RAC Dealer Network expands

The RAC Dealer Network has announced that 105 organisations have signed up so far this year, placing the organisation well on the way towards its overall target for 2020 of 170.

They include, Millennium Motors of Edinburgh, Burford Car Sales of Hertfordshire, Ashridge Vehicles of Berkhamsted, Luton Trade Centre and Hilton Garage of Derbyshire.

Sean Kent, RAC director of sales at Assurant, the Fortune 500 company that partners with the RAC in the warranty and aftersales sector, said: “We’ve very much hit the ground running this year, attracting an excellent mix of dealers to the RAC Dealer Network, ranging from small but highly respected independents through to multi-site dealer groups.

“In 2020, our target is to hit an overall national presence of 1,570 dealers and we are almost at 1,500 already, which shows the strength of our proposition. As recently as the start of 2018, we stood at around 1,200 dealers, so we are certainly growing quickly.”

There are a number of factors behind the new signings.

Kent said: “Obviously, the reasons for joining the network differ from dealer to dealer but it is possible to identify some key trends. The brand remains a key part of the proposition. We recently completed in-depth research that showed 63% of consumers were more likely to buy a used car from a dealer offering an RAC warranty. That effect can’t be understated in a warranty sector where few companies have any substantial levels of customer recognition.

“However, we’ve also been doing a lot of work on our dealer support, thinking increasingly outside of the box. For example, we have been holding training courses for our regional managers designed to enable them to enhance their consultative role to the network, helping to identify new strategies for maximising customer satisfaction and dealer profitability.

“We’re also extending this approach with new events for dealers designed to help them not just with their warranty offering but in constructing their overall proposition. Increasingly, we want to help them consider and implement new ideas and new strategies.”