Maidstone Audi have launched a fantastic new servicing deal for customer who buy one of their approved used cars.

Purchase an Approved Used Audi and you’ll enjoy the feeling of reasurance - knowing that you own a car with more certificates than an Audi Master Technician, not to mention Vorsprung durch Tecknick.  Now you can can enjoy the ownership experience even more by not having to worry about the next two years servicing.

The Audi Service Programme

Covers the cost of all scheduled servicing for your Approved Used Audi for 24 months or 30,000 miles - whichever occurs soonest after the date of purchase.  Only available on cars over one years old.

Includes all parts and labour

• Only expert-Audi trainied technicans will work on your car
• Only genuine Audi parts and diagnostic equipment used
• Two year’s warranty on all genuine Audi parts.

Terms and conditions apply.  Please ask for details.  Only applicable for Approved Used Audi modules over one years old.  Excludes S, RS and A8 modules.

BMW has targeted the 1 Series Convertible for release on the 5th April 2008. The car benefits from BMW’s new Efficient Dynamics technologies which enables the car to both improve fuel economy and emmissions output whilst maintaining performance. The range is topped by the 135i M-Sport which achieves 62 mph in 5.6 seconds from a standing start! Contract Hire and Leasing rates on the diesel models especially are looking promising indeed!

http://www.bmw.co.uk

Northgate, Britain’s largest vehicle rental company has developed a new ’sale and rentback’ product to help companies move their fleet to the flexibility of rental at a time of possible economic uncertainty. The key to the product is the flexibility it will offer companies who can choose either to increase or reduce the number of vehicles operated at any time without financial penalty. Depending on the age of the vehicles sold to Northgate Vehicle hire, customers will either rent the same units back at a fixed rate or, if older than 27 months, take immediate delivery of new vehicles.

Since developing NORFLEX as a market-leading vehicle rental brand, Northgate has also extended the services it offers to include:

• Fleet Technique, which manages on behalf of fleet owners the maintenance and administration for more than 15,000 vehicles.
• Van Monster, which operates from six main sites offering retail and trade customers a wide range of quality used vans with some 1,500 vehicles in stock most of which are less than three-years-old.
• easyVan, which is a low cost van rental partnership between Northgate and easyCar providing more than 120 conveniant locations throughout the UK.

Car dealer giant the John Martin Group have morphed their marketing department into a whole new company! Now under the name of ‘The Lane Agency’ the company has marketing responsibilities not just for The John Martin Group but also for external clients such as the Bank of Scotland. Invloved in all aspects of Print and Web marketing plus media buying, The Lane Agency is now run as a seperate operation to the dealer group, with the responsibility of marketing it’s retail and corporate offers.

Warranties becoming CRM tools as profits shift to aftersales

Dealers are increasingly recognising the boost that warranties can bring to aftersales business - and working harder to sell them as a result.

RAC Warranty, a new warranty brand offered by the RAC in partnership with The Warranty Group, says that as dealer profitability continues to shift to aftersales, warranties are beginning to be identified as a potential customer retention tool.

Ian Simpson, sales and marketing director, said: “The majority of dealerships now make more money from their aftersales operations than from selling new or used cars, so they are understandably very keen on winning and retaining aftersales business.

“Increasingly, warranties are being seen as part of this process. The profit potential of a warranty has traditionally been recognised by dealers only as resulting from the point of sale. However, there is a growing realisation that a warranty will mean a customer returning to the dealership if a claim is made and that this represents an opportunity.”

Simpson explained that a positive warranty handling experience could play a key part in building a long term relationship if the right impression is made on the customer.

He said: “Dealers want that customer to return for future service and maintenance work. A well-handled and efficient warranty claim is as much a part of a dealer’s ongoing CRM process as any other customer relationship tool at their disposal.

“Dealers are beginning to sell warranties not just because of their immediate profit potential but because they recognise that they can help to cement a long-term relationship with a customer and want the future profitability that can result.”

RAC Warranty offers an extensive group of products. There is a range for FSA compliant dealers - Parts and Labour Cover at Silver, Gold and Platinum levels, GAP Loan Shortfall Insurance, GAP Return to Invoice Insurance, Tyre Insurance, MOT failure Insurance and Lost Keys Insurance. Depending on the level of warranty cover there is no exclusion to the age or mileage of the car as long as it meets minimum purchase price requirements. 

Additionally, a new maintenance and repair product providing excellent value to consumers, but not subject to FSA regulation, has been developed which will allow a large number of dealers to add significant benefits to their ongoing customer relationships.

Dealers who want to find out more about RAC Warranty should call 0208 869 7155.