Saltford Motors has laid the foundations for increased sales in the second half of 2012 and beyond with a growth appraisal from Coachworks Consulting.
Warren Hunt, Managing Director at Vauxhall retailer Saltford, is bringing in changes to make the most of every opportunity in both car sales and service sales after Coachworks Consultant Richard Selfe carried out the one-day assessment.
The appraisal took place after Mr Hunt commissioned automotive business improvement consultant Coachworks to carry out a mystery shop to analyse the family firm’s approach to car sales and service.
Mr Hunt said: “The mystery shopping exercise was really useful. It very quickly became obvious that we were missing the chance to sell more vehicles, service time, service plans and warranties.
“The current economic climate makes it all the more important for car retailers to make the most of every single opportunity.
“The growth appraisal was a fresh pair of eyes for us and it helped us to see the wood from the trees. We have already changed the way we do things as a result and I fully expect to see that deliver significant benefits in both the short and long terms.
“Saltford Motors has been a family business for 70 years, but that doesn’t mean the way we do things has to stay the same. Exceptional customer service combined with the renewed focus and techniques we have introduced as a result of this growth appraisal will help us convert more sales enquiries and retain more customers.â€
Saltford, which is based between Bath and Bristol, had already attended Vauxhall’s Road to Growth sessions – the aftersales improvement programme devised by Coachworks Consulting.
The subsequent one-day growth appraisal consisted of one-to-one feedback based on authentic Coachworks mystery shops, an in-depth analysis of how sales and aftersales opportunities were dealt with, identification of revenue growth potential and a written report.
Mr Hunt added: “The Coachworks growth appraisal left us realising that although we had made mistakes in the business, they were mistakes we could learn from.
“Their recommendations and coaching motivated us to strive harder and to excel further. They never disheartened us, they only encouraged and helped us to make our business succeed and grow.
“What they did for us with the mystery shop was just brilliant and we know it would be of huge value to the rest of the network.â€
Mr Selfe said: “It’s not always easy inviting an outsider into the business, but Warren’s commitment and refreshing honesty meant that we covered a lot of ground in a short period of time.
“We identified lots of opportunities for incremental sales from existing business before we even considered finding new customers.â€
Karl Davis, Managing Director of Coachworks Consulting, added: “A growth appraisal is a great way of forming a needs analysis for a dealership.
“Warren is to be congratulated on his commitment to the process and to the business as a whole. Saltford now has a clear plan to increase income that will start to pay immediate dividends.
“Commissioning credible and trusted outsiders to take a look at a business with a fresh pair of eyes almost always identifies a raft of incremental profit opportunities.â€
For more information, visit www.coachworks-consulting or call 01335 324325.
