Tyre fitting bays and garages increasingly being convinced to do TPMS sensor work by the argument that they are giving away business to main dealers by not offering this service. The reason tyre depots haven’t done so much of this work in the past is because they are either ill-equipped or are worried about working with tyre sensors, says tyresensors.com.
Autologic Diagnostics Ltd will showcase its Autologic diagnostic tool at Automechanika Middle East 2011 in June. Offering an all-encompassing approach to vehicle diagnostics, the software allows for garages to operate independently with success. The UK-based manufacturer has announced it will participate at Automechanika Middle East for the first time in 2011. According to the company, the firm’s participation is in order to increase market awareness of the brand in the GCC region and to introduce their innovative products and services to this fast emerging market.
Halfords Autocentres has pledged to make customers' lives easier by championing the use of 'plain English' in its garages, following a poll of 2,000 motorists carried out for Halfords which revealed a high level of confusion around mechanical jargon and the need for simple and un-patronising language when dealing with motorists.
Over nine out of ten car owners (91 per cent) say they are left bewildered by terminology used by mechanics and almost half of motorists (48 per cent) admit paying for a service or repair without understanding what it was for.
Bosch has announced plans to step up advertising for its Car Service network. The new campaign will see Bosch Car Service target many of the national papers over February and March this year. Publications will include the Sunday Telegraph, The Sun, The Mail on Sunday, The Times and The Guardian, and also motoring magazine, What Car?
TyreSafe has released a statement suggesting that damage caused by the UK’s pothole epidemic can be minimised if the tyres are properly inflated. Stuart Jackson, chairman, TyreSafe, comments: “Potholes can cause significant damage to wheels and tyres. It’s therefore important for drivers to ensure their tyres are properly inflated to reduce any potential damage. If they do suffer the misfortune of hitting a pothole, drivers should make sure both their wheels and tyres are thoroughly inspected by a professional for signs of damage.”
One reason why some garages have been known to side step sensor servicing and replacement during the MOT is because of lack of experience of handling this kind of product. And it has to be said that some vehicle manufacturers have earned themselves more of a reputation in this respect that others. According to tyresensors.com, many people consider Renault TPMS sensors to be more hassle than they are worth. However it needn’t be so.
According to Commission directive 2010/48/EU (which is dated 5 July 2010) and “Adapting to technical progress Directive 2009/40/EC” of the European Parliament and of the council on roadworthiness tests for motor vehicles and their trailers, tyre pressure monitoring systems will become part of the MOT from 1 January. That’s the analysis of the law TPMS supplier tyresensors.com recently shared with Tyres & Accessories.
MAM has been appointed as the preferred supplier of garage management systems to the Bosch Car Service network. MAM has developed a bespoke version of its innovative Autowork Online solution which Bosch will be recommending to its network of garages. Autowork Online controls all aspects of daily activity including: diary bookings and parts ordering; quotations, job cards and invoices; SMS or e-mail service, MoT reminders and an integrated parts catalogue.
Snap-on Equipment has recently introduced new entry-level tyre changers and wheel balancers, which it believes will help workshops access greater wheel service revenue. Available under the Hofmann and John Bean brands, Snap-on offers offer a two-year warranty on the machines, which it says are “robustly built”. Installation and training are also provided as standard. Chris Behan, general manager, Snap-on Equipment, comments: “Our new entry-level tyre changers and wheel balancers are ideal for workshops seeking to expand their business into the tyre market, without compromising on quality or technology.”
When Clampco UK was founded in 2001, the company largely focused upon the supply of exhaust clamps and fittings to the exhaust and tyre fast fit sector. The firm was well received and its customer base grew to some 2,000 garages within a few years, yet during this period signs of decline in the exhaust market as a whole became apparent to Clampco. As Clampco managing director Stuart Hubble shares, it was clear the company’s only option for growth lay in diversifying and enlarging the product range on offer. With this in mind, Clampco focused its energies on investigating what other everyday items could be sold through its existing customer base. Two of the first additions to this wider range were tyre repair consumables and wheel balance weights – this was, notes Hubble, a “natural progression” from tyres and exhausts. Subsequently, Clampco added items covering the full spectrum of workshop requirements, including hygiene and safety products plus workshop cleaning products such mops, buckets and brushes. In addition to this, a full range of fast fit garage related tools such as impact wrenches and torque wrenches were added to the Clampco line-up.
Motor Codes Ltd is the self-regulatory body to oversee standards in the car and garage sector, set up by the SMMT. Motor Codes relies on feedback from customers to rate various aspects of the service they have received from participating garages across the UK. In October, 1,822 service or repair customers completed surveys and the results are encouraging, particularly in view of recent negative publicity in some parts of the press.
Garage equipment specialists the Trade Group has launched a new range of Trademaster scissor lifts. These have been specially selected to provide a wide range of choices for Class IV, VII and V light MOT installations as well as general service work. They permit the most effective use of garage workshop floor area by allowing the minimum permissible overall bay width to be used.
As the Asian region’s car parc continues to swell in the wake of economic recovery, the demand for aftermarket products and services is also said to be increasing. GfK Asia, which conducts retail audits in the automotive aftermarket in major Asian cities like Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Manila and Seoul, recently looked into the relationship between car “populations” in these cities relative to the number tyre servicing garages and compared the saturation levels in differing economies. While each tyre servicing garage in developing cities such as Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Jakarta and Manila serviced an average of 2250 vehicles, this figure is almost halved, at 1172:1 in a “developed” city such as Seoul. The Malaysian figure is almost four times the 674:1 average ratio GfK published in April 2009.
Parts supplier XPart has suggested that motorists should choose their garage carefully when taking their car for a pre-winter service. “Garages have a duty of care towards their customers to complete maintenance and repair work with a good level of skill, within an agreed timeline and at a reasonable cost,” comments Barry Smith, UK sales manager, XPart. The catalyst for these suggestions was a damning report in Which? magazine earlier in the year that pointed towards a general lack of rigour in carrying out checks and repairs on the public’s cars.
Continuing this October’s Tyre Safety Month, TyreSafe is publicising the thoughts of two “Wheel Heroes”; emergency service professionals who explain why they are supporting tyre safety month. The duo is a fire fighter who will “never forget a fatal minibus crash involving a youth soccer team” and a policeman “who attended an accident where a young nurse lost her life due to an under-inflated tyre”.
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