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Bock up network gives good deals
Page 100
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Steve Gray interviews Stan Bachelor, chairman of the Volvo Independeni Distributors' Association
WHEN Volvo trucks were first imported into the UK, paramount importance was placed on building up a distributor/dealer network. Not only was this network intended to be a marketing organisation, it was to provide the service back-up which is vitally necessary to any operator.
One criterion was applied when selecting distributors: they all had to be 100 per cent lorry oriented. This didn't mean that only existing commercial vehicle distributors were eligible. Indeed, many transport operators joined the ranks.
The rationale behind this philosophy was that people historically involved with heavy commercial vehicles would understand the commercial vehicle operators' problems and be able to provide the solutions.
The company was very choosey selecting the distributors and today they number 23. So closely do they work together that in 1971 the Volvo Truck Distributors' Association was formed.
asked its present chairman, Stan Bachelor of Hartshorne Motors, Birmingham, how the Association works, what benefits accrue to Volvo operators and what back-up they receive from Volvo.
Stan Bachelor's operation at Hartshorne Motors is typical of many others in the Association. He offers service and indeed parts back-up 24 hours a day, seven days a week. An example of his own commitment is the fact that out of hours calls which, for one reason or another, cannot reach the on-duty mechanics are put through to his home number. Indeed, he recalls lying under a cattle truck, in the middle of the night fitting a new fuel pump while the driver prodded the cattle to keep them awake!
There is, Stan told me, a close harmony between the distributors in the Association. Meetings are held every six weeks and there is a 100 per cent attendance by distributor principals. Volvo distributors, according to Stan, are a more personalised group than those of other vehicle manufacturers — the atmosphere, he believes, is different.
However, there is strong factory involvement in their
meetings. Small subcommittees for each of four functions — service, parts, sales and finance — meet with factory representatives of these areas and are able to put queries directly to them. In this way an immediate answer to particular points can be had on the spot.
Previously the Association had invited these representatives to the full meetings, but since the more stream lined system was introduced the chairman of each subcommittee is able to report direct to the distributors.
There are other advantages of the close involvement too. Volvo is able to adjust its forecast of the vehicles, both type and quantity, which will be needed for a given period. Individual distributors' local knowledge accurately relates to the national situation. In addition modifications to vehicles which the distributors may feel are required are picked up by Volvo. This gives the company an unrivalled mirror of the very grass roots of the transport industry.
One of the chief plus points of the Volvo set-up, says Stan, is that distributors firmly believe in the product. To ensure this interest is maintained, from principal to shopfloor level, Volvo involves its distributors in its plans. New vehicles, such as the F7, are shown in detail to them before official announcement. This is a neat bit of psychology as it puts people such as parts assistants in a superior position when asked about a new vehicle by their customers. Instead of being ignorant of the product they are able to explain the intricacies of its working and they immediately feel part of the action.
Product training, Stan maintains, is good all down the line with Volvo. A very high percentage of mechanics are factory trained and Volvo ensures that this training is thorough as well as comprehensive.
Spare parts are always held up as being the stumbling block on imported vehicles, and I asked Stan of his experiences with Volvo. Parts present no problems, he told me.
If a component not held in stock by a distributor is required, a call to the parts centre before 3prn will virtually ensure delivery by 10am the next morning.
A plus point here is that