Editor’s comment 3 www.aftermarketonline.net MARCH 2025 Editor John Shepherd john@aftermarket.co.uk +44 (0) 1732 370 345 Head of Sales Angela Lyus angela@aftermarket.co.uk +44 (0) 7823 736 629 Managing Director Ryan Fuller ryan.fuller@dfamedia.co.uk Marketing Manager Hope Jepson hope.jepson@dfamedia.co.uk Production Design Anthony Wiffen production@aftermarket.co.uk +44 (0) 7851 612799 Finance Department accounts@dfamedia.co.uk +44 (0) 1732 370 340 Contributors Jamie Akhtar | Martin Brown | Bill Fennell | Rebecca Pullan | Jay Wheatley Published by DFA Media Group 192 High Street Tonbridge Kent TN9 1BE +44 (0)1732 370340 ISSN 2516-9149 Aftermarket is published 10 times a year and is sent free of charge to applicants meeting the publisher’s criteria. All others may subscribe at £60 per anum, £120 Europe and £150 rest of the world. While every care is taken to provide accurate information, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for any errors or ommisions, no matter how caused. All rights reserved. No part of the publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior consent of the publisher. The views of contributors do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher. Copyright: DFA Aftermarket Media Ltd 2025. Average net circulation July 2023 to June 2024 21,945 Why it’s not just the car that may need a service Spring has just about sprung and if you’re anything like me you can’t wait. It’s been a gloomy old winter that seems to have dragged on, one dank dark day after another. A bout of ‘man flu’ — which every self-respecting, self-pitying bloke knows when suffering is the most misunderstood of ailments — has not helped my mood as a write this month’s introduction to the magazine. But, at last, spring is just around the corner (OK, maybe a bit of journalistic licence in that regard). I would not be at all surprised if Mother Nature still has a few surprises up her sleeve before this edition reaches you online and in print. However, vehicles emerging from the ravages of winter present a business opportunity for garages as motorists finally give in and decide a service should not be put off any longer. It’s also an ideal time to think of what we mean by ‘service’ in the widest sense of the word. Is the opportunity for some welcome extra cash presenting itself on the forecourt motivation enough, or could we go beyond the proverbial extra mile in terms of customers, employees and ourselves? In uncertain economic times it can be hard to be motivated. As we report in this issue, a recent poll suggests another challenging year lies ahead, but there are still opportunities to be seized to boost businesses, not least in areas such as training and customer service. According to high-flying business mogul Sir Richard Branson: “Train people well enough so they can leave, but treat them well enough so they don’t want to.” The same approach can work with customers too, as business coach and mentor Jay Wheatley writes this month on the subject of service advisors. And even if the customer relations road gets a bit bumpy, there is still every opportunity to turn a negative experience into a positive one, as The Motor Ombudsman’s Bill Fennell explains in his article. Keeping fairness in check in the workplace is the theme of another of our food-for-thought motivational articles this month, by Carmaster Garage MD Rebecca Pullan. Leadership and service was very much on the agenda too at LKQ UK and Ireland’s recent annual conference, where I had the pleasure of hearing from business guru Geoff Ramm. I hope you find plenty of inspiration in this month’s magazine to help you and your business spring into action for the new season. Enjoy the issue! John Shepherd Editor
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