1:39 pm, April 26, 2018
DEALERS have been told that they should appoint electric vehicle (EV) specialists in their showrooms to help take advantage of growing demand for alternatively-fuelled cars.
The EV development company that gave the advice also said that dealership sales and technical teams should receive specialist training.
Although getting knowledge about new technology across to staff can be a challenge, an in-house EV specialist would potentially be able help to bridge the gap in both departments.
At present, around a third of UK car dealerships don’t have a single EV-trained technician in their workshops, but the majority of dealers do see the need to step their game up and make sure their staff are knowledgeable about the latest technology.
Gain Solutions, which published the advice, said that prospective EV customers will have done a lot of research before going to a dealership and that showroom staff need to have the necessary knowledge to secure the sale.
Marcus Blakemore, managing director of Gains Solutions, commented: ‘With the demand for electric vehicles increasing, it is crucial that dealers are trained, educated and geared up for the switch in vehicle sales that lies ahead. It’s also just as important to ensure that customers do not know more than the dealership staff.
‘Initially, one EV champion in a dealership is likely to be much more effective and successful in the selling of EVs than an entire sales team who just know the basics. It will buy time to methodically train the rest of the team.’
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