Vauxhall has announced a new network of Van Business Centres – dealerships that are intended to better meet the needs of light commercial vehicle (LCV) buyers.
The Vauxhall Van Business Centres will offer van-specific sales, aftersales and servicing, and the appointed dealers need to meet a strict set of standards in order to get the title.
What’s different about the Vauxhall Van Business Centres?
To qualify as a Van Business Centre, a Vauxhall dealer must be able to not only display at least one example of the Combo Cargo, Vivaro and Movano vans, but also be able to offer each of them to test drive as well.
Each one also has dedicated LCV sales people, which should mean they can better understand specific business needs.
Is servicing better at the Vauxhall Van Business Centres?
Servicing is also enhanced verses a regular Vauxhall car dealership. Pricing is set nationally, for starters, and is not only transparent but all-inclusive. Customers should expect a full explanation of work carried out, and be given regular updates – an effort to avoid uncertainty about when your van will be returned, important for planning ongoing jobs.
The Van Business Centres must also offer courtesy vehicles, helping to keep your business moving.
If pre-booked, 90-minute express servicing is available to minimise downtime, plus every Van Business Centre will offer overnight drop-off and pick-up facilities. Servicing can be booked online.
Parts fitted will be genuine Vauxhall, unsurprisingly. But this means they come with a one-year warranty.
How many Vauxhall Van Business Centres are there?
At the time of announcement there are 65 Vauxhall Van Business Centres in the UK, which should mean most customers are in reasonable distance of one.
Are dedicated dealer services unusual in the van world?
Not especially, and it’s a growing trend. Ford, Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz all have dedicated dealers, and Citroen operates a similar Business Centre system to that adopted by Vauxhall (which is no surprise, given that Vauxhall is now part of the same family of companies as Citroen).
Buyers of the MAN TGE, meanwhile, get access to MAN’s truck servicing network, which offers average opening hours of 16.5 hours a day, six days a week.
Ford and VW also offer mobile servicing, with fully kitted vans that act as mobile service centres and can carry out repairs at a place and time that suits you.
Why has Vauxhall decided to create these Van Business Centres?
According to Vauxhall LCV director, Derek Wilson: ‘This important change demonstrates our commitment to looking after the needs of our LCV customers, by delivering a service level that matches up to our outstanding product range.’
He added: ‘This programme brings industry-leading customer experience to Vauxhall LCV customers, with comprehensive geographical coverage across the UK. Our nationwide network of van experts will deliver the highest standards of skills and expertise whilst also helping business users save time and money.’
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