Scania’s new used vehicle app – available on IOS and Android – is designed to make the searching and buying process much easier, says Used Coach Sales Executive James Morgan.
“It makes used vehicles a lot more accessible for operators,” he says.
There is a raft of improvements over the old app, which now works well on the two major smartphone platforms.
“It’s unique,” adds James. “There is no other used coaches app like this.”
Simple to use
The app, naturally free, is easily downloaded from your relevant app store – Apple or Google Play – and installs quickly. Just search for ‘Scania Used Vehicles’ in the app store.
The home screen gives you a choice of selecting vehicles near to your location, but this feature is more designed for the truck network as all used coaches and buses are held at Scania’s Worksop, Nottinghamshire Bus & Coach centre.
Then it’s simply a matter of selecting the ‘coach’ or ‘bus’ category. There’s an option to make an advanced search in which specific aspects such as chassis or body make, Euro standard price and many other variables can be selected.
The search returns a picture of the outside of the vehicles – which you can swipe left to see an interior view – along with a basic overview and the price.
When you see a vehicle you’re interested in, simply tap on it and the full details are displayed, including the specification, and a minimum of eight pictures showing the outside, inside and other aspects.
If you want to know more then tapping the ‘contact’ button brings up the sales team member looking after the vehicle and from this screen you can either call or e-mail them. In the latter case the app auto-fills the subject line of the e-mail so that you, and the salesman, know exactly which vehicle you’re interested in.
If you’re ‘just looking’ you can also save your search, and come back to it another day.
Navigating through the app is also very easy, with ‘back’ buttons that do just that – take you back one step. It’s also very easy to change your search criteria. In short, this is an app that does exactly what it promises and works perfectly.
All the details
“It’s very important that buyers can find out everything they need to know from the app. We upload all the details, so you can be confident that they are correct, and we also take the pictures. They are real pictures of the actual vehicle in our yard, and the actual price that they are being offered for,” says James.
He adds that the app is a considerable improvement on the former offering through the website, and that it has been purpose-built for the UK market, rather than being part of Scania’s global website offering.
He adds that despite reports elsewhere in the market, Scania is finding that Euro 5 coaches are still selling. When we looked at the app a few days ago, we found more than 30 coaches, ranging from a 10-year-old Scania OmniExpress for £85,000, up to a pair of Euro 6 coaches, one a Scania, the other Neoplan.
“Indeed, everything is selling. But we find that you have to ensure that you present the vehicle well and price it accordingly. In our case, this works well.
“All the vehicles we are selling are clean, tidy and smart. Vehicle presentation is very important.
“We have choice and availability, along with all the details that an operator needs to know. We know that the specifics are important, rather than generalised information,” says James.
What’s coming
A feature planned is an ‘alert’ to save operators continually having to search. “We know what stock will be arriving, such as vehicles coming off lease, or as part-exchange for new,” says James, “so we will be able to send an alert, and a spec sheet, when a specific model or type of vehicle is about to some into stock.”
This is very pertinent when it comes to buses, as these tend to come in larger batches. Here, Scania is also able to offer more than a straightforward ‘as seen’ sale.
For ex-London buses, it can convert from two-door to single door. And this also includes reprogramming the ECU so the vehicle knows it’s now a single door, rather than display a ‘fault’ as some operators have found with ‘budget’ conversions.
Other work that can be carried out is replacing roller blinds or older destination equipment with white LED, which is increasingly popular.
Currently on offer are Scania OmniCity double-deckers from £65,000 for a 2010 single-door Euro 5 example, to £84,950 for a 2011 71-seater.
In the single-decker market, £25,000 will buy you a 2006 Euro 4 Scania OmniCity.
