Blogs

Against a backdrop of tightening legislation from the FCA and changing consumer attitudes and behaviour, the warranty market is booming. We believe that there are some key trends driving this growth and many of these are good news for both franchised and independent dealers. According to the latest Trend Tracker research, warranties are 10 times more likely than service plans ...

The Olympics have been tough. For the last two weeks every morning took a minimum of three coffees to get over watching the events of the night before but at least I’m now an expert on sports I never knew existed; ask me anything about the omnium and I’m your man!. The Olympics got me wondering what the difference is ...

The Fiat brand has been in decline for years and, despite the popularity of its various 500 models, now sells about half as many cars as it did in 2010. Last year, FCA chief executive Sergio Marchionne was blunt about its prospects: “Fiat no longer intends to offer a full range of products like other mass brands. The economics are not ...

To most retail motor dealers, the idea of selling vehicles through personal leasing or contract hire used to be like garlic and crosses to vampires not too long ago, and it still is to some. Yes, the finance commissions and vehicle margins are lower, but there are great benefits to be had by selling cars this way, especially when it ...

Entering my final year of sixth form I was at a career crossroads.  Many of my friends were opting for the traditional university path. But I set out in search of alternative routes to find something that would fast track my career. I discovered the Chartered Manager Degree Apprentice (CMDA) launched by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) which Pendragon were offering places ...

The Bank of England’s surprise interest rate cut from 0.5% to 0.25% may be unwelcome for savers but it could prove to be useful fillip for the car market. On paper new car registrations in the year to date are looking good with the market tracking at 3% ahead of last year’s bumper volumes. However, the SMMT figures for July ...

Dealers need to take a fresh look at their lending panel and see whether it is still fit for purpose in a post-Brexit world. With the decision to leave the EU set to affect a range of factors from consumer confidence through to the cost of borrowing, existing lenders may no longer be appropriate for the needs of both dealers ...

Sir Stuart Rose, former executive chairman of Marks & Spencer got it right a few years ago when he said that the customer is “no longer King”, but “master of the universe”. What he meant by this, is that we now live in a world where your customers are quite literally one click away from your competitors, so every opportunity ...

Dealers need to do more to protect their data and reputation online. For many dealerships hackers are able to barge their way into their IT infrastructures through two open doors: lax IT infrastructure and security or staff members. Remote access and takedown of a dealership’s website, or removal of data, can be done anywhere in the world thanks to today’s ...

Accident management is set to change.  True, certain fundamentals will persist, including the need to provide alternative mobility following an accident and the importance of customer satisfaction when things go wrong. In the medium term, this means a huge focus on making sure the experience is outstanding. The educational role when it comes to consumer rights is shifting, Accident Exchange ...