The rise in a la carte pricing
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Our very own Mystery Shopper has gone up and down the country to find the best workshop rates and hours available and finds out just how much has changed in the past few years.
Each year, CM'S Mystery Shopper investigates truck and van workshop opening hours and labour rates in two groups of locations around the country. This year, we return to the groups in Belfast, Dover, Exeter and Norwich. Since we last featured these towns, just before the 2008 financial meltdown, we were intrigued to discover whether service levels and costs had been frozen. More dealers indicated that they are willing to negotiate hourly labour rates with regular customers, but only one, Yeomans, the Citron dealer in Exeter, quoted a fleet operator rate of f.51, a welcome 35% reduction.
There is an increasing trend to menu pricing and different pricing according to the job. Notably Volkswagen van dealers pointed out their menu pricing structure, while Kent-based Mercedes-Benz dealer Sparshatts claimed a wholly job-related structure on its truck and van services. All the truck franchises, and a growing number of van dealers, treat requests for an urgent appointment as a breakdown falling under manufacturer support schemes so are no longer included in this survey.
There was an interesting situation in Belfast this year, as three van dealers and one truck dealer declined to provide any information over the phone. Those that did respond revealed that Belfast van dealers have the most consistent rates with less than £7 separating the highest and lowest.
Opening hours
As last time round, just one featured truck workshop. DAF's Ford & Slater of Norwich. offers continuous opening from 6am on Monday to 6pm on Saturday, and another 11 hours on Sunday, the only one to oiler a Sunday service. This easily allows it to retain the crown for longest hours..
At 52 hours, the small MAN service point of Husk UK at Lycklen Hill near Dover still has the shortest hours, and puts the savings to good use to charge the lowest hourly