There’s an old adage: While the first vehicle sells itself, back-up and support sells the rest. Arriva Bus and Coach recognises that, which is why it now has a new head of aftersales who is making it happen
Many operators view back-up as one of the most important aspects of buying a coach, and repeat business often hinges on how that support is delivered. That’s one of the reasons that Arriva Bus and Coach (ABC) has appointed Nigel Clarke as Head of Aftersales and Operations.
His mission has two parts. One is to increase the volume of parts and service provided by ABC, but more pressingly, it is to ensure that customers receive a uniformly high standard of attention.
Those aspirations extend beyond ABC’s core Temsa and Van Hool coach products and the VDL bus range.
By leveraging its relationship with Arriva UK Bus, it plans to establish a ‘one-stop shop’ for operators regardless of the vehicle marque in question.
Despite having only been in post for three months, Nigel’s influence is already bearing fruit. A variety of plans are in place to benefit customers large and small, and coach operators will be interested to hear of ABC’s roadmap for retrofit to achieve Euro 6 standards on older vehicles.
“We represent some premium brands, and we need to deliver a first-rate service to go with that,” he says. “I’m here to re-engage with our existing and former customers. If we’re open, we have to accept that in the past, they didn’t always get the service that they need and deserve.”
Transformation of aftersales is one element of what ABC hopes will see it become an integrated business that can supply an operator with a new or used vehicle – including via rental – and then comprehensively support it through its life with that customer.
“We’re increasing our field engineer numbers and we are growing the technical headcount at our Cleckheaton and Wellingborough sites. Just because an operator doesn’t have a Temsa, a Van Hool or a VDL bus doesn’t mean that they can’t come to us for parts or to have work carried out.”
Parted out
Parts supply is key to ABC’s aftersales offering. Nigel has a background in the automotive industry and he is well versed in procurement. He is working to significantly expand the number of marques that the dealership can support.
“We are negotiating with a number of suppliers to get parts into stock, and in situations where we don’t have the item on the shelf, to enable us to obtain it quickly,” he says.
ABC has also increased stock order delivery scales with two OEMs. As an example, it previously received one order per month from Temsa’s factory in Turkey.
It now takes a shipment every week, significantly reducing wait time in a bid to address criticism.
Placing impress stock with customers is a further option that ABC is exploring, but there are a handful of more wide-reaching goals that it is working towards to revolutionise the back-up service that it offers.
One of those relates to mobile field technicians. ABC anticipates growing its current roster of home-based technical experts to 10, which will give countrywide coverage with reasonable travel times.
When necessary, parts will be couriered to the technician, and they will each have a fully-equipped van with diagnostic equipment.
Work including routine inspections and repairs may be carried out at the operator’s premises (subject to a minimum level of facilities), but this is another area where ABC is leveraging existing relationships.
“We’re already talking to a company within the M25 about setting up both a parts distribution facility and a fixed site for inspection and repair with a view to getting it off the ground in Q3, but we also have the opportunity to utilise Arriva UK Bus and Arriva Transport Solutions depots,” says Nigel.
Under that arrangement, coach operators could take their vehicles to the nearest Arriva premises and ABC’s field technician – not depot staff – would meet them and carry out work on it. Nothing is yet guaranteed, but establishing such an arrangement is one of Nigel’s priorities.
Service packages
A little has already been revealed about ABC’s adoption of repair and maintenance (R&M) packages for coaches that it supplies, be they new or used. Nigel describes it as “a full technical solution.” It will involve ABC carrying out work – including routine inspections – by a field technician either at the operator’s premises or through the coach being brought to a fixed site.
“That will offer the same level of coverage regardless of whether the customer was buying a new coach or a second-hand vehicle,” he says. “The R&M premium payable would vary depending on age, but this is something that we’re working on as part of our one-stop solution.”
Also in hand is being accredited by Mercedes-Benz as a competent centre to carry out work on its vehicles used as the basis for mini and midicoaches.
“It’s clear that many coach operators also have smaller vehicles in their fleets. For ABC to become an approved Mercedes-Benz aftersales location represents an opportunity for them and for us.
“It will permit us to carry out repair, servicing and warranty work.”
Euro 6 retrofit
A further opportunity spied by ABC is retrofitting older coaches with aftertreatment units to achieve Euro 6 standards.
It currently has a team working on the details, and it is in negotiations with suppliers; presently, much industry retrofit focus is on buses, but at least some of that is likely to turn to coaches in due course, and ABC plans to be at the forefront when it does so.
“We are working towards being a whole system supplier, rather than just an installer of the equipment,” says Nigel. “We’ll do that work, but we will also carry out servicing provide warranty support.”
Industry opinion suggests that achieving Euro 6 with older coaches where mandated in the future may not be simple, and few are the operators that will be able to undertake widespread fleet replacement to comply.
It’s unlikely that every model in the market will be suitable for upgrade, but ABC sees a market for it in some coaches. Vehicle supply and financial constraints mean that if the restrictions that are likely to come in years ahead are to be satisfied, retrofit may be the only viable option in many cases.
“Manufacturers of the equipment configure it to various layouts. There is a largely generic kit and we would then fabricate brackets and make some bodywork and engine bay alterations to allow it to fit; there is yet to debut a simple bolt-on system for a coach,” says Nigel.
Importantly, ABC does not believe that there will be an issue with upgrading vehicles that lack SCR equipment as built.
Doing so would involve mounting an AdBlue tank, but otherwise the process is expected to involve a similar amount of time and effort as upgrading a vehicle that already has SCR.
Change of culture
Nigel’s career in the mainstream automotive industry has taught him the value of customer service, and that’s something that he is working hard to transfer to ABC.
He has instigated a ‘fixed right first time’ principle. That means if, after the dealership has attended to the vehicle, further rectification is required, then the customer will not be charged as part of a commitment throughout ABC’s aftersales arm to giving the highest level of service.
A re-engagement with Arriva UK Bus, and work with other large groups, means that the volume of parts held on the shelf will increase. “My ultimate concern is that operators receive a premium service and that their vehicles are back on the road earning money as soon as possible,” says Nigel.
“A lot of ‘sweat equity’ has gone into planning, recruiting and bringing our aftersales offering forwards so that we are in a position to offer a fantastic service, both fixed-site and in the field, with excellent parts availability.”
