable for starters – so everyone is on the same page, not least reception and service staff.

Managing customer expectations regarding scheduling appointments and advising on the time it’ll take for the rectification work will be key to minimising any negative sentiment among friends, colleagues and even the local media.

The brand or brands you represent might not come out smelling of roses after all this, but it’s important to stress that you, as a business, can be seen as a leading example of best practice. At least you can have control over your own reputation in a crisis.

Iain Dooley

Editor, Agenda

Auto Retail Network

Tags: customer, dieselgate, Recall, service, Volkswagen, VW