From Monday June 1st, car showrooms in England can re-open to the public following government guidance intended to ease existing lockdown measures. Decisions on when to open dealerships in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will be made independently, but the UK’s 4,900 dealers constitute the second largest new car market in Europe after Germany, and are rightly considered essential to restarting the nation’s economy.
If you’re in the market for a new or used car, you'll be able to visit showrooms to see cars in the metal and talk to sales staff face-to-face, albeit with strict social distancing measures in place. Sales can be processed in person or online, including finance agreements, and many dealerships have already established home delivery services.
Government guidance requires all dealers to undertake a full risk assessment and establish safety measures to protect customers and staff. The NFDA and SMMT have also issued advice on how showrooms should go about implementing the new protocol. These include signage, posters and markers to clearly communicate social distancing measures, one-way systems for entrances and exits, zero direct contact for greetings, unaccompanied test drives, regularly sanitising all facilities and surfaces, and improving ventilation in buildings.
The implementation of the extensive guidelines have inevitably proven tricky for businesses accustomed to the idea of making its customers feel personally welcome, but the dealerships PH spoke to have clearly put a great deal of thought into the 'new normal'.
Rob Fenn of Prestige Cars Kent explained: “To ensure everyone feels comfortable and safe, we’ll be limiting numbers by being strict with our viewing by-appointment approach. We’ve done our best not to make things look like a hospital ward, but from the moment you walk in, there are hand sanitizer stations and signage for our one-way system. We’ve re-thought our layout entirely, with desks spaced out and perspex dividers fitted. Lockdown encouraged us to invest online, and for those still not comfortable visiting, they can still purchase fully through our website. However, the paperless process from our website has now drip-fed down to showroom sales too. We’re also surprised to find many people are happy with detailed photos and a walkaround video instead of a test drive; but the latter is now possible too in unaccompanied form.”
While most dealers have been closed since March 23rd - triggering a 97 per cent drop in sales during April, according to the SMMT - some have implemented measures to keep the wheels turning, such as virtual appointments and home deliveries. While showrooms in England might be open from Monday, it’s likely that some people may still prefer the idea of buying a car from home and having it delivered to the door. Some businesses have already responded to the demand by introducing a ‘click and collect’ option during lockdown. Our sister site, CarGurus, now offers additional functionality to filter cars for sale based on that preference.
One dealer who has explored the idea vigorously is Sytner Group. Darren Edwards, the firm's CEO, told PH: “All returning employees have been trained on social distancing measures and the use of PPE to ensure our colleagues and customers safety, our showrooms have new graphics and floor markings to make it clear to everyone what is required. During lockdown we introduced click and collect, home delivery and a new buy online feature on our website, where customers can choose and reserve a car, get a guaranteed part exchange valuation, apply for finance and even buy a car outright up to £40,000. Our sales teams working from home have sold over 4000 cars since March 24th, and are eager to continue building on that momentum now that we can re-open the showroom doors again on June 1st. We are very excited and look forward to welcoming back our existing customers and introducing our 'new normal' procedures to new clients as well.”
As with so many things directly affected by the coronavirus pandemic, what dealers can and can't do will likely change over time. Certainly the processes they employ may vary, as will the services they offer, so it’s a good idea to contact a dealership first to book an appointment before visiting and to understand what’s expected to keep both you and staff safe. Expect them to welcome you with open arms - albeit from two metres away.
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