Manufacturers buy into Lex dealer customer service reward scheme

Lex has engaged in very positive discussions with manufacturers following its decision to invest in rewarding dealers for making its drivers happy.

It has received many calls in response to them working with their dealers to improve customer satisfaction across the 178,000-strong Lex fleet and receiving a share of the bonus fund.

Aftersales directors and fleet directors alike are keen to explore with Lex new ways of keeping their dealer networks’ service facilities busy and profitable according to Lex Managing Director Jon Walden.

“We have had calls from board members and fleet directors who we have never spoken to before in response to their dealers receiving extra money for providing an excellent level of service to our drivers,” he said.

“Manufacturers are finally realising their dealers have a challenging future on the back of longer servicing intervals and improved reliability. To keep their servicing businesses busy they will have to consider working closer with the leasing industry to guarantee their servicing departments remain viable.”

In the past Lex has experienced some dealers ignoring opportunities to work with them as they want to concentrate on supposedly more lucrative retail business. Some manufacturers have also been slow to encourage their dealers to work with Lex and provide its drivers with a quality service, especially in parts of London.

That’s one of the main reasons Lex has employed the services of independent dealers in some regions as they have a positive ‘can do’ attitude, provide an excellent service and offer competitive labour rates.

“Too many service managers focus on keeping their departments busy in the short term, but forget about forging relationships with the likes of Lex who can offer regular volumes of servicing, maintenance and warranty work in the long term,” said Walden.

“They have to provide us with a competitive labour rate and an excellent level of service, but the announcement of our bonus fund and payment in less than seven days shows we are keen on working with dealer partners over a long period of time,” he added.

By combining a healthy blend of retail and fleet work Lex believes service managers should be able to guarantee a profitable future for their dealership. Lex believes its efforts will also help dealers drive up service standards for all customers not just company car drivers, which should help them develop the retail maintenance part of their businesses.