Brexit is “one of many changes” set to affect the aftermarket

Reality check as industry professional says connected cars will shape future talent for the automotive aftermarket

Brexit is “one of many changes” set to affect the aftermarket

The aftermarket must tackle its challenges “head-on” if the future is to be bright, according to Henry Bisson, marketing manager at Ring, a vehicle lighting, auto electric and car accessory supplier.

Brexit, new technology, 4-1-1 MOT proposals and changes in consumer trends are some of the many issues the aftermarket is currently facing, according to Bisson.

He said: “Vehicle ownership has changed to three-year contracts, meaning less people own the vehicles they drive.

“As the servicing is often within a package, this means less business for independent technicians and garages.

“In addition, with rolling contracts, motorists don’t even need to worry about MOTs, which has a further impact on the aftermarket.

“Dealerships have their own dedicated teams of technicians that they can rely on to make any repairs, and whilst it may make owning a car simpler for the driver, it causes no end of headaches for local garages that have spent years building up a loyal client base.

“Then there is the possible legislation that will extend the MOTs on new vehicles from three to four-years, again causing a knock-on effect for independents that rely on consistent trade from testing and repairs.

Increasing your workshop’s bottom line

“Many garages rely on a standard range of lighting as an example, but the opportunity to upsell comes from having performance bulbs that can add value to the driving experience for the customer, giving them brighter and whiter light on the roads.

“This isn’t just about sales, it is about safety but thinking about things differently and offering better performing products that last longer will improve sales.

“Focusing on prevention rather than the cure, technicians can spend five minutes showing a customer a check list of what to look out for.

“Although the return won’t be immediate, giving people advice in relation to tyre care, LED lighting for licence plates and battery maintenance checks will give the customer an experience that they are more likely to remember.

Connected cars

While Bisson argues that vehicle ownership is an immediate concern to the aftermarket, connected cars are an ongoing consideration for the future.

He said: “Self-drive cars will mean less maintenance and fewer repairs and the internet of everything will result in connected cars.

“No longer will garages be able to rely on basic diagnostic tools to identify a fault in a vehicle.

“Connected cars will use the latest digital technologies to create the functionality that a driver will come to expect from the most innovative vehicles on the road.

“Technicians will still need to know how to change engines, batteries and tyres but fundamentally it is not outside of the realms of possibility that they will also require a digital degree to be competent when it comes to connectivity.

The future

“The aftermarket has long been considered a sector that sits within professional manual labour however as times change we are going to need to rely on some of the most advanced engineers in the market to upskill and most importantly prepare the talent of tomorrow for a very different approach to the aftermarket.

“This also raises further questions in relation to the components and tools that will be required.

“Although it is too soon to make any assumptions, there is likely to be a shift to technology and digital based items that will be required alongside bulbs, tyre and battery maintenance and this is something we all need to be prepared for.”

For further information about Ring, follow the ‘more details’ link below.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>


The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

Have your say!

0 0

Lost Password

Please enter your username or email address. You will receive a link to create a new password via email.