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• Calls for furlough replacement grow louder 

  While garages face the prospect of perhaps too much work going into the autumn thanks to the end of the MOT exemption, calls for the government to provide a replacement for the furlough scheme have continued.

• MOT calibration: Snap-on support 

  Snap-on is offering MOT testing stations the opportunity to sidestep the need to source calibration for existing equipment via a special offer on a fully calibrated SUN DGA5000 emissions analyser.
  
  The company says the equipment can be up and running within days of orders being received, and that those who take up the offer will pay nothing for 90 days. When payment is due, it will be interest-free, with a range of payment options available.
  Since the end of the MOT exemption, the number of motorists seeking tests has risen significantly, and in a Special Notice DVSA acknowledged that MOT testing stations may find it difficult to get equipment calibrated. While some leeway was permitted if there was proof that a testing station had a calibration booked, it was also pointed out that business unable to prove their equipment has been calibrated and is functioning normally would not be allowed to perform testing.
  
  Commenting on Snap-on’s offer, UK General Manager Mark Ost said: “We can provide you with our industry-leading SUN DGA5000 emissions analyser. You pay nothing for 90 days, ensuring you can generate some much-needed revenue without the worry of having to make a large lump sum payment straight away.
  
  “With over 500,000 consumers choosing to defer their MOT tests, we know this has been a very challenging time for the whole garage industry.
  
  “The positive news is that industry experts expect that the volume of MOT tests to be carried out from August to early 2021 will be over 2.5 times the usual activity, which will hopefully result in tremendous revenue opportunities.”
  
  Mark added: “We know that the demand for the SUN DGA5000 will be high and so in order to meet our customers’ needs, we have been working hard to build up a stock of available product. Place your order now to ensure you get one of these units before supplies are gone.”
  
  To find out more about the offer, call 01553 692422, alternatively, email techsales.uk@snapon.com or visit https://www.snapon.com/diagnostics/uk/MOT-support
  
  

• MOT Connectivity: Time for an equipment upgrade 

  The last 18 months have seen several changes to MOT rules come into force across the UK, affecting both brakes and emissions. There is more to come however, and guidance issued by the DVSA at the end of 2019 signalled the introduction of further changes affecting the use of connected equipment in 2020. 
   
  The requirement to use connectable roller brake testers was introduced on 1 October 2019 and decelerometers followed suit on 1 February 2020. To comply with the new rules, garages and MOT centres making a new site application or replacing old equipment, are required to buy connected products capable of connecting to the MOT testing service. The DVSA has also announced its intention to add diesel smoke meters, exhaust gas analysers and headlamp beam aligners to the list later this year.
   
   Benefits
  Connected equipment could bring a number of benefits for garages and MOT centres. Unlike the current manual input system, connected equipment allows results to be automatically transferred as the MOT test takes place, saving time, increasing data accuracy and helping to reduce the risk of fraud. Furthermore, the data collected will allow the DVSA to spot any trends and patterns, which may require further investigation.
   
  It is expected that all MOT tools and equipment will become increasingly connected in the future. With this in mind, garages and MOT centres should purchase products that offer this capability, in order to future-proof their MOT bays. While purchasing new equipment will undoubtedly raise financial concerns for some operators, they should regard such equipment as a long-term investment which will improve efficiency and deliver returns over time. Buying low-value alternatives is a false economy and could result in downtime due to equipment failure. While high-quality equipment provided by market-leading brands typically comes with after-sales support, including upgrades and retrofitting options.
   
  Factors
  Before purchasing new equipment there are several factors to consider and connectivity is increasingly important. To assist them in making the right choice, garages and MOT centres should select a product given on the DVSA’s approved equipment list or one that can be upgraded as and when necessary. They should also consider that further rule changes to increase connectivity are likely to be introduced in the future. Choosing easily compatible products that can be linked through the same software and controlled from just one station will result in a far simpler solution and a reduced chance of installation issues. 
   
  Where possible, garages should also look for equipment that can perform more than one function, for instance, MOT bays that also offer wheel alignment. Dual revenue options unlock a host of other business opportunities and ensure that equipment can be used its full potential, even in quieter times.
   
  Ultimately, growing use of connected equipment is likely to become a differentiator for garages and MOT centres in the year ahead. Those that decide to embrace automation can expect to benefit from faster MOT test times, improved customer service and less downtime due to faults or errors.

• Snap-on reiterates commitment to training  

  
  With opportunities for technical training limited during the Coronavirus crisis, Snap-on has reiterated its commitment to automotive industry skills development with a range of new online materials.

• Shifting demands, shifting gears  

  Garages that thought they would be veering away from MOTs in favour of essential repairs during the Coronavirus lockdown are still doing MOT tests at roughly the same rate, it has been suggested.
  
  While DVSA figures showed a 78% drop in MOT performed between 30 March and 24 April, marketing agency Digital Incubator says the independent garages it works with that remained open during the lockdown have not seen such a steep drop.
  “We have a lot of garage clients that have switched from MOT campaigns to clutch and gearbox work,” explained Jamie Stoulger, Sales Director and Operations Manager at Digital Incubator. “However, our clients are still generating a steady flow of MOT enquires.”
  
  Campaigns
  The marketing agency works with garages across the UK, and currently has over 1,200 motor trade campaigns ongoing. 80% of customers are in the independent sphere.
  
  Jamie continued: “Regardless of the MOT not being relevant, people are still getting their cars picked up. A lot of our clients run a collect and delivery service. We are running that via the ad campaigns and on the website.”
  There has been an impact, Jamie confirmed, but a mild one at best, and work overall continues: “MOTs have slowed down slightly, that just what it is, but regardless of us being in the middle of this pandemic, if someone still has to go into work and their car breaks down, they still need to get it repaired. They are not going to just leave it on the side of the road and deal with it six months later. You need it done. As a result, our clients are still generating leads.”
  
  Performance
  We asked Jamie he thought this has taken many of their garage clients by surprise. “I wouldn’t say so,” he replied. “There are a lot of franchised dealerships and service centres that have just closed their doors without even thinking about it. They just went ‘we can get funding, let’s just put everyone on furlough’. The garage businesses that decided to pummel through this, they are still performing. There might be a small dip in some cases, but across the board, our averages have not really dropped. I don’t want to make a bold statement and say it isn’t affecting anyone – it is – but they are on average not far behind where they usually are. It has hit them, but we are not talking about 50%. The drops in business are probably around 10% to 15%.”
  
  Situation
  On what has been in many cases blanket closure by across much of the franchised network, Jamie observed: “I worry about the outlets that are closing their doors without making the slightest attempt at generating business. It’s still out there. People forget that. Across the board, if you think about it logically, there might only be 50% of the business available, but if 80% of the outlets are closing down, the garages staying open will benefit. I think a lot of businesses are going to come back to a very big decline in their own customer base. Their customers have had chance to test another garage out. If they had a better service, I know where they will go the second time around.
  
   “I think some businesses have taken things a little too far. There are things you can put in place, like contactless pick-up and delivery. Dealerships could have put in place what the independents have done to keep their workers safe and the customers safe. If you can, do everything contactless. A lot of companies are going to go bust because of this. The best bet is to do things safely, ensure it is all contactless, but keep the doors open. The business is out there, they just need to be a bit more open about how to get it.”
  
  
  

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