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Bosch Braking Components Now in Kwik-Fit Fleet Range

Kwik-Fit Fleet is introducing the Bosch range of braking components at all of its UK centres. The addition of Bosch brake pads and discs to the line-up of products offered by Kwik-Fit Fleet comes at a time when demand for is company car and van service maintenance and repair work at Kwik-Fit centres is reaching record levels, the company notes. Indeed, Kwik-Fit reports that during the first four months of 2010, its fleet vehicle servicing was up 65 per cent and company car and van MoT work up almost 60 per cent on a like for like basis over the same period in 2009.

9th June 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Sales up 10.4% in 2009, says Kwik-Fit Fleet

In defiance of recession trends, Kwik-Fit Fleet has reported record sales, a phenomenon it attributes to an increased use of its range of services, notably mechanical work, by ‘value-for-money focused’ companies. The fast-fit firm also has benefited from companies lengthening fleet replacement cycles since the onset of the recession, which has led to increasing demand for a variety of replacement parts, including tyres. As a result, Kwik-Fit Fleet reported a 10.4 per cent rise in sales in 2009 – up to £203.6 million from the £184.4 million recorded in 2008 – due to MoTs on company cars and vans increasing 89.7 per cent year-on-year and fleet vehicle servicing rising 54.2 per cent.

22nd January 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Extended Fleet Replacement Cycles a Major Opportunity for Kwik Fit

One result of the recession is that fleet operators are prolonging the time they hold onto their vehicles. This is not such great news for used car dealers that previously snapped up the steady stream of three year old ex-fleet vehicles entering the market, but Kwik-Fit says lengthening fleet replacement cycles are providing it with a major business opportunity – tyre consumption rises and an increasing volume of MoTs and service and repair work is required as vehicles move into their fourth year of operation. Yet simultaneously, one of the biggest challenges facing Kwik-Fit Fleet and fleet decision-makers is cost management and the recent, unprecedented increases in the price of tyres.

13th January 2009/by Tyrepress Editors

Car Dealers Freeze Pay

Franchised car dealers across the UK have responded to the downturn in the economy by freezing pay scales, according to the rts Auto Retail Industry Salary Survey 2009. The survey reports that 25 per cent of franchised dealer respondents did not increase basic pay for their staff between 2007 and 2008. More than that, it seems that dealers have been taking advantage of the industry’s high staff turnover rates to actually reduce pay rates for new recruits.

25th November 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Bandag Raises US Tread Rubber Prices

Prices for tread rubber products charged by Bridgestone Bandag Tire Solutions (BBTS) to its franchised dealers in the US have increased by up to 5 per cent, effective May 5. “Unprecedented energy prices continue to impact our costs, particularly for raw materials and transportation,” said Saul Solomon, president of BBTS. No corresponding price increase took place in the Canadian market.

12th May 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Bandag Dealer Network Expands in Australia and NZ

A significant expansion of the Bandag Manufacturing network in New Zealand will take place following the announced conversion of three Bridgestone New Zealand factories to Bandag. New Zealand customers are currently serviced by two independent Bandag franchises; C.O Tyres and Tyre Retreaders. These established Bandag franchises have helped the company grow in New Zealand and, reports Bridgestone, will continue to enhance Bandag’s marketplace reputation.

In the latter part of 2008, Bridgestone’s three retread factories in Auckland, Rotorua and Christchurch will be refitted with state-of-the-art Bandag retread equipment and the current retread process systems will be streamlined. The net result of this, says Bridgestone, will be an enhanced network providing quality retread tyres and services.

18th April 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Lex Uses Kwik-Fit ‘While U Wait’ Servicing

Britain’s largest contract hire and leasing company, Lex, has become the first company to sign up to use Kwik-Fit Fleet’s new ‘While U Wait’ manufacturers’ service initiative. With customers able to book a service at a minimum 48 hours notice it means Kwik-Fit Fleet is able to offer vehicle servicing more conveniently that most existing providers.

17th March 2008/by Tyrepress Editors

Bandag Releases Updated Aspects Software

Bandag EMEA first launched its Aspects fleet inspection program at Reifen Essen 2006. Since then a growing number of Bandag Dealers and Eurofleet partners have begun using Aspects to demonstrate potential savings on fleets’ tyre budgets. Based upon input from these initial users a new version of Aspects is now available.

Major improvements in the areas of technological development and user friendliness have been made in relation to reporting and data integrity, states Bandag, who claims Aspects provides clear reporting on all aspects of tyre maintenance and fleet tyre policy implementation, as well as indicating the best opportunities for savings on a fleet’s total tyre budget. Using the program’s Out of Service Tyre Analysis module, the root causes of eventual tyre damage and reasons for pulling tyres prematurely can be analysed and reported.

12th December 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Fleets Increasingly Switching to Non-Franchised Servicing

With a new report rating customer care at franchised dealers at just 6.3 out of 10; it is no surprise that 39 per cent of companies are switching to non-franchised dealers for routine servicing.

The 2007 Business Car Perceptions Report by business and management consultants BearingPoint suggests that the traditional franchised dealer network, which car manufacturers depend on as their key channel to market, is under strain as a result of a growing fall-off in aftersales business. reveals that fleet servicing business, which provides an important source of revenues for car manufacturers and franchised dealers alike, is being lost to non-franchised dealers.

The research, which was conducted by Professor Peter Cooke, the recently appointed Professor of Automotive Management at the University of Buckingham, in association with BearingPoint, shows that almost two-fifths (39 per cent) of companies already use non-franchised dealers for routine servicing. This number is set to grow, as nearly a fifth (18 per cent) of those respondents still using franchised dealers expect to switch to non-franchised dealers in the future.

19th September 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Kwik-Fit Signs First Major Fleet Deal With Enterprise Rent-A-Car

Kwik-Fit Fleet has won its first major vehicle servicing fleet deal with one of the UK’s largest suppliers of rental cars. The fast-fit giant will become the preferred servicing supplier of the 30,000 cars and light commercial vehicles on the Enterprise Rent-A-Car fleet.

In the UK, Enterprise Rent-A-Car is a major provider of vehicles to corporate and public sector fleets as well as offering replacement vehicles and courtesy cars. The company started in the UK in 1994 and operates from more than 300 locations. The majority of Enterprise Rent-A-Car branches are within five miles of a Kwik-Fit centre so making it easy for vehicles to undergo an oil and filter change, an interim service or full service depending on mileage.

15th March 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Car Dealers Losing Share of Service Market

Industry research shows vehicle manufacturers’ dealer networks are losing share of the lucrative new car service and repair market to independent garages. The Trend Tracker report on the UK car service and repair market shows that franchised dealers’ traditional near-monopoly of servicing and repairs of cars under manufacturer’s warranty is declining. In 2002, the European Commission introduced legislation to make the car service and repair market more competitive by opening up the market to independent garages and the research shows that car dealers’ share of the lucrative service and repair market for cars under four years old has fallen from 67 per cent of all services and repairs in 2003/04, to 65 per cent in 2005/06.

2nd November 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

Independent Garages Lose Ground to Fast-Fits in Car Repair

The latest Castrol Business Services Car Repair Trend Tracker shows that independent garages account for 47 per cent of all work carried out on cars in the UK, while franchised main dealers account for 25 per cent and fast-fit outlets, 9 per cent. But independent garages are revealed to be losing share to fast-fit outlets, with franchised dealers holding steady, when data from the report’s 2005/06 survey is compared with the previous 2003/04 survey period.

1st November 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

ADL Takes Automotive Kitemark to Independent Garages

In a move that will likely help efforts to avoid the effects of a “Super Complaint” in the automotive service market, Automotive Distributors Limited (ADL) has announced its full support of BSI Product Services’ Kitemark scheme and is actively encouraging garages to embrace the PAS80 standard. More than 180 installers have already applied to Kitemark scheme through ADL.

Although it is a lengthy process, there are currently 30 Kitemark garages, with another 20 achieving the standard imminently. In addition to this, there are currently 500 applications/enquiries being processed. This is a vast improvement on the 11 that held the Kitemark in July.

21st September 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

Kwik-Fit Offers Vehicle Servicing and MoTs to Fleets

Fleets can now get their company cars and light commercial vehicles serviced and MoT’d at Kwik-Fit centres. Around 230 of Kwik-Fit’s nationwide network of 670 centres are now equipped to undertake interim and full services on all-makes of vehicles and 250 centres will also be capable of undertaking MoTs by the end of 2006. Following the completion of a long-time retail pilot, Kwik-Fit is now extending its servicing and MoT capability to all fleets.

16th August 2006/by Tyrepress Editors

Mechanics More Expensive than Doctors

What Car? has continued its criticism of the UK garage business by publishing an investigation into car servicing costs at 200 UK dealers. The research shows it can be cheaper to employ a barrister or a doctor than a mechanic.

According to the magazine, consumers frequently pay more than £100 per hour for labour at franchised dealers. Hourly rates vary across the country, from £49 for Vauxhall in Scotland to £140 for BMW in London. A locum doctor charging between £350 and £500 per day is cheaper. Even a criminal law junior barrister will charge as little as £30 per hour.

16th February 2006/by Tyrepress Editors