Category: FullCover

Here’s Beth at Triumph North London installing our FullCover system.

Cooper Solutions’ short-term insurance solution and licence checking simplifies vehicle handovers and delivers extra income stream

Award winning Chorley Group, operating six key dealerships and four franchises across the North-West of England, has chosen FullCover from Cooper Solutions as its preferred fleet management system and short-term insurance provider.

The business initially adopted FullCover at Chorley Nissan, the UK’s largest volume, single Nissan dealership, but quickly established that its ability to streamline the car handover process for its customers, and the additional income revenue it delivers through collision damage waiver (CDW), would an invaluable addition to the Group as a whole.  The system has now been rolled out to encompass its dealerships across Lancashire and Greater Manchester.

Operating five of the world’s largest motor franchises incorporating Nissan, Hyundai, Kia and MG Motors, the Chorley Group’s fleet management task is potentially complex.  However, FullCover has enabled the Chorley Group’s network of locations to efficiently manage all current, future and historic appointments for sales, aftersales and bodyshop loans, while incorporating instant online driving licence checking.

Stephen Mellett, Group Aftersales Director says: “Using FullCover has had a number of benefits for us. Being able to check driving licences in real time means we can process the handover of loan cars quickly, so customers can get on their way without having to wait around as paperwork and forms are completed. We’re also able to process any Motability customers through the system efficiently, so all customer usage is recorded in one place. FullCover integrates with our existing dealer platform, meaning we can book straight into our diary screen, which has streamlined our booking process.”

Chorley Nissan Blackpool was the first adopter of CDW; now utilised by the whole group. Traditionally, customers have to shoulder a high insurance excess if they want to drive a loan car, but this is no longer the case as Stephen Mellett explains: “We also benefit from the additional revenue provided through CDW, which means that the customer is fully insured with a very low excess, with the added benefit of this having a positive impact on customer satisfaction. We currently recover between 70% and 110% of our insurance premium spend by offering CDW to our customers.”

The Cooper Solutions team has collaborated closely with Chorley Group to unravel some areas which were not working for them or their customers.  Crucially, the partnership with Cooper Solutions and FullCover has turned what were headaches for the dealership, into a profit-making opportunity for them whilst enhancing customer satisfaction.   

“Dealers need to be on top of their forecourt fleet and courtesy cars at all times to  boost profitability and of course, make life better for customers.  Whether customers are test driving cars for sale or returning for servicing or aftersales care, FullCover supports dealers in meeting their needs. By working in partnership with dealerships like Chorley Group, we can tailor our solutions to maximise return on investment for them.  It also means we can ensure their customers reap the benefits and reward dealers with their on-going custom for years to come,” concludes Dean Pipitone, Director of Cooper Solutions.

The test drive process is a vital element of the customer purchase journey and substantially increases the chance of securing a sale. Well, that’s the perceived wisdom among dealers, at least. The idea is that once a customer is behind the wheel, the benefits of the vehicle speak for themselves, especially when it comes to considering an upgrade.

We conducted a survey of 200 used car buyers and the results show just how important extended and unaccompanied test drives are. In fact, 49% of respondents said they would feel more positively about a dealer if they were offered an extended or unaccompanied test drive and would welcome the opportunity to make a more informed purchase decision.

Whilst 43% said they would use the opportunity to show the car to friends and family to gauge their opinion, the vast majority (89%) admitted that a positive response would likely swing a sale. A further 15% would take it to show off to colleagues at work, for that all important second opinion, with more men (18%) than women (13%) saying they would do this. Nearly a third (32%) said an extended test drive would increase the chances of them ‘falling in love’ with the car they were test driving and 20% said it would increase the probability of them buying that make and model of vehicle.

Women (25%) are more likely to do day-to-day errands in an unaccompanied test drive car, compared to 23% of men. However, it’s clear that both genders like to test a car to make sure it fits their lifestyle, whether it’s doing the supermarket shop, packing for a trip or fitting in the golf clubs and yoga mat.

When it comes to testing the driving of the vehicle itself, overall performance was rated the most important factor, closely followed by visibility and ease of parking. Whilst 42% of men tested a car for motorway driving, women were more likely (38%) to make sure there’s enough space in the boot.

That time alone in a car allows potential buyers to test a car for comfort, equipment and handling, as well as lifestyle features, such as space and in-car gadgets. It also takes the pressure off customers, without the salesperson accompanying them. However, our survey suggests that some customers may be tempted to take liberties with a test drive, when it comes to speeding or driving on a motorway. Dealers need to consider both quality short term insurance cover, in the event of an incident, as well as the tracking of traffic offences or charges, enabling them to offer unaccompanied test drives with confidence. Crucially, this means dealers can enhance the customer experience and boost their bottom line, by making the most of new sales opportunities.

Just moving from physical to an online auction platform could more than double trade sales profits

Looking at over 71,000 car sales, our research confirms that physical auction fees are usually bigger than the profits that selling retailers make. That ratio simply isn’t good for business for today’s retailer.

Retailers using physical auctions are usually happy as the results are better than they were used to getting when dealing with local traders, and the transaction is transparent and secure.

What they don’t realise is the stark difference in transaction costs between the physical and online auction route, and this will always reflect in the profits made. Given their business model, the physical auction houses need a high transaction cost to pay for their overheads. With lower buyers fees, sellers tend to see bigger profits as buyers have ‘more in the pot’ to bid with.

FullAuction has sold over 69,000 franchised retailers’ trade cars since it was launched – savvy retailers already use the platform as part of their core disposal strategy.