At present, only six of the 22 outlets in the manufacturer-owned UK dealer group offer the Renault Minute service, which allows customers to call in without an appointment for routine repairs and replacements. Dedicated technicians are focused on jobs such as changing exhausts, tyres, oil or shock absorbers, and complete a free 25-point check.
Jean-Gabriel Carlier, managing director of REAGroup UK, says: “Some of our customers want to have a service while they wait, so we need our network to cater for this. We want to represent the brand as well as we can.”
Carlier says implementation of the Renault Minute facilities will be done preferably together with the refurbishment programme currently underway in the REAGroup network. In some instances the only changes required will be adding branding and dedicating a couple of service bays and technicians to the fast-fit activity.
From next month, dealer signage and administrative materials will also change from Renault Retail Group to the new REAGroup brand. The new £4.1m dealership in Enfield, North London, has become the first outlet to bear the new name.
The move brings the network in line with its European parent, Renault Europe Automobiles, also rebranded REAGroup.
Andre Bodis, REAGroup chief executive, believes the group can do more to attract and retain aftersales customers. “We have to increase our service capacity. When the new car market is going down we have three other areas where we can compensate: parts, service and used cars.
At the moment we don’t have the best capacity of service hours.”
Bodis says the 3+ programme started earlier this year is “going really well” and is attracting older cars to workshops. Renault UK wants to raise service retention levels on sub 10-year-old cars in line with Europe.
Login to comment
Comments
No comments have been made yet.