6:51 am, November 12, 2008
FIVE consecutive months of falling car sales shows car owners are holding onto their motors for longer.
Here’s where your aftersales department will earn its money. They may be tempted to save further, by skipping on servicing.
A false economy, you should be telling them. As repairs can far outweigh the average £125 cost of an annual service.
Now’s the time to start hitting your DMS, tracking down customers with annual services due, and telling them that not only are retained values at risk if they don’t get a service done, but there’s also the risk of the following failures:
Exchange engine – £2,575
Cylinder head gasket – £520
Radiator – £430
Water pump – £240
The data has been collated by Motor Codes, to remind us all of the Motor Industry Code of Practice for Service and Repair. Where honesty and openness is assured, agreements met, invoices and quotes match and staff are guaranteed to be competent and conscientious.
‘In these tricky financial times, the temptation may be to delay, or even ignore, routine maintenance on your car because the modern vehicle tends to be so reliable,’ Chris Mason, Motor Codes director, tells owners – ‘but that could work out more expensive in the long run.
‘If you don’t carry out scheduled maintenance, or fail to have repairs carried out promptly, you could eventually end up paying more.’
Any UK garage can help encourage customers in by signing up to the voluntary Code – which is currently progressing through the OFT Consumer Codes Approval Scheme. There’s more here.
