June 2021

JUNE 2021 AFTERMARKET 47 www.aftermarketonline.net was published by the NFDA and the SMMT. The best-practice guidance covers everything from booking appointments to showroom interactions, test drives, click-and- collect, part-exchanges and aftersales, and includes advice on staff training, signage, sanitation and PPE. Commenting on the updated restart guidance, NFDA Chief Executive Sue Robinson said, “Opening showrooms will allow the economy to get moving again. With confidence in public transport safety at a 20-year low, private transportation will play an essential role in enabling people to return to their daily lives. It is positive that the automotive industry is proactively working together to resume business as soon as possible in line with the government’s guidelines. The guidance will ensure over 4,500 franchised dealerships provide the best possible service in sales and aftersales while protecting staff and guests. Automotive retailers will be working hard to overcome any challenges to safely welcome customers back to the showrooms.” SMMT Chief Executive Mike Hawes added: “It’s been a long wait but automotive retailers are ready, willing and able to welcome customers back into showrooms. While click-and- collect has helped the sector survive, it cannot replace the experience of choosing and test driving a new car in person. Reopening these premises will also boost UK car manufacturing, as the reduced demand caused by their closure has led to months of lower production. “Consumers returning to showrooms will notice some changes, not just in the updated COVID-19 safety measures, but also in the increasing choice of new car technologies and there are now more green choices than ever before. With 150 models of battery electric, plug-in hybrid, fuel cell and hybrid electric vehicles on sale, that’s one in three models capable of zero emission motoring.” To view the guidance visit: www.nfda- uk.co.uk/downloads/guidance/NFDA- SMMT-Industry-Guidance-COVID-19-Pr otective-Measures-for-Auto-Retail- 090421.pdf 13 April: Drivers seeking payment flexibility from garages post-lockdown, research suggests Research suggests that drivers will be looking for garages to offer greater flexibility in how they pay for servicing and repairs post-lockdown. 2,635 vehicle owners were polled by Bumper, the new name for Auto Service Finance, during the latest lockdown. The survey found customers concerned about being presented with expensive bills, especially for work deferred by the pandemic. 58% cited cost as a main concern, with inconvenience an issue for 3%. 36% said it was a combination of both. The research also identified the current preferred method of payment among owners was evenly split between 40% preferring debit cards and 38% opting for credit cards However, when asked what size bill would prompt them to pay by using interest-free credit instead, 38% said they would use it for any amount. 27% said they would use it for bills costing over £250, 22% for bills over £500 and 13% for bills over £750. Bumper’s CEO and co-founder James Jackson commented: “Our research shows how consumer attitudes towards servicing and repair work has changed with customers now expecting greater flexibility in how they pay. Car owners are used to spreading many of their motoring costs, so the ability to buy-now-pay- later would remove some of the pain typically associated with paying for services and repairs.” 22 April: MOT Exemption: 1.86 million cars now have expired MOTs 1.86 million cars may be on the roads illegally as a result of owners ignoring the fact that the MOT Exemption relating to their car has expired, and that they need a test urgently. Figures from the DVSA show that following the issue of MOT exemptions during the first lockdown, 19.5% of those vehicles have yet to be retested. While the last cars to receive an exemption have now overshot their extended expiry date, 1.86 million vehicles still have not had a MOT performed. Analysis by Kwik Fit suggests that these 1.86 million vehicles have not had a valid MOT for an average of 3.4 months. Across the Kwik Fit network, the MOT failure rate is 10% lower than normal, suggesting that it is the cars which are more likely to fail their MOT which are not being tested. On this basis, the fast-fit chain estimated that at least 600,000 of these cars are not currently roadworthy. All of this leads us to believe that there is a very upbeat outlook ahead for the motor industry in the summer ” % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % IS YLN OT BA YOUR M Y C ('& $#"!# '! " ' " O EBMEMAEGESU ALIBRATED COR ' # &# ' # " # #& ' !" &" # ' & !!&# # # ##& '& !' # ' !' ! SREENIGNER RECTLY? "&" # $ # # $ # ' " & !#