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Not since the growth of the Hino network in the noughties has a truck company expanded its dealer network at such a pace. Isuzu Truck (UK) marketing director Keith Child lifts the lid on the company’s current expansion, driven by a wider vehicle range and greater awareness within the market
Words: Kevin Swallow
It seems not a week goes by without Isuzu Truck (UK) announcing that a new dealership has joined its ranks. In the past two years it has expanded its dealer network by 23% to 52.
Marketing director Keith Child says that during 2010 the company took on six new dealers – in Witham, Isle of Man, Gloucester, Shefield, Peterborough and Birmingham. “So far during 2011 we have had two existing dealers re-invest in new premises – Isuzu Warrington and Isuzu Hoddesdon – and we’ve taken on a further six new dealers in Manchester, Leeds, Exeter, Shefield, Southampton and Norwich,” he says.
Of the 52 dealers, 34 cover sales, parts and service, with 18 as parts and service dealers. The expansion is driven by 2008’s new ranges of heavier vehicles above the 7.5-tonne sector, says Child. That has given Isuzu a larger presence in the road transport sector, greater awareness of its brand, and appreciation of the quality of the products.
Increasing national coverage
The heavier truck ranges (7.6 tonnes to 18 tonnes) have helped create more interest in the brand and led to Isuzu being approached by CV repairers to take on the franchise.
“The fact that we are now selling distribution vehicles that do longer journeys has meant we’ve had to increase our national coverage.
“We took the decision to use this interest to further develop and raise the standards of our network and provide an even better service to our customers,” he says.
“It’s also true that we are selling a lot more vehicles to larger leets and some of them have required an even more comprehensive dealer network than perhaps we had prior to 2008.” Isuzu assesses potential new dealerships geographically before focusing on potential targets within that area.
“We are absolutely passionate about our customer care and providing excellent customer service, so we actually hand-pick the dealers that we now take on. We have to like them, they have to like us,” says Child. “They have to portray a passion for great customer service and they need to have a good reputation for it too. We talk to customers and other CV users to try to obtain good local knowledge of the repairers they use, and which ones have the best reputations.”
High standards must be met
Child explains that the customer care ethos demands that high standards are met. “We also have fairly high standards when it comes to the physical premises and look of the buildings. Also, the business needs to be capable of servicing/receiving at least 18-tonners.” There are signs that the network will continue to expand. Child conirms that Isuzu is in conversation with 12 prospective companies that are strategically located to strengthen its coverage of the UK.
He adds: “Interestingly, we also have many more companies waiting in the wings that are located within territories we already have covered.” ■