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It's interesting how the recession is affecting the space that's
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available in the average commercial vehicle workshop. Perhaps CM readers have noticed it as well Where 18 months ago, operators were being told: "We can't possibly get your truck into the workshop for at least two days, we're chock solid," today, in answer to the question about routine appointment lead times, one of the truck dealers surveyed by our Mystery Shopper declared -Immediately." And he wasn't joking, either.
That same dealer Volvo Wales and West Truck & Bus in Pontypridd also quoted us some good workshop opening hours too, from 8am round to 12,30am, Monday to Friday. Not quite enough to win our 'open all hours' award, but impressive nonetheless.
Keeping busy
In truth, in these lean times, where truck and van operators are standing vehicles up against the wall, the pressure is on all the UK's franchised CV service centres to sweat their assets and keep the workshop as busy as possible. Although that can be easier said than done.
Once again, there are some notable differences between the data supplied to Chi's Mystery Shopper from van dealers and heavy truck specialists. The six days 'urgent' appointment lead time quoted from the Ford dealer in Cardiff probably wouldn't go down too well with a busy van operator who needed a quick-fix on its Transit, never mind a harassed haulier with a sickly artic.
But with the recession biting hard, it means that workshops whether for vans or HGVs have to walk a fine line between offering extensive opening hours and highly-competitive labour rates, when the fact is that there are fewer vehicles coming through the service bays.
When C/14's Mystery Shopper last surveyed 32 dealers in East Anglia, the South-East, Northern Ireland and the South-West 12 months ago, the average hourly rate quoted was £57.79 with a high of £82.50 from a Scania dealer in the South-East and the lowest figure from Hino in Northern Ireland being a miserly £39.50.
This time around, casting our net around in Cumbria, the Midlands, South Wales and the South-East, the average rate was a higher 163.04 (up by 9% from 2008) from those 27 truck dealers willing to give out their hourly rate data over the phone, with a high of £89.25 from the Scania outlet in the expensive enclave of Purtleet in Essex (the nearby Mercedes dealer was next at £82). The further north we went, the lower the price no surprises there, although it emphasises once again the North/South divide and the cost of employing HGV technicians in the South.
Keeping quiet
Even given the fierce competition faced by service centres, not least from non-franchised independents, we are surprised that some service centres should be reluctant to quote labour rates over the phone. Similarly, in this new world of light vehicle menu pricing, it was equally surprising to be told by more than one van dealer that the rate "depends on the job".
For the record, our Mystery Shopper procedure is simply to ask the going rate (along with opening hours, etc), and if the response is "why are you asking?", we then identify ourselves as CM and that we are compiling data for readers. It usually, although not always, generates the desired response. At other times, the request is pushed upstairs to a higher authority (see box, right). Unfortunately, not everyone was able to respond a second time around — and it took yet another call to get the missing data.
However, we don't think it's an unreasonable request to want to know what a workshop's hourly charge is likely to be — we suspect CM readers don't either.
All-day service
When it comes to opening hours, we applaud those truck service companies offering 24 hours in these tough times, with the 'Jack Bauer' roster including MAN/ERF dealer Aquila, Volvo dealers Hartshorne and MC Truck & Bus, Mercedes-Benz dealer S&B Commercials, Scania's Purfleet and Keltruck dealerships and Renault Trucks Tipton.
On the van side, only Mercedes' S&B Commercials specifically quoted '24 hours' opening, although Iveco dealer Dagenham Motors deserves recognition for its 7arn-2am shift. Likewise, Cardiff Truck Centre's fitters (for Fiat vans) also put in long hours.
It's probably no coincidence that the longest-opening van dealers were truck service centres, too.
Perhaps the one over-riding message among all the data we have compiled is that while workshop opening times and labour rates are extremely important to the nation's commercial vehicle operators, the real clincher in keeping the customer satisfied (and keeping them coming back) is having the skill and knowledge to get the job done right first time. Something to consider when shopping around for the best deals. •