Used Car Website Set To Launch New ‘Ten Points of Difference’ After Research Reveals Driver Misconceptions Over Cost
Trusted Dealers (www.trusteddealers.co.uk), the consumer facing used car website of the National Franchise Dealer Association (NFDA), is set to launch a national campaign promoting the value and benefits of main dealer servicing and maintenance.
The initiative has been prompted by NFDA research, conducted in conjunction with the SMMT, which asked 1,250 car buyers on their perceptions of servicing and repair. The findings revealed the majority of owners (57 per cent) would prefer to use franchise dealers if costs were equivalent to independents.
The campaign, which will see the used car website launch a new aftersales quality commitment programme under its ‘Ten Points of Difference’ banner, will aim to dispel many of the myths around pricing, whilst reinforcing the value of the franchise dealer aftersales proposition.
Developed in conjunction with the NFDA’s Aftersales Steering Group, the new ‘Ten Points of Difference’ are designed to make the value of franchise dealer servicing and maintenance more ‘robust and marketable’, communicating the benefits of using a qualified, brand specific franchised dealer for all servicing and repair needs.
With features including pricing, expertise, parts, guarantees and safety checks, the quality commitment guarantee dovetails with the NFDA’s proposed Aftersales Service Standards for members, set to be ratified in July.
A consumer mediation service will also be launched as part of the campaign. The first to be incorporated into a classified site, it will offer car owners help and advice on consumer rights when buying from a franchise dealer, as well as helping broker resolutions to customer problems.
Further details of the campaign are set to be revealed at the NFDA’s Driving Digital Conference (www.driving-digital.co.uk) in July. A nationwide consumer-facing media campaign targeting broadcast, print and online outlets will then be used to promote the benefits of franchise dealer aftersales to drivers, kicking off in August.
Trusted Dealers Managing Director, Neil Addley, said: “The Trusted Dealers Ten Points of Difference for Aftersales have been created by franchised dealers for franchised dealers, and are designed to tackle a lot of misconceptions about dealer servicing and repair, as well as condensing the benefits into a robust and marketable message.
“Trusted Dealers is promoted as the safest place for drivers to buy a used car and an obvious extension to this is to encompass aftersales under our quality commitment banner. This will in turn support the delivery of low cost, quality aftersales leads for our members.
Sue Robinson, Director of the National Franchised Dealers Association, said: “The new campaign is the latest development in our shift to position the NFDA as a more consumer facing body, communicating the influential buying messages which support our members.”
“Our research findings showed there was a real need to tackle many of the misconceptions over franchise dealer servicing. As a result the Trusted Dealers team have worked closely with our Aftersales Steering Group to ensure the Ten Points of Difference directly support the many benefits identified by dealers themselves.”
Last month the NDFA took a majority stake in used car portal Trusted Dealers in a move designed to promote the consumer benefits of buying from an approved franchised dealer, as well as driving opportunities to increase the Trusted Dealers member base.
Trusted Dealers has grown rapidly since its launch in January 2011 and now counts 886 of the UK’s largest franchised dealers as members. It has enjoyed record performance month on month during 2013, with customers seeing their stock profiled to a growing network audience of 1.2 million monthly unique users.
For more information please contact Carys Samuel or Louise Vaughan at Acceleris Marketing Communications on 0845 4567 251 or email caryss@acceleris-mc.com
Notes to Editors
- *The NFDA and SMMT survey questioned 1,250 new and used car buyers on their perceptions of franchised dealer servicing and maintenance in January 2012
- The National Franchised Dealers Association represents franchised car and commercial vehicle dealers in the UK and lobbies on issues including manufacturer relationships, legislation, used cars, finance, insurance and aftersales. The NFDA’s membership now covers 85% of all dealer networks in the UK.
- In November 2012 Trusted Dealers joined forces with What Car? to launch the ‘What Car? Approved Used’ consumer badge. Designed to offer unprecedented peace of mind for buyers, the partnership enables members to use the ‘What Car? Approved Used’ branding across all site listings, as well as within their own dealership and marketing communications.
