December 2020

I ’ve been thinking about dogs recently, as you may have noticed. A dog is for life, not just for Christmas and all that. like dogs, I’m a dog person. Were it not so busy here, and would it not encourage customers to communicate with one of us directly (a big no-no at the mo), I’d get one for the garage. I’ve been considering it for a while actually. Not in terms of workshop security as you might think, but more in terms of just adding…something…I don’t know, a personal touch. That’s the thing, the personal touch, in person is just about gone at the moment. What with restrictions, and keeping customers off-site, and masks, talking to one of us would be like talking to a wall. Part of me thinks a Parkit pup would make everything feel a bit more normal. Then again. Things are far from normal currently, and maybe we shouldn’t try to act as if they were not. I mentioned masks – well, I have been suffering a bit with it all. I don’t know what it is, but the darn things seem to make me sneeze. Is it psychosomatic? Or am I allergic to something? Had they not been debunked recently, I could go for one of those COVID-19 visors. I mean, it’s not Coronavirus causing my problem, as I am sneezing, but I really need a sneeze guard, with spray and wipers on the inside. I may be over- engineering this solution… I am not sure how this would play with the customers to be honest, although I have been hiding in the back recently on the rare occasions we do get someone inside the garage. I’m not abdicating from my responsibilities however. I’ve just taken the personal touch online. Emails, web stuff, heck I have even considered a podcast, after having read about them in the October issue of Aftermarket. We might be closed off from the world for customers, but it doesn’t have to be that way. With everything that has been going on communication is more important than ever, and with winter pretty much here, we are upping our offerings. We generally do winter checks, but the fact that many of our customers have missed a service or two (not from a lack of reminders by us I can assure you), means we are really going for it this year. Remind, remind, remind, that’s my motto this year. Speaking of reminders, I had to be nudged about sorting something out for the staff in the way of a Christmas party. We are small enough to get under the gathering restrictions if we went out, after lockdown is lifted, again! There’s still a little time to think about it. I’m not sure anyone will really want to go to be honest. Even I am of a mind to shut myself away and watch IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE, although Mrs P actually prefers GREMLINS. Anyway, whatever you are doing for Christmas this year, go carefully, and see you in 2021. AN ARTHUR IS FOR LIFE, NOT JUST FOR CHRISTMAS 58 AFTERMARKET DECEMBER/JANUARY 2021 TEABREAK: MEMOIRS OF A MOTOR MECHANIC www.aftermarketonline.net Podcasts? Customer communication Personal touch Gremlins Xmas @?!