Welcome to the September issue of AM - Automotive Management magazine, which should land on your desks today. Click the preview digital edition below for a taste of this month's issue, which concentrates on aftersales.

The volume of service and repair work has fallen nearly 10% over the past decade. Figures show a drop from 51,435,000 transactions in 2003 to 46,500,000 in 2013, despite the car parc growing by 7.4% over the same period.

Such statistics, released by Castrol in its 2014 Professional Car Servicing & Repair Trend Tracker report, underline the increasing pressure to maximise aftersales profitability and conversion rates.

In this issue, we examine the impact on 'right-first-time repairs' of having the right staff in your service department; we talk to Ian Dow, aftersales director at Knights Group, about the decision to extend working hours to suit customers' needs; we look at  maximising working efficiency through Lean thinking; and we round up the tools and technologies available to fight the coming fall in aftersales volumes.

This issue also takes an in-depth look at electric-carmaker Tesla, and its plans for UK growth, which involve neither franchised dealers nor aftersales profits.

Finally, this issue sees the launch of the 2015 AM Awards, including for the first time recognition for the essential part service advisers play in ensuring aftersales success.

Enjoy!

 

Elsewhere in the September 2014 'aftersales' issue of AM - Automotive Management

♦ CAP's Philip Nothard asks whether it is wiser to focus on maximum margin or swiftest stock turn.

♦ Professor Jim Saker says dealers need to make the right resource available in the right place and at the right time.

Also: the Citroën C4 Cactus and Seat Ibiza FR reviewed, plus the latest from AM's 2014 Reader Recommended winners.

 

Coming up in October's issue of AM - Automotive Management

Face to Face – John Clark, managing director, John Clark Motor Group: Clark tells AM why the Scottish dealer group has been growing strongly and how it optimises its sales.

Do UK car dealers need to change their basket of add-ons?
In light of the Financial Conduct Authority's focus on ‘positive consumer outcomes’, we look at whether dealers’ upselling processes, and the products they offer, may need to change in the near future.

Car dealers' secrets for add-on success
Looking at add-on product segments, we ask dealers how they feature that product in their sales process and why they enjoy such success.

BMW 2 Series Active Tourer review: The first front-wheel-drive car to bear a BMW badge is a major departure from the brand’s heartland.