As every trainer and line manager will know, some delegates who turn up on training courses simply don’t want to be there. The most common reason for this is that they “know all this stuff...

Reducing the cost of acquisition, creating a more profitable customer and one who will champion the retailer they trust is always the end goal for automotive retailers, but many are failing with...

Speaking at the NADA Convention this year, David Martin of the Mar-Kee Group and the NADA Academy’s Robert Atwood outlined ten ways to improve profitability in the service department. They argued...

At the end of last year, Ford announced its latest programme for the aftermarket, Motorcraft, centring on vehicles over four years old. As an Authorised Repairer (we don’t sell cars), we survive by...

Plans by Ford Retail to offer all used car customers ‘brake pads for life’ struck a chord. My partner’s Fiesta, bought from Dagenham Motors, has just been in for service at a local Ford dealership...

How many dealerships make a concerted effort to follow up on amber items with the customer before they turn red?  Not only does following up increase sales opportunities, it also demonstrates a...

Motability was set up nearly 50 years ago to help those with disabilities to cope better with transport issues.  In 2004, Motability accounted for 6% of all new car registrations. Now it is more...

 A total focus on customer retention is one of the reasons why US franchised dealerships are so successful at aftersales, according to Chris Hayden, UK CEO of Group 1 Automotive. He was speaking...

Great quote from Steve Nash, chief executive of the IMI, at the Auto Retail Network aftersales seminar last week: “you can create retention but you earn loyalty”. It so neatly summed up the main...

Used car retailer the Car People has launched a new, 30-second TV ad to showcase its “hassle-free way to buy a car”. Want to read more articles on this website? Sign up for a free trial...

Four to five years ago, Humming Bird Motors was selling around 100 new Kias annually from a site shared with Mitsubishi. Want to read more articles on this website? Sign up for a free trial...

There is very little customer loyalty in today’s marketplace. With the internet and the focus on deals, people are more likely to shop around for all their motoring needs. That includes...

Does your aftersales department use a call centre to handle bookings? In theory, it’s a sound idea. Customers’ calls get answered quickly and politely, while the diary is efficiently...

Speaking at the Auto Retail Network Aftersales Conference, Audrey Leonard–a performance delivery manager at BTC Ltd – highlighted some simple, practical steps that auto retailers are...

Halesowen Audi has eclipsed over 120 Audi Centres in the UK to be number one for Sales Satisfaction in the first quarter of this year, with a score of 98%. The Centre consistently scores above the...

It’s an old story and I won’t bore you with the details other than to say the moral of it is to tap into the customers you have, to help them to buy from you again and to get them to help...

Vertu Motors is selling 1,500 service plans a month since launching its own package in September. But commercial director David Crane thinks the business can exceed 2,500 a month. David said the main...

Every week my wife shops at Sainsbury’s and every week she is given a voucher to entice her to spend more the following week. For example, spend £50 and get a £7.50 reduction. If she...

With recent headlines dominated by news of a potential bailout of the Greek economy, many analysts are predicting a ‘double dip’ recession for some of the world’s stock markets. This...

If your manufacturer has issued a recall notice, it’s an opportunity to impress your customers and increase retention. Of course they will probably be unsettled, and concerned about their...