Falling Cars Hit Workshop Throughput
26 January 2023 by Curtis Hutchinson
Franchised dealers face double whammy of lost service bookings as falling new car sales hit workshop throughput.
25 January 2023 - Franchised workshops are being hit by a double whammy of the shortfall of new cars sold in the last three years, compounded by losing service bookings from existing customers as they reduce their mileage.
Whilst the majority stick to the recommended service intervals, research by JudgeService of the servicing intentions of lapsed aftersales customers, found only 3% currently have one booked.
Nearly a third (29%) were aware they needed a service but had not taken any steps to arrange one, a further 8.5% did not know their cars required a service.
The study, conducted in December and January, also found 40% had already taken their cars elsewhere to be serviced, while a further 16% intended to do so.
“The sector faces a collective shortfall of over 2.5 million lost new car sales since 2020; vehicles that would typically have been serviced by franchised dealers. This is starting to have an impact on workshop throughput, making aftersales retention a number one priority for all franchised dealers.” said Neil Addley, managing director of JudgeService.
“Our research has identified over three-quarters of lapsed customers either have made no plans to get their cars serviced, are unaware of the need to do so, or have already gone elsewhere. Each of these is a missed opportunity for dealers which can be easily rectified by having robust processes in place to promote servicing work for each and every new and used car sale."
“While selling service plans guarantees retention for customers, dealers also need to establish and maintain communication channels with those who choose not to purchase them, otherwise they could be lost for ever.” he said.
Further details and comments available from Neil Addley on 07795 665927 or neil@judgeservice.com.
About JudgeService
Launched in 2011 by Neil Addley, JudgeService is the UK's only customer review platform developed exclusively for the car retailing sector. By ensuring all reviews are verified and genuine, JudgeService builds a solid foundation of trust and respect between customers and sellers enabling car retailers to actively manage their online reputations.
JudgeService shares granular insight reports with dealers to help them identify opportunities to improve customer satisfaction levels, with many achieving 100% recommendation scores.
Based in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, JudgeService has published over 1 million customer reviews and is used by over 1000 franchised, independent, and car supermarket sites across the UK.
Issued by Curtis Hutchinson Communications
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