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choose correctly • • •
SPECIFYING VEHICLES must be an exact science. Spending up to 230,000 should exercise the mind and raise many questions.
Will the specification meet the operational requirements of today and next year? Will it have a good residual value? Has the local dealer a good after-sales facility? Is it simple to service and maintain?
Other points come as commercial considerations.
What discount is available? How much will the "trade-in" produce? Are replacement parts expensive?
Then there are personal considerations. The traffic operator may have a different opinion from that of the fleet engineer or mechanic. The driver may have his own very strong views. What the accountant or bank manager has to say may be more important than any other voice.
Outside influences could have a bearing on the final decision.
The opinions of other operators who use the vehicle should be heard. Manufacturers' claims cannot be ignored. Independent road tests are always useful for comparison between makes. There are many information sources, but listening to them all, prospective buyers could be quickly and hopelessly confused. So where do they look': Who do they listen to? We would like to know.
Readers are invited to join CM
in a survey to discover how decisions are made when new vehicles are being purchased. W( and the manufacturers want to know what factors influence the decision and who are the decision makers.
Obviously the answers will differ between sizes of fleets.
This will be taken into account when the survey is being analysed.
The questions fall into seven categories. All we ask is that readers mark their order of preference A, B, C, D, E and so on, and then tick the appropriate box to indicate how influential the factor is.
The page should be returned to: Readers' Survey, Commercial Motor, Room 304C, Quadrant House, The Quadrant, Sutton, Surrey, to reach us not later
than the end of January, 1983.