Members. The face of one of motoring’s most controversial rebrands.
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CEO’s message
One of the best parts of working at Capricorn is spending time with our Members–hearing how Capricorn has helped them grow their business and how we might be able to provide support for the challenges they are facing.
It was fantastic to get across to New Zealand earlier this year to once again spend some time with our Members there. It was also a good reminder that so many of the issues we face as independent workshops are universal and industrywide. So many of the stories we heard from Members in Auckland we’ve also heard from Members across Australia. Namely, the skills and labour shortages are really impacting business. We hear you. Capricorn will have more to say on tackling the skills shortage in the coming months being an issue we continue to focus on.
In May, I got to spend time with Members at the Member Director Information Sessions we held with our Chair, Mark Rowe. It was great to meet so many really engaged Members who are excited about the future of Capricorn and who are interested in playing a role in our cooperative’s future. After all, we are only 50 years young. Nominations for the Director Elections close on 3 June 2025, so get yours in if you haven’t–and I look forward to sharing details of all the candidates in the near future. Whatever happens, we’ll soon have a new Member Director for Victoria/Tasmania zone as Mark Cooper has reached his maximum term and is retiring from the Board after many years of tireless service.
I am also looking forward to having Mark Rowe here in Perth at the Perth office later this month, spending some time with the team at Capricorn and sharing his wealth of experience as a small-business owner. It’s always a big focus to ensure we’re bringing our people, Members and Preferred Suppliers together. There is no substitute for hearing first-hand the challenges of running an automotive workshop and how Capricorn does and can make a difference.
Before I go, a reminder to please check out our new Ecommerce Partners. We’ve created this opportunity to make it easier for you to shop online, while keeping all the benefits you know and love. We will continue to add more Ecommerce Partners and this is just the start of this journey together.
Finally, as the end of the financial year is almost upon us, don’t forget now’s a good time to look at your finances and plan for the year ahead. If you’re in Australia, investigate whether you’re eligible for the instant asset write-off.
Brad Gannon Group CEO
4 2025 GALA DINNER & TRADE SHOWS ARE COMING!
Get ready to celebrate with us.
6 REWARDS+ GIVING EXTRA LARGE SMILES
Learn about how Pippa and her family got a new pool.
10 INTRODUCING OUR ECOMMERCE PARTNERS
It’s now easier to shop online and pay with your Trade Account.
12 A REWARDING RELATIONSHIP
How we’ve forged lasting relationships with Preferred Suppliers.
14 FUTURE RIDE: JAGUAR TYPE 00
The face of one of motoring’s most controversial rebrands.
18 2025 LEAPMOTOR C10
Exciting newcomer or Temu Tesla?
24 LOOKING INTO LOYALTY PROGRAMS
Do they work and are they worth investing in?
Ready to Celebrate?
by Paul Marinelli
The 2025 Gala Dinner & Trade Shows are coming!
Each year across Australia and New Zealand, Capricorn brings their Community of Members, Preferred Suppliers and team members together through a series of Gala Dinner and Trade Shows. I have been fortunate enough to have attended several of these over the years and there is just one way to best describe them - they are a heap of fun.
Running from September to December 2025 and conducted at premium exhibition and entertainment venues in Perth, Adelaide, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Sydney and Auckland, each Capricorn Gala Dinner and Trade Show brings the Capricorn Community together like no other industry event.
The first one that I attended was in Sydney back in 2005. The thing that really impressed me was the easy, fun-filled and very customised nature of the afternoon Trade Show. Many Preferred Suppliers provided stands featuring exclusive competitions, special offers and product displays. The numerous giveaways and non-stop finger food and refreshments also ensured that this was a business event conducted
in a very casual, fun-filled manner. After several years of attending these very special Trade Shows, I have found that they continue to be highly enjoyable events that have become must-attend occasions for many of the industry’s most experienced and renowned identities.
As for the Capricorn Gala Dinners, these are far removed from your typical business dinner functions. It remains the only industry dinner event that I have attended that places the emphasis on everyone putting the spanners down and having a great time. After a short welcome and rundown of Capricorn’s achievements over the past year, it is non-stop live music, dancing and entertainment in a convivial atmosphere that is so rare to find at other industry events.
After attending several Capricorn Gala Dinner and Trade Shows, it has become abundantly clear to me that Capricorn Members relish this chance to let their hair down and celebrate. Remarkably, every event across Australia and New Zealand is the same in this regard. Having been taking place for many years, there is an established culture of lighthearted fun at these events,
and the Capricorn team always does a fantastic job of ensuring that everything runs smoothly on the night.
Of course, the primary focus of each Capricorn Gala Dinner and Trade Show is to provide an opportunity for the Capricorn Community to come together and celebrate the success of what they’ve built together. At a time when many people in our industry are busier than ever, it’s important to take time out, reflect on the bigger picture and appreciate our achievements and wins. It’s also important to make the most of any opportunity to share some fun with your family, colleagues and industry contacts – and these events definitely provide Members with the opportunity to do just that!
If you haven’t done so already, make sure you secure your tickets to the Gala Dinner and Trade Show closest to you by heading to myCAP and visiting the Events section.
VIC | 13 Sept Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre (Trade Show)
WA | 25 Oct
How
Put an Extra-large Smile on Pippa’s
A new swimming pool has been a game changer for Pippa Funneman and her family.
The 11-year-old loves nothing more than being in the water. Twice a week she uses the hydrotherapy pool at her school. Now, thanks to Rewards+, she can also use a pool at home.
Pippa has cerebral palsy, is non-verbal, and uses a wheelchair. Her parents— Capricorn Members Brett and Rochelle Funneman, of Shmick Auto Electrics in Geraldton, Western Australia—recently built a new home and decided to install a swimming pool so Pippa could get in the water as often as possible.
How
REWARDS+
Put an Extra-large Smile on Pippa’s Face
“We had a fair few points saved up and we always put them in shares, but I said to my husband, ‘why don’t we get a pool for her and get it heated’, because she’s in there all the time doing her physio and exercise and she’s free when she’s swimming; she actually just loves the water,” Rochelle said.
“Obviously, pools aren’t cheap. By the time we got the pool itself in, it was $35,000. It’ll be about $60,000 by the time we’re finished. We had about $11,000 in points, so we asked if we could put it towards our pool, just to bring the cost of that down.”
Capricorn agreed, contributing the value of the Funneman’s Rewards Points to the cost of the pool.
Rewards+ was launched in February 2024 as an expansion of Capricorn’s already generous Rewards program. It’s an innovative new way for Members to use their accumulated Rewards Points to purchase almost anything they want.
Previously, Members could only spend Rewards Points on products available on the Capricorn Rewards shop. Rewards+ allows the purchase of items that are not readily available through the shop, as long as they’re tangible products (not services or travel), worth more than $3,000, and Members have the full value of the item in points at the time of submitting the redemption request.
Rewards+ was created specifically to enable Members to use their Rewards Points so they get the benefit from them—and the Funneman’s are certainly enjoying that. The pool went in last November.
“We’re spending more time in the backyard as a family,” Rochelle said. “Pippa has a brother who is 14 going on 15, and he’s happy to be playing with her in the pool and jumping in and doing bombies. She absolutely loves him doing that—it’s like a little wave pool for her and she just loves going up and down. So, family time has definitely increased one hundred per cent, especially on the weekends.”
But it’s not just more fun and togetherness the pool has brought the Funneman’s lives. It’s also revolutionised that all-important hydrotherapy for Pippa.
“We try to get her into the water as much as we can during the week because, with her muscle tone, she can get quite stiff,” Rochelle said. Pippa had surgery last year which installed a special pump in her stomach with a catheter that goes around her spine. It releases medicine that relaxes her muscles.
“Obviously, if we keep the muscles moving, it’s going to make things a lot easier for her, as well as the effect of the medicine,” Rochelle said. “So, the pool is perfect because she’s flat out kicking and just feels free in the water.”
Rochelle said it was wonderful to be able to use their Rewards Points on something that was adding so much value to her family’s lives.
You’re running a business, you’re working hard, and to get these rewards back— in a way we can see how hard we’ve worked ”
The pool is not the first time the Funneman’s have used their Rewards Points. When they were building their new home, they invested some of their points in a new surround sound TV and cabinet.
Using Rewards+ is as easy as getting a sales invoice for an eligible item, submitting the invoice via the Rewards shop, waiting for approval from Capricorn, and then getting your confirmation back from the supplier.
What will you get with your Rewards Points?
For more information about making a Rewards+ redemption, log in to myCAP and visit the Capricorn Rewards shop
It’s now even easier to buy with online payments!
Being a Capricorn Member gives you access to so many great benefits that come from using your Capricorn Trade Account to purchase the parts, products and services that your business needs.
Reduced admin from a single monthly invoice.
Access to an extensive network of Preferred Suppliers.
You benefit from our success – receive dividends, Rewards Points* and more.
But what if you could supercharge these benefits with the convenience of online shopping? Well, now you can with our select Ecommerce Partners**, making purchasing easier than ever before!
Access everything through a single, convenient location –myCAP.
Purchase online and charge straight to your Trade Account.
Forget time-consuming phone calls – get what you need with a couple of clicks!
We’re excited to have Partmaster on board as our first Ecommerce Partner in New Zealand. We also have more Ecommerce Partners coming online soon, so you’ll have even more options available at the click of a mouse!
Want to learn about how to make it simpler to use your Trade Account for online purchases? Visit cap.coop/ecom or log in to myCAP and check out the “Shop with Ecommerce Partners” section.
**Ecommerce Partner Terms of Use apply, visit cap.coop/tc
*Participation in the Capricorn Rewards program is subject to Capricorn Rewards Terms and Conditions, visit cap.coop/tc.
A REWARDING RELATIONSHIP
How Capricorn has forged lasting, valuable relationships with our Preferred Suppliers
When we talk about the Capricorn Community, we’re not just talking about over 30,000 Members across Australia and New Zealand. Over 2,000 Preferred Suppliers also play a vital role in enabling us to successfully deliver on our cooperative values. They provide Members with great services and products, every single day, across a wide variety of areas — everything from parts, tyres, bull bars, paints and lubricants to hoists, scanners and water blasters, to internet services, utilities, cleaning, uniforms and virtually everything in between. Without our Preferred Suppliers, we simply couldn’t do what we do. We’re proud to have forged long and lasting relationships with so many Preferred Suppliers, some of whom have been with us for decades. So, what’s in it for them? Why are they a part of the Capricorn community?
For Martin Marcinkowsky, Branch Manager of Gambier West Brake Service in South Australia, being part of Capricorn is an obvious win-win. The business has been supplying brake and clutch parts and reconditioning since 1969 and has been a Preferred Supplier since 2013.
“Capricorn has opened the doors for us to reach a larger target audience and increase our existing customer base, resulting in significant growth turnover,” Martin said.
“Being part of Capricorn ommunity is beneficial to our business as we are guaranteed payment in 30 days. This cuts down administration time and increases productivity in the office.
“Capricorn Trade Shows are another great incentive. This has helped our business connect to our customer base in a relaxed environment and discuss their needs in the automotive industry.”
Martin said Capricorn also made it easy for Members to shop with the business.
“It is as simple as just supplying their Capricorn number and in a couple of minutes they are set up and ready to trade,” he said.
Doug Payne is Head of Customer Growth at Momentum Energy, a gas and electricity retailer across much of Australia’s east coast. Momentum is owned by Hydro Tasmania and is an award-winning renewables energy retailer. The company has been a Preferred Supplier for the past 15 years and supplies energy to around 3,000 Capricorn Members.
“We invoice about $1.5 million worth of energy costs through Capricorn each year,” Doug said. “We love what Capricorn does. They offer the best price and that’s what we do, too; we always offer the best price. So, we think the brand synergies between Capricorn and Momentum are pretty close. And, those Members who do come across to us, they stay with us for years.”
hsy autoparts General Manager Peter Tippner said Capricorn was integral to hsy’s business model. The company has been a Preferred Supplier for six years.
“Our catchphrase within the company is that people are our most important part, and that’s not only because we value our staff, but it’s also because we value our customers,” he said.
“Those customers are ultimately (Capricorn) Members.”
JAGUAR
Future Ride THE FACE OF ONE OF MOTORING’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL REBRANDS.
JAGUAR Type00
They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
But if you went on the internet or watched the news or visited any automotive website in November last year, you might have thought the definition of insanity was what the decision-makers at Jaguar Land Rover had done to the Jaguar brand.
Gone was the leaping feline, the classic British elegance, and the sense of exclusivity and prestige cherished by those who love, drive and collect Jags – mostly wealthy baby boomers.
In their place was a gaggle of high-end fashion models dressed in fluorescent haute couture, like extras from The Hunger Games movies. The 30-second ad was as far from “wealthy boomer” as you could get. The brand had abandoned its traditional fanbase completely. The internet went wild.
“What a joke,” one social media user wrote.
“Whoever agreed to this needs to know they’ve just killed a British icon.”
The ad didn’t even feature a vehicle, leading Tesla boss Elon Musk to quip, “Do you sell cars?”
By universal acclaim, the rebrand was the biggest disaster to befall an automotive brand in recent memory. In the months since, Musk might have actually managed to surpass that.
Also, in the months since, Jaguar has not backed down on its shiny new direction.
In December, it released a concept car, the Type 00. The all-electric vehicle features a long bonnet, a sweeping roofline, a fastback profile, butterfly doors, a ‘pantograph’ tailgate, a “panoramic roof with bodyharmonised glazing” and 23-inch alloy wheels. It’s a dramatic silhouette and “a fearless new face for Jaguar”, according to the marketing bumf.
“The ‘Type’ prefix is a link to the brand’s provenance, to models like the pioneering E-type,” the company said. “The first zero references zero tailpipe emissions. The second represents its status as car zero in new lineage.”
A production version of the Type 00 is due to launch in 2026. The first newgeneration Jaguar to actually go into production will be a four-door GT, which the manufacturer plans to reveal later this year. It will target a driving range up to 770 km (Worldwide
Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure) or 692 km (Environmental Protection Agency) on a single charge and adding up to 321 km of range in as little as 15 minutes with rapid charging.
But the question remains, who is this new Jag for? Who does Jaguar Land Rover expect to buy it? The marketing makes it clear they’re no longer targeting those monied baby boomers that they’ve always relied upon.
Top Gear’s Ollie Kew wrote that Jaguar is shifting away from being a competitor with BMW, Audi and Mercedes and “morphing into a Porsche and Bentley rival, selling £100k ultra-lux EVs to a younger, more diverse ‘cash-rich, time-poor’ clientele”.
Why? Jaguar hasn’t been able to rely on its traditional customers for quite some time.
“Here’s the nasty truth that’s been lost in the storm of vitriol,” Kew writes. “Jaguar doesn’t sell enough cars. Not just at the moment: it hasn’t been consistently profitable for years. Decades.”
Jaguar hasn’t been competitive for a long time. It’s all well and good to have people love your brand, your heritage, your classic makes, but if they’re not buying your new cars, then you’re not making money.
Jaguar has tried shaking things up in more traditional ways over the years. In the 60s and 70s they were positioned as classic British luxury sports cars. Dogged by quality and reliability in the 80s, in the 90s new owners Ford focused on improving the vehicles, repositioned the brand to compete directly with BMW and Mercedes, emphasised performance alongside luxury, and expanded their target market to include younger professionals. By the 2000s, Jaguar was shifting to a “premium performance” footing. The brand was already trying to shed the idea it made cars for a wealthy, older demographic. In the 2010s, under the ownership of Tata Motors, Jaguar introduced sportier design language, expanded its SUV line-up, and tried harder to appeal to female consumers.
Nothing has really worked.
At best, as Kew pointed out, for every Jaguar XE sold, there were six BMW 3 Series on the road.
If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting the same result, then Jaguar’s latest rebrand, and the Type 00, are part of an attempt to shake things up and get a different, more profitable result.
Will it work? Only time will tell.
JAGUAR
LEAPMOTOR C10
Exciting newcomer or Temu Tesla? 2025
Of all the Chinese automotive brands to have recently arrived in New Zealand, Leapmotor probably has the least brand awareness. Yet despite being fresh on the scene, they have achieved some impressive early-stage growth. The brand only sold 11,391 cars in 2020 but grew that number to 293,724 in 2024 – virtually all of which were sold in China. But will they be able to make any in-roads into the New Zealand market?
What we like
Quiet, spacious interior
Good build quality
Standard features
Value for money
What we don’t like
Atrocious driver assistance systems
Tesla copycat
Meh driving experience
Lifeless steering
Not great energy efficiency
What’s in the 2025 Leapmotor C10 range?
The C10 is Leapmotor’s first global vehicle, and their first offering available for New Zealand buyers. There’s only one variant available, priced at $54,990 plus on-road costs. Underneath the C10 is a 69.9kWh battery and single-motor powertrain, capable of producing 160kW of power and 320Nm of torque and offering a range of up to 420kms per complete charge.
First impressions of the 2025 Leapmotor C10
From the outside, the C10 appears to take a healthy dose of inspiration from European designs. The front headlights bear some resemblance to Volkswagen’s ID range. The rear three-quarters have a shape that’s somewhat Porsche Cayenne-inspired.
Even the C10’s alloys are similar to an Audi design. Admittedly, not all of it is Volkswagen Group inspired. Those flush door handles, for example, are similar to a design from Aston Martin. Altogether, the C10 presents itself rather well in the flesh.
What’s the interior like in the 2025 Leapmotor C10?
Leapmotor has followed Tesla’s footsteps with the C10 when it comes to the “device-ification” of interiors and in-car tech. Inside, the cabin presents a clean, minimal aesthetic, with a large 14.6-inch central infotainment screen occupying a sizable portion of the dashboard.
The cabin itself is incredibly roomy. While C10 doesn’t have the same volume of storage as the Model Y, it appears to allocate its surplus space to the rear seats, where adults can enjoy a generous amount of head and legroom. A large panoramic sunroof also allows plenty of light into the cabin, enhancing the sense of space.
The infotainment unit is the focal point of the interior, and it’s clear that Leapmotor might’ve sought more than just inspiration from Tesla. The menu structure, fonts, graphics features (such as Guard Mode) and the reversing camera’s dynamic are all very similar. Even some of the physical controls are suspiciously comparable. So, Leapmotor mightn’t have done the best job of disguising their copied homework, but they also haven’t followed Tesla off the deep end. In other words, the C10 has a conventional indicator stalk and traditional door handles.
While there’s a great deal of similarity, we wouldn’t allege that Leapmotor is simply a Temu Tesla. If anything, the Leapmotor’s overall fit-and-finish of the cabin is arguably better than previous generation Teslas. Yet despite those efforts, the C10 still feels like it’s built to a cost.
What’s the 2025 Leapmotor C10 like to drive?
From behind the wheel, the C10 has a relaxed demeanour. The ride quality is fairly supple, and the shocks have a few mms of travel to absorb some of the larger bumps. At speed, the C10 demonstrates decent body control, and the weight helps it maintain good grip under load.
That said, the C10’s inherent dynamics are inert, which is perfectly reasonable for this type of vehicle. Although, it wouldn’t go unappreciated if Leapmotor could tweak the steering that felt numb and imprecise.
In terms of the powertrain, the C10 is powered by a 69.9kWh battery connected with a single electric motor, outputting 160kW of power and 320Nm of torque. It isn’t particularly quick, as that single motor needs to carry around 2 tonnes of metal and battery. That said, there’s sufficient off-the-mark performance and enough power, so you needn’t be too nervous about an open-road passing manoeuvre.
In terms of energy efficiency, the C10 has a quoted WLTP range of 420kms per charge with a claimed WLTP energy consumption figure of 19.8kWh per 100kms. During our test, we bettered Leapmotor’s official figures, achieving a final result of 18.9kWh per 100kms. Not bad, considering all the motorway mileage we do.
2025 LEAPMOTOR C10
Summary
The C10 is comfortable, well-equipped, and cavernous on the inside, before you’ve even considered that underneath it is a fully electrified drivetrain. Better still, the C10 will only set you back $54,990, approximately $20,000 less than a Tesla Model Y.
Unfortunately, this is where the compliments end for the C10, because it has problems, some of which are big. It isn’t as energy efficient as rivals, the driving experience is mundane, the steering is lifeless, and certain interfaces and parts within the interior have almost certainly been spoofed from Tesla.
However, these matters pale in comparison to the awful ADAS installed within the C10 that are irritating at best, and downright dysfunctional at worst. Simply put, the C10 isn’t quite as good, nor polished enough, to seriously compete against major rivals from Tesla, BYD and MG.
Unfortunately, our mostly pleasant driving experience was tarnished by many of the C10’s poorly calibrated and configured active safety systems. Starting with the minor offender, the adaptive cruise control would occasionally shudder upon locking onto a new vehicle.
Higher on the list of irritations is the overspeed alert, which chimes for over 10 seconds when you exceed the posted speed limit. The lane-keep assistance was also far too sensitive. Nearing the top of the annoyance list is the C10’s driver attention monitoring system. I’ve not yet come across a driver attention monitoring system that works well from any manufacturer. Although, the system in C10 doesn’t seem to work at all – which is almost a positive, funnily enough. The car’s Life Detection mode was also completely dysfunctional.
It’s disappointing to say, but these systems ruined the car for us. In theory, many of them can be tweaked with an over-the-air update, but they shouldn’t be so troublesome out-of-the-box. To put it bluntly, the consumer should never be the beta tester, especially when they’ve parted with tens of thousands of their hard-earned dollars.
PREFERRED SUPPLIER PROFILE
Based in Christchurch and servicing clients throughout New Zealand and Australia, Get Electronic is a trusted name in automotive electronic repairs. The company specialises in component-level electronic repairs exclusively for trade professionals, including mechanics, auto electricians and industry specialists.
Get Electronic offers expert diagnostics and reconditioning services for a wide array of automotive modules such as ECUs, ABS pumps, TCMs, BCMs, dash clusters, gear selectors, climate control units, lighting systems, and more. Their skilled team is known for going the extra mile—whether it's troubleshooting faults on control boards, developing custom repair solutions, or securely transferring data between modules.
Their knowledgeable and approachable team is also committed to delivering high-quality, competitively priced repairs backed by exceptional customer service. From the moment you're greeted by Tess on the phone to the hands-on support from their technicians, Get Electronic ensures a smooth and efficient repair process tailored to trade needs. With a strong reputation built on years of experience and a deep understanding of automotive electronics, Get Electronic helps professionals get vehicles back on the road quickly and reliably.
getelectronic.net
Keeping your information safe
With the increasing incidence of scams across Australia and New Zealand, we are continually reviewing our processes to ensure that we keep your account and information safe.
Key points to remember
Unless we have agreed upon alternative communication protocols with you, we will always complete a minimum check of three points of identification over the phone when discussing any specific information personal to your Capricorn membership, Trade Account or other products.
We will never ask you for your full bank account details or to make a payment over the phone.
Payment of any Preferred Supplier purchases will always be via your Capricorn Trade Account as per your monthly statement.
We will only send a link that takes you direct to the myCAP login page at your request.
We will only send you a link in a text message or email at your request or as agreed to, including payment requests.
Always check that any link you click on is to a secure web page that starts with https://
Remember that the safest way to access your Member information is via myCAP using your secure login details.
Loyalty is worth money for the customer and the workshop
by Jeff Smit
In the increasingly competitive automotive aftermarket industry, customer retention is just as crucial as attracting new customers. In theory, it should be easier to retrain a customer than it is to attract a new one.
One popular mechanism for capitalising on customer loyalty is to offer rewards, discounts and special incentives to attract and retain customers – hence the loyalty program. The rationale is that the business is rewarding customers for their continued loyalty. The more a customer patronises the workshop, and the more they spend, the bigger their rewards.
There are benefits for both parties in loyalty rewards programs. For workshops, the benefits could be substantial, helping to foster long term relationships and encouraging repeat business.
Workshops are sometimes sceptical about loyalty programs, but like all marketing ideas, the rewards for both parties exist only if the workshop owners implement them effectively. All rewards should be genuine and not sound like a desperate advertising campaign.
Here are some of the advantages of loyalty programs together with our best strategies for their execution.
Loyalty rewards programs can create value for both customers and businesses. For customers, they provide incentives that enhance their experience and encourage them to return for future services. For businesses, they help differentiate their services, improve customer satisfaction, and drive consistent revenue streams.
Key advantages
Customer retention: Meaningful rewards foster a sense of appreciation and encourage customers to return to your workshop.
Increased revenue: When customers return to your workshop, it means they trust you and your services. They will often spend more on additional services and are more likely to approve recommended repairs or maintenance.
Stronger brand loyalty: Reward perks build trust and positive associations between the workshop and the vehicle owner, making it easier and comfortable for them to return to your workshop next time they need something done on their vehicle.
Competitive edge: These days, consumers have a big choice of workshops so those that offer added value tend to stand out from competitors who don’t use loyalty programs or provide any perks or added benefits.
Word-of-mouth: Satisfied customers, and those impressed with your workshop and who enjoy the loyalty perks, are more likely to recommend a workshop to friends and family, bringing in new business.
Making your loyalty program work
For a rewards program to be effective, it needs to offer tangible value without eroding profitability. Incentives must be attractive to customers and sustainable for the business. Here are some best practices for implementing a successful program.
Rewards that matter to customers
A successful loyalty program offers incentives that customers genuinely appreciate. Some proven rewards might be:
Free vehicle wash and vacuum with every service – a small touch that leaves a lasting impression.
Free 12-month roadside assistance with every service – peace of mind for customers and enhances their perception of value.
Free loan cars or pick-up/drop-off service – convenience for customers who struggle with transportation logistics.
Free windscreen wiper blades with every service – a low-cost but highly appreciated benefit that improves safety.
Discounts on additional services – discounts on air conditioning servicing, wheel balancing, or brake checks can encourage customers to bundle services.
Keep it simple and transparent
The program’s benefits should be understandable and not confusing. If it's too complicated, it won't be popular. Clear signage, easy-to-follow communication and reminders help customers engage with the program.
Promote the program
A well-designed loyalty program delivers benefits, only if customers know about it. Consider signage in the
workshop, simple brochures, social media and email campaigns. When sending out SMS reminders for service appointments, highlight the available rewards.
Service advisors can remind customers of the rewards when appointments are being made for services or repairs.
Monitor and adjust the program
Review the program’s performance regularly to ensure it continues to deliver value without straining resources. Track customer participation rates, feedback, and the financial impact of rewards. If a particular incentive isn’t driving repeat business, adjust it or adopt something new.
A well-executed loyalty rewards program can lift a workshop to the next level by enhancing customer satisfaction and fostering longterm relationships with customers. By implementing a structured and strategic loyalty program, aftermarket workshop owners can turn occasional customers into loyal advocates, ensuring business growth and a truly rewarding experience for both parties.
Fun Zone
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE (5 differences to find!)
WORD HUNTER (15 words to find!)
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