THE VEHICLE DEALER’S NEWS SOURCE VOLUME 5 ISSUE 7 FEBRUARY 2019 Dealers reject Do sales staff misalign senate claims on EV sales with customers? he suggestion dealers are not promoting EV sales has “disap- Tpointed” the Australian Automo- nly a fifth of Australian fran- facility, working deals, paperwork pro- tive Dealer Association (AADA). chised dealership sales people cess and dealership website - Holden The response comes as the Senate Oreportedly understand their and Mazda tie for first. Select Committee Inquiry into Electric customers’ needs. They best Toyota in third, Nissan Vehicles recommends the Australian The latest JD Power Australia Sales in fourth and Ford in fifth, while BMW government develop a national EV Satisfaction survey results, from of beats luxury brands Audi in second and strategy increasing EV uptake. It cites more than 3000 customers from Mercedes-Benz in third. the Tesla Owners Club suggesting March 2017 to January 2019, shows The survey shows sales consultants dealers are “not providing prospective Holden and Mazda have the highest failed to ask 17% of customers what EV buyers with all of the facts” when it mass-brand dealer satisfaction. their preferences and requirements came to plugging in. In descending order, Kia, Subaru, were in buying a new car. The same The Tesla Owners Club of Australia Mitsubishi and Hyundai dealers need trend was experienced in roughly the suggested to the committee “tradi- to lift their game in customer under- same volume of first-time buyers. tional car dealerships have generally standing and satisfaction, all scoring For young buyers, 35% aged under not been good at promoting electric below average ratings, behind Honda, 39 years found sales consultants were vehicles.” Volkswagen and the mass market aver- under unwanted levels of pressure to “[This is] either due to lack of staff age score of 802 out of 1000 points. buy; a further 24% of first-time buyers education or a conscious decision Based on six criteria - dealer sales felt the same way. to not promote the new technology consultant, delivery process, dealership Continued on page 6 which needs less after sales service support [which drives their profitabil- INSIDE ity],” TOCA says in their submission. Bidding adieu to an industry legend P4 AADA chief executive David Black- Sun, Americans versus Aussie genius P8 hall says the idea of car dealers opting Off-road rebel arrives Down Under P10 not to sell an EV is “completely false”. Beaut ute for clever clogs P15 4 10 Continued on page 7 Learn EasyCars integration with more Facebook Marketplace FOUNDATION SPONSORS AutoTalk acknowledges the support of our foundation sponsors: Automotive software solutions Driving your business All the Auto Industry HOT NEWS every day as it happens on www.autotalk.com.au Subscribe online for FREE twice weekly updates direct to your email. www.autotalk.com.au 2 | AUTOTALK.COM.AU | FEBRUARY 2019 NEWSTALK New solutions for workshop staff he last couple of years “We focus our search in Unlike a range of have been hard on international markets where talent-finding employ- Tservice departments the standard of training ment agencies, Stocks has and independent workshops most closely matches Aus- tailored the business to across the country as skills- tralia’s and since we started specialise in the automotive based mechanical training in 2010, we’ve been plac- and transport industries, receives fewer and fewer ing experienced overseas meaning staff understand entries into TAFEs every year. tradespeople with Australia’s not only the sights and Techs On The VACC chief ex- Move founder, ecutive, Geoff It’s a problem the state- most desirable automotive smells of an engine bay, but Gavin Stock Gwilym based motor trades associa- employers,” he explains. also the emerging changes tions have been trying to re- Stocks says Candidate in vehicle and diagnostic subscriptions can be spread solve, but in the meantime, Pool potentials are screened technology. across a dealer group oper- dealerships and repair/ser- and prepared with the Tradespeople listed in ating in multiple places. vice businesses are having knowledge for working in the Candidate Pool da- The business allows to – sometimes desperately Aussie service departments. tabase may be already in multiple user access and – find staff to pick up the “They understand what it Australia or are keen to rewards businesses that can tools at whatever the cost. takes to succeed in Aus- move here from abroad. scale their investment and Australian automotive tralia, we know our clients Candidates can be shortlist- amortise the cost. tradespersons placement are looking to build service ed and contacted directly, According to the compa- agency Techs On The Move, teams where results and with no need for any formal ny, hundreds of tradespeo- is launching a new Candidate culture are important,” he introduction via the busi- ple have been successfully Pool service to the industry. says. ness itself. Desired candi- placed within the Australian The business aims to pro- “The Candidate Pool dates can be sent a contract automotive and transport vide an efficient method to digital search tool makes directly, with personalised industry, regularly suppling source experienced trades- it simpler and more cost- and competitively priced candidates to large national people for Australian auto- effective for our clients to migration services available and multi-franchise dealers motive employers, offering staff their workshops; we’ve as necessary. and workshops. a new Candidate Pool digital also opened some additional According to Stocks, “Despite the introduction search tool which speeds services to make the tricky there are no extensive re- of the Skilling Australians up the review and selection task of migration easier on cruitment fees or on-going Fund levy, sourcing interna- process for matching suitably all fronts for our clients. guarantees with a 12-month tional tradespersons through skilled staff to the needs of Candidate Pool of- subscription, nor are there Techs On The Move can be dealerships and workshops fers potential employers a limits to how many can- more cost-effective than country-wide. short biography and video didates are contacted or it was beforehand,” Stocks Founder Gavin Stocks interview with a selection of hired through the pro- adds. says staff calibre is virtually vetted and prepared candi- gramme. Clients can review The Victorian Auto- turn-key, so to speak. dates who can be searched a sampling of qualified and mobile Chamber of Com- “Our tradespersons are for using various criteria, migration-ready candidates merce (VACC) says there highly experienced, have including particular brands for an investment compara- are 30,000 jobs waiting for great communication skills, or manufacturer experience ble to most Australian jobs’ young apprentices. and are ready to make a and training, as well as their boards. “Automotive trades have difference as soon as they current and other selectable Stocks says candidates been in a skills shortage for arrive,” he says. characteristics. can to be hired directly and Continued on page 11 AUTOTALK.COM.AU | FEBRUARY 2019 | 3 NEWSTALK AutoTalk Magazine and autotalk.com.au are published by Auto Media Group PO BOX 286 Batman VIC 3058 Phone: 1800 125 620 ABN: 37 51360 734 EDITOR Scott (Muzza) Murray [email protected] +61 426 365 774 ONLINE EDITOR Geoff Dobson Riddle this [email protected] +64 21 881 823 ow and why does someone school travellers and aimless wanderers spend almost their entire life of 2019, Kevin listened to advice to get GROUP EDITOR Hworking for virtually the same an apprenticeship from mum Doris and Scott Morgan company? dad Sidney. [email protected] It’s the first thing you wonder when Not even 16 years old, the still-15 +61 212 402 402 hearing about Kevin Riddle, who official- Kevin Riddle joined Larke’s in Parramatta ly recorded his retirement from Inchcape Road, Stanmore, and chased his five- MANAGING EDITOR Australia on January 2 – having started year motor mechanic qualification with Richard Edwards on the same day way back in 1959, when Ultimo Technical College. The TAFE still [email protected] Sir Robert Menzies was in his third term offers automotive repair, paint and trim +64 21 556 655 as prime minister. workshops to this day. Back then Inchcape Australia was Then came Bathurst. Kevin cut his PUBLISHER known as Larke Consolidated Indus- teeth at Australia’s motorsport Mecca Vern Whitehead tries before the company transformed working on hot little Fiats, he became [email protected] through different names and locations. part of the pit crew as the Italian brand +64 21 831 153 Despite change, Kevin was a constant. went up against the muscle car monsters Inchcape Australia Limited (IAL) prop- of Geoghegan, Moffat, Beechey and Jane BUSINESS MANAGER erty services was one of Kevin’s primary when it was the Armstrong 500. Dale Stevenson responsibilities; the “go-to man in times Back in the garage, Kevin was quickly [email protected] of difficulty and potential disaster,” Inch- promoted to checking workmanship +64 21 446 214 cape tells AutoTalk. and quality on serviced vehicles, and “He most recently managed the road testing, before again moving up GENERAL MANAGER company’s property services, including the ranks as a foreman, assistant man- Deborah Baxter maintenance, and also had oversight of ager, and full manager. [email protected] vehicle insurance.” Larke’s transitioned ownership three +64 27 530 5016 Born in August 1943, as the Allies more times before becoming Inchcape, Auto Media Group Limited makes bombed northern Nazi Germany and and Kevin Riddle was still working hard. every endeavour to ensure pushed the Japanese out of New Guinea, Sometimes going above and beyond. information contained in this publication is accurate, however with an identical twin brother Peter join- When the Wetherill Park, NSW, com- we are not liable for any losses ing him into the world, “it was in Kevin’s pound opened in 1979, Kevin’s attention or issues resulting from its use.