This week I've been beavering away, working on getting the copy up together for the next issue of Service Dealer magazine.

I feel like I may be repeating myself here, but I believe it's an absolutely cracking issue we've got coming up for you. It's packed full of dealer-centric stories, both in the news pages and within our feature sections. In this upcoming edition we include in-depth focus on seven separate dealerships from all around the country.

One story for example, that I think readers will find particularly fascinating and relatable comes from my colleague, our agricultural machinery editor, Martin Rickatson. Entitled Handling the challenges of changing franchises, Martin speaks at length to a dealer whose business has made the transition from one major brand to another. The interview covers what this change has meant for their business and, crucially, what it's meant for their relationship with their customers.

As Martin astutely puts it in his article, "Customer loyalty is one of the hardest-earned assets any dealership can possess."

I won't spoil today who the dealer is that Martin spent time with - I'll leave that as a surprise for when the mag drops on to your mat - but I will say they offer great insight into how getting certain customers to change their machinery make isn’t easy. They explain to Martin how they have found that demonstrations are essential. "Get someone in the seat, show them how good the machine is and let them operate it for a while," they describe as key. 

They go on to sum up their philosophy, explaining, "Then give them a competitive price and the personal support of a family dealership, and deals can be done."

Mixing it up - whilst maintaining loyalty

Dealers shuffle their machinery offerings all the time, of course. Sometimes the choice is entirely of their making, deciding to drop or to add a franchise as part of a strategic move. Just last week for example in this Weekly Update, we included four separate news items of dealers taking on ranges new to their businesses.

Other times the move can be forced upon dealerships. As we've seen with increased frequency, manufacturers can at any time make choices to redraw their territory boundaries or to rationalise their networks into fewer, larger dealer groups. 

What is vital when changing up franchises for any reason, is maintaining that customer loyalty. The ideal scenario that businesses will be striving for is that their customer base will return to their premises regardless of what colour the machinery parked on their forecourt, or on display in their showroom, might be.

But what are effective methods to engender that customer loyalty? How can dealers guarantee to bring their community with them as they evolve marques? I suppose nothing is guaranteed, however as the dealer Martin spoke with alluded to, fair pricing and that level of personal service that only independent specialists can offer, must be top of any list.

Doing a bit of research into what business experts would recommend to retailers who are mixing up their key franchises, other advice includes maintaining consistency in after-sales support; continuing to offer comprehensive product knowledge and engaging in relationship building. All sound tips, although arguably fairly standard practice for any dealer worth their salt. 

One tip I did read that I thought was quite interesting, and perhaps one that might not spring to mind immediately, is for dealers who are changing up their offering to communicate with transparency to their customers during the franchise transitions about the changes taking place.

The advice given was to notify customers well in advance and explain the reasons for the change. Emphasise how the new franchise will benefit them and assure them of continued support and service. By proactively addressing any concerns or uncertainties, it was argued a dealer can maintain customer loyalty and head-off any potential dissatisfaction during the transitional period.

By doing what independent dealers have always done best, and by being open and honest with customers, hopefully dealerships should be able to create an enduring loyalty that transcends any specific machinery brand.

Service Dealer are pleased to announce that Toro UK will be returning to the Conference & Awards this year, as a Gold Sponsor.

A new venue has been announced for this year, with the Crowne Plaza at Stratford-Upon-Avon taking on hosting duties - with the date to mark up in your diaries being 30th November 2023.

Service Dealer owner Duncan Murray-Clarke  said, "Toro UK returning to support our event once again is fantastic news and clearly illustrates how they share our ethos that a heathy independent dealer network is vital for the success of our industry."

Craig Hoare, sales and marketing manager at Toro U.K Limited said, “We are delighted to again commit to the Service Dealer Conference & Awards in 2023. Service Dealer has always been at the heart of the industry and the essential link between manufacturer and dealer.  

"Our dealer network is at the core of our success and I see no better opportunity than the Service Dealer Conference & Awards to come together to celebrate the hard work, commitment and achievements of those dealers.”

Further details about this year's Conference & Awards, including the theme of the event, will be announced soon.

Garden equipment manufacturer and distributor Handy say they are excited to announce a new partnership with Norwegian pressure washer specialist AVA.

The partnership will be officially launched at this year’s Glee (27-29th June 2023 at the NEC, Birmingham), on Handy’s stand 20H20-J21.

Handy say there are four AVA pressure washer ranges which will be available to UK retailers through themselves, to meet different customer needs and price points. Each come with a warranty of up to 20-years.
 
Available will be the premium pressure washer ranges - Evolution and Master - which feature long-lasting metal pumps with four cylinders. Also availabl will be the Smart and Go ranges that Handy say are built to the same quality, but provide a lower price entry point. 
 
Commenting, Mark Moseley, Handy's sales and marketing director, said, “With a multiple award winning product range, and an ethos centred around sustainability that is very much in line with our own, AVA is a welcome addition to the Handy family of quality brands. AVA of Norway are passionate about their products and want them to last. Their focus on maintenance of solid products is simply a good environmental measure.
 
“What’s more, these pressure washers easily compete with leading brands in the UK, but with added features and an excellent price point. We are very much looking forward to introducing them to retailers at Glee, who we think will be very pleasantly surprised by the margins to be made on such a good quality product range.”

Campey Turf Care Systems have announced they have added the Dutch-made Van Vuuren turf harvesters to their staple of machines.

 
Van Vuuren has been a supplier of machinery for the turf industry since 1988.
 
Lee Morgado sales director of Campey says he is delighted to be adding the equipment to the their line-up. “We’ve known the company a long time and have a good relationship with them. Together, we can provide the sales, service and back-up network to drive the whole range, in particular the TurfTick 2316 Universal Stacker and BigTick 1040 turf harvester, forward in the UK and Ireland.”
 
The TurfTick 2316 is a single-operator, universal stacker, described as suitable for turf growers with a harvesting capacity of approximately 900m2 per hour.
 
The BigTick1040 meanwhile is described as being an economical solution for harvesting high-quality large turf rolls, with a production capacity of 2400 meters per hour.

Jen Carter is the new head of communications at the Grounds Management Association, supporting the GMA’s five-year strategy which covers all the sectors of the groundscare industry, including the membership organisation’s flagship event SALTEX, with an expanded communications team.

Jen Carter

Jen says her and her team’s work will focus on supporting the GMA to achieve its three long-term goals: to attract new talent and accelerate the growth of a diverse workforce; to support sustainable business growth and protect the sector’s interests, and to build the industry’s reputation and promote the sector’s contribution to society and the economy, and that, she says, cannot be done without the support of SALTEX.

The relationship between the GMA and SALTEX is inherently interlinked with the work done for both contributing significantly to the growth and success of the industry. The GMA and SALTEX work hand in hand – SALTEX is powered by the GMA and in turn SALTEX feeds into the GMA's extensive work in supporting, and raising the profile of, the groundscare industry in all its guises.

Jen said, “I’ve been aware of the work the GMA and SALTEX have done for the industry as my experience is rooted in the sports sector and I believe it’s essential for the long-term success of the industry that they function and flourish. I am really excited to play a part in their history and their future.”

Jen joins the GMA from Liverpool Football Club where she spent nearly eight years developing and executing strategic communications for the club’s major capital projects including the AXA Training Centre, the new Main Stand, LFC’s flagship retail store and for stadium developments such as concerts and major events. 

SALTEX takes place at Birmingham NEC on 1-2 November 2023.

The National Association of Agricultural Contractors (NAAC) is launching a social media campaign on ATV safety to impress the importance of wearing a helmet.

Jill Hewitt, NAAC chief executive

Farmers and contractors are being invited to share photos of themselves wearing a helmet with the hashtag #wearitandshareit.

The aim say the NAAC, is to make all operators ask why anyone would put themselves, or their workers, at risk (and break the law) by not wearing a helmet on a sit-astride ATV (aka a quad bike)?

The Association says in the last five years, ATVs were involved in 14 deaths in agriculture - the most significant cause of deaths involving moving vehicles in the industry. Many, other serious and life-changing incidents are happening all the time, they say - yet there is still resistance to wearing a helmet.

The NAAC is raising the question why anyone would choose to ride, or deliberately send a worker or family member out on a job with a sit-astride ATV, with no helmet, knowing there is a real and proven risk of loss of life, which could easily be reduced by using a helmet.

Commenting Jill Hewitt, NAAC chief executive said, “ATV users should take pride in wearing a helmet to protect their safety and help minimise the risk of the worst possible news being delivered to their family if an incident occurs. None of us are infallible and the NAAC wants the industry to get behind us by sharing photos of themselves wearing a helmet under #wearitandshareit”

Continuing Jill said, “It is a legal requirement to wear a helmet at work and if you leave it behind, you are more likely to suffer a serious head injury, or worse, if you come off. The NAAC is working with Logic helmets to provide a discount to members, removing any final excuses why a helmet would not be worn.”

Of course say the NAAC, simply wearing a helmet will not keep everyone fully protected and it is vitally important to ensure that anyone riding an ATV is competent and trained to handle the machine.

Reesink Turfcare has launched a new Electric Powered course, designed to help customers get the best from their machinery.

When it comes to mowers, the manufacturer offers three relevant training courses: Turfcare Mechanics to include cutting technology, the Safe Use of Ride-On Mowers and the new Electric Powered Training.

Lee Rowbotham, service and training manager at Reesink UK, explains that having well-trained operators and mechanics can make machines go even further in both performance and longevity: “Reesink training provides customers with the confidence to operate and take care of their own machines so that operations can continue to run smoothly no matter what. It’s about investing in people as much as it is the machines themselves, but ultimately the two are always linked.”

With the rapid development of electric and hybrid technology, the company say it’s important that skills and knowledge in those areas progresses at an equivalent rate so that technicians and dealers can better serve their customers and the Toro product. Hence the introduction of the new course. 

Lee explains: “The Electric Powered Training course covers calibration and troubleshooting in Toro electric machinery, understanding how the electric system works and how each electrical component fits into the system. It is aimed at end users who currently have electric Toro products in their fleet.”

The company says course material and assessment are included in the fees, and manufacturer backed certification is provided at the end. Each of the courses range from one to two days of training and can be conducted on an individual basis or in small groups.

Our 2020 Summer research showed that on average, each Garden Trader dealer will be sent 114 new customers (or people with a buying intention walking through your door) per year.  This works out at 83p for each new customer. A subscription rate designed to be all inclusive delivering unrivalled online results.  

This site was purpose-built just for skilled servicing ground care dealers by the team that bring you Service Dealer Magazine. It is easy and quick to register and costs just £96 + VAT per year for a full listing.  As this dealer site is designed to promote the UK dealer network, all revenues in 2022 will continue to be reinvested into promoting the site online and so supporting the dealer network.

Join the country’s only independent specialist website, created by the team that bring you Service Dealer. Join our subscribed Garden Trader dealers now by clicking on “Register Dealership” and let's fight back against the zero value retailers.

Map of dealerships registered with Garden Trader

FIND OUT MORE