Opinion: It’s not a case of picking up where you left off but there’s a backlog of work

Euro Car Parts CEO Andy Hamilton shares advice for a safe and successful reopening

Opinion: It’s not a case of picking up where you left off but there’s a backlog of work
Image: Bigstock.

It’s encouraging that people are returning to the roads, and to see the majority of workshops are now open again, but the world is a different place compared with this time 12 weeks ago.

For garages – and most businesses, for that matter – it certainly isn’t a simple question of picking back up where they left off.

The good news is that there’s a backlog of vehicles waiting to come through the workshop doors.

Of those that were due, just 20 per cent of MOTs were completed in March this year, and 23 per cent in April, which means we expect demand to be as much as three times normal levels over the next few months.

But before getting going again, garage owners need to consider how to reopen, safely and effectively.

Safe working environment

It’s important to think about how you can bring PPE into the working environment to help everyone feel safe, such as providing seat covers and gloves when technicians are working on vehicles.

To help, we’ve created a ‘back to work pack’ of essential cleaning supplies and PPE, available to buy in a bundle at a discounted price.

Technology has an important role to play, too, in enabling technicians to do their jobs without coming into close contact with others.

Our garage customers can access a free 12-month subscription to HaynesPro, worth £695, giving their technicians mobile access to essential repair and maintenance data, alongside guided diagnostics and technical support.

We’re also offering free 12-month subscriptions to VIEWMECH, a personalised customer video solution worth £599 per year.

VIEWMECH enables garages to send their customers video footage of any work required to their vehicles.

As well as supporting faster work authorisation, this solution helps to maintain social distancing while aiding customer retention, referrals and work conversions through top quality, transparent service.

It’s also vital to make sure diagnostic equipment, ramps and bays are working correctly, if they’ve been out of use for some time.

Customer social distancing

Wherever possible, it’s best to offer a collection and delivery service. But if customers are still coming in, clear communication key.

For garages with an open reception, an essential first step is to mark out a line for customers to wait behind and maintain social distancing, supported by clear signage.

Keys can be labelled and deposited in/collected from a box or a board with hooks, with antibacterial wipes and gels nearby to keep them clean.

Contactless key drop off and collection is also worth considering for garages that decide to close their reception areas.

These garages must also then mark out clear ‘customer only’ and ‘technician only’ areas in the workshop.

When it comes to payment, our advice is to take card where possible and steer clear of cash, and to talk through invoices with customers on the phone, to minimise the need for close quarters interaction when they come to collect.

Managing demand

Proactively contacting customers to arrange bookings can help garages to define their opening hours while things get back up to full speed, and to understand what level of technician resource will be required at any given time.

Garages can start by working through their databases to identify which customers have MOTs or services due.

In the past couple of weeks, we’ve already seen that making contact by phone will generate a higher success rate than relying on email – one garage owner we spoke to reported a 43 per cent uptake on calls made in a single day, while another converted 11 phone calls into bookings on just one day.

Marketing

Marketing is an important tool, both to let existing customers know that their local garage is open again, and to confirm that you’re operating in a safe and responsible way.

Taking advantage of free tools like social media can also help workshops reach new customers, while encouraging conversations and recommendations to help build trust and reputation.

Creating posts with regular updates on opening times, available services – and possibly tips and advice on common queries – can keep customers engaged and help to generate new leads.

This can be done via a business’ own page, and in relevant community groups on Facebook.

For further information about Euro Car Parts, select ‘more details’ below.

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