Features

John Genge explains the finer points of getting customers to spend more without them feeling like they’ve paid over the odds

Just like John Genge, Mike Owen tackles your questions on running a garage and gets the ball rolling with sound business management advice. Eleanor Roosevelt is quoted as saying: “The harder I work the luckier I become.” It does not hold in the motor industry, where the harder you work the more profitable you should become. To ensure it, independent garages need to focus on business management.

John Genge gets to grips with some common questions from the aftermarket. Here he looks at the value of apprentices and appraisals

Carrying on the Inside Line series, we move on from looking at the BMW Mini and turn our attention to another supermini which is one of the nation’s favourites – the Renault Clio. The Clio was once crowned and is still considered one of the best small cars on the market despite so much competition

The IAAF has warned the sector it is at risk of unravelling. Chief Executive Brian Spratt expressed his concern that the fighting in the sector over the matching quality debate, and now with the storm brewing over Unipart’s comparative brake test, will be to the detriment of the aftermarket

Tim Richards explores the dangers of failing to protect the integrity of your products down the supply chain and how you can safeguard against them. Exceptional customer service and a strong, recognisable brand identity can create a stellar reputation. Most would agree, though, that a good quality product is critical. In the current environment, can a company simply sit back and let a product move from design to end-consumer without taking steps to ensure the product is tamper-free?

John Genge looks at how to go about recruiting the right people for your job, and make sure your investment pays dividends. Any manager is only as good as their team. If you want your business to succeed, then you must ensure that you recruit, retain and appraise the right employees

Just like the ‘find the lady’ card trick where sleight of hand defeats the eye, in the background of my mind there has always been a nagging question about registration statistics. I’ve always considered that bumper vehicle registrations, year on year must expand the service market downstream – but it didn’t appear to happen.