The essentials car dealers need to focus on to get back to work on Monday

1:41 pm, May 29, 2020

With car dealerships up and down the country preparing to open their showroom doors to customers once again on Monday (June 1) there are a few things you MUST do to ensure a smooth and safe return to work.

Motor trade legal service Lawgistics gave Car Dealer its most important points to ensure you are meeting the correct standards – whether you’re a one-man band or large dealer group.

You can watch legal experts Nona Bowkis and Kiril Moskovchuk from the firm give us their top tips in the video above.

Here’s what they chat about

Make sure you have complete your risk assessment

Lawgistics advice is to make sure you document your risk assessment, even if you’re on your own in the dealership and the risks are therefore low. This can simply be bulletin points of the risks and how you have mitigated them.

If your dealership is larger you’re going to need something more substantial but this is a good opportunity to get your staff involved.

Complete a self-certification online

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has now issued the self-certification, which all dealerships need to follow online to show they have taken the necessary precautions. This needs to be completed before Monday if dealers plan to open and the certificate supplied online should be displayed.

Let your staff know that you’re meeting the guidelines

It’s important to let your staff know that you’ve met the guidelines and is part of the self-certification. To keep the information in front of mind the self-certification certificate lists the vital points that must be covered and there is a poster to download with these key points too.

Use practical signage but don’t go over the top

When fitting your dealership out to meet social distancing guidelines, use it at points where it makes a practical difference – such as 2m markings on the floor or marking a workstation that can’t be used – rather than at every point.

Read the guidance from HSE

The guidance from HSE is lengthy, but Lawgistics explained that while it might not all seem relevant the important bits are scattered throughout. See the links at the end of this article that can help.

Social distancing isn’t just about staying two metres apart

In the guidance, a key point is about social distancing and keeping two metres apart. However, it is important to note that it is also about managing risk if this isn’t possible but the focus should be on reducing contact.

Employers decide who can come off furlough first

Dealerships going back to work does mean that more staff will be needed at dealerships. However, it is likely that those not chosen to be taken back will be concerned about why.

At the end of the day the decision about who to bring back comes down to the employer but those who need to shelter or have ongoing childcare issues should be considered to continue on furlough first.

Decide if you’re in an organised distance selling scheme

Some businesses will choose to continue with order online, and either have your car delivered or collect in store services. The first step in successfully doing this is working out whether you are running an organised distance selling scheme, which is likely if customers are paying for their car online. If you are you must advise them of their right to cancel within 14 days or risk giving them a year to reject the car.

Get your paperwork right every time

Dealerships need to prepare for the fact that more customers will be looking for opportunities to cancel or reject their new car. As the furlough scheme runs out, more redundancies are on the cards and we’re heading for a recession, meaning money will be tighter than expected for many.

Making sure you distance selling is an order, but also correctly recording PDIs, MOTs and other paperwork for all vehicles will be more important than ever.

Health and safety checks and Covid 19 Secure certificate for dealers

The detailed HSE information can be found here.

The HSE Covid-19 Secure certificate can be downloaded here.

Car Dealer Magazine has produced a detailed guide on some of the steps car dealers should take ahead of reopening on Monday here:

Guide: How car dealerships can safely reopen on June 1 following the latest guidelines