Guest Blog

August and September can often be slow months for workshops, with a large proportion of customers heading off on their holidays.

Hello and welcome to my first blog for the Motor Trader website. Over the coming months, I’ll update this page with my thoughts and experiences from the front line of the franchised dealership...

You won’t be surprised to hear that cash-strapped customers are cutting back on car maintenance at the moment, leaving work just that little bit longer...

Honda recently ran a recall for the Jazz, which can help bring business to the dealership. One owner was waiting for work to be carried out when we noticed that the constant velocity joint had been cracked for some time and needed replacing.

Managing difficult customers is a major part of the service adviser role. A customer may come in to the dealership after a particularly bad day, and, no matter how calmly you try and deal with them, they just don’t want to know...

You will have noticed a trend over the last year or so – customers are keeping hold of their cars for longer and spreading out the maintenance costs over a longer period.

It was great to see two of my most loyal customers the other day. Until recently, this couple owned a Honda CR-V which they bought from me when I was working on the sales side of the business back in 2001.

December can be a slow month for the motor trade, with customers distracted by the expense of Christmas and the prospect of a long wait until pay day in January. However, if you find you’re having trouble up-selling at this time of year – whether you’re offering an oil top-up or pointing...

Hello and welcome to this, my first blog! I hope you find it interesting. I’ll be updating this page regularly with the aim of sharing some of my thoughts and experiences of working at the sharp end of the franchised motor trade. I’ll be covering what’s great, and what’s challenging, about being a service adviser.

And Harold Wilson thought a week was a long time in politics. He should have dipped his toes into the motor trade to see exactly how long seven days can be.