Advertisement feature from REALtime Communications
Alistair Jeff – Commercial Director, REALtime Communications
We are in challenging times for aftersales teams. New car sales have been down for three years, EVs are taking an increasing share of new car sales, and the cost-of-living crisis has hit many consumers.
So, what does that mean for the future of aftersales, and how can you ensure it remains profitable?
The outlook may look negative, but retailers can continue to generate revenue from their aftersales teams; focusing on critical operational areas will be central to success. Some of these may seem basic but done correctly and regularly; they can have a positive impact on the bottom line.
eVHCs Improvement the £38K Opportunity
Data taken from REALinsights, REALtime Communications Data and Insights product evidences the impact. Retailers that included video in 80% or more of their eVHCs convert, on average, 5% more red work than retailers that only have video in 50% or less of their eVHCs. The 5% uplift equates to an average of £38,000 in additional revenue per workshop each year. All it needs is for technicians to include video more regularly.
It is just one example of revenue opportunities retailers can realise today from completing a core task regularly.
Utilisation – Untap over 16% of Unproductive Resource
How productive are your technicians each day? Are they waiting for vehicles to land in the workshop? Do you know where the vehicles are? Are they spending time moving between teams for basic information?
If the answer to any of these questions is yes, the chances are that your team may not be working as optimally as possible. Average technician utilisation from Apr-Sept’22 stands at 83.58%*, meaning that approaching a fifth of your technicians’ time each day isn’t being used working productively.
Putting in place the right solutions to track and monitor your workshop and moving to digital job cards for instant updates between teams can make teams more efficient, benefitting the bottom line.
Our independent case study found that moving to digital job cards saved on average £12,000 in paper costs alone for a single large workshop. Multiply this across a large group, and the bottom-line impact will be tangible. Additionally, we found that technician productivity increased, and administration time was reduced by up to 30 minutes per job. It is time that service advisors can reinvest in customer care, upselling opportunities and more. The benefits do wash through the entire team.
Our White Paper – more opportunity insights
Our new white paper – “Setting a New Course, Creating the Future Aftersales Model” highlights the challenges and discusses opportunities for retailers today, it is available for download today from our website.
We are also discussing this at AM Live as part of the Operational Excellence Session, “Easing the Aftersales pain”, alternately find us on Stand P70 if you would like to discuss how we can help in more detail.
To find out more about REALtime Communications, visit www.rtcauto.co.uk or download the whitepaper here.