December 2020

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2021 AFTERMARKET 29 www.aftermarketonline.net rather than being mothballed or scrapped. This means that suspension, brakes, and routine serving still need seeing to. The aftermarket must show it can help the motorist save money and keep their car on the road for longer. It’s likely to be three years or more before we return to anything like pre-Coronavirus normality. The move to greener motoring should not be put on hold because of the impact of COVID-19 but it will have a different look to what the government initially envisaged. With the support of the independent aftermarket, motorists can reduce their impact on the environment and save money. They can keep themselves on the road whether they use their car for work, the school run or for that much-needed staycation. The government should embrace this approach and incorporate it into their green agenda. They too must accept there is an even tougher road ahead between today’s hard-pressed lockdown motorist and their vision of all electric motoring. For more information visit www.jlmlubricants.com and www.the-dpf-doctor.com The view from the workshop Don’t take our word for it – Here is prominent DPF Doctor Network member Barry’s Lawson’s take on 2020 and the year ahead: “2020 has been a busy year for us with two new members joining the team. We are seeing a continuing pattern of work booked into the end of the year and onwards. “Our customers are still restricting their mileage with cars on the driveway for longer. We have seen brakes rusting and sticking, suspension springs breaking and batteries going flat because of this. “With the expiry of the MOT exemption, cars that should have been MOT’d in April, May, June, and July have fallen due in October, November, December, and January. So, it’s been some time since a car was looked over. We have been advising customers to add a service to their MOT. Regardless of how little a car has been driven, filters, timing belts, brake fluid even anti-freeze have time-based replacement schedules. Not having a vehicle serviced can lead to faults such as DPFs blocking and poor oil condition. “As part of the DPF Doctor Network we have seen many DPF problems in lockdown this year stemming from poor maintenance or poor-quality oils. Lockdown has given us the opportunity to really build our skills and tricks of the trade by attending the JLM Academy in Ashington, courtesy of Darren Darling. Being part of a network with 100 members enables us to share technical information and build a picture of common problems. This leads to a more efficient diagnostic process. “Customers may think that with MOT, servicing, and potential repairs, not to mention Christmas around the corner they will run out of money. So, we now offer 0% credit over four months to help spread the cost of motoring. Lockdown has given us time to work smarter! “We’re now planning for the first six months of 2021. This means packing a punch with our website blog and customer newsletters so that we’re front of mind when a customer has a problem with their car. We will continue to offer free safety checks on every car that comes into our workshop. This helps us pick up on safety items from a blown bulb to worn steering components. We have a duty of care to our customers. When the car leaves our workshop, it must be in a roadworthy condition. “Overall, I am cautiously optimistic about 2021.”