Page 16 - Australian Paint & Panel Nov-Dec 2020

BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY
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PAINT&PANEL NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2020
16 BMW • 18 VOLKSWAGEN • 20 AUDI • 22 SELLING SMART • 24 TECH
BADGES OF HONOUR
WITH SO MUCH NEW VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY AND SO MANY MODEL VARIANTS THERE IS AN INCREASING TREND TOWARDS SPECIALISATION AND GAINING OEM APPROVALS TO HAVE ESSENTIAL ACCESS TO TRAINING AND REPAIR METHODS. PAINT & PANEL CAUGHT UP WITH THREE PRESTIGE OEMS TO FIND THEIR THOUGHTS FOR THE REPAIRER NETWORK GOING FORWARD.
THE BMW ELITE
THE BMW ACCREDITED REPAIRER NETWORK IS WELL ESTABLISHED IN AUSTRALIA AND CURRENTLY HAS 43 BODY SHOPS.
ment for global standards audited repair will be critical.”
As with many other OEMs, BMW en- courages its dealer network to invest in a bodyshop and there are an increasing number of Australian dealers taking that step.
“It is logical because BMW vehicles are so technologically advanced and they must receive the appropriate level of care to ensure they protect their occupants,” Dr Meierbeck says. “Having vehicles re- paired at a dealership can reduce down- time for the customer and we can be cer- tain that the diagnostics and recalibration will be carried out correctly.
“In support of the established infra- structure, we have been enhancing our competency-based training programs and adopted advanced online solutions in light of COVID-19 restrictions. The training is imperative; we have so many different substrates in our cars and our focus is always on maintaining cabin integrity. There are countless new tech- nologies coming on stream and we must stay ahead of the curve to keep both our dealers and accredited repair- er network abreast of all developments.”
Another BMW success story is its branded insurance product sold though the dealer network which the company says has fantastic market penetration. This allows BMW owners to access the network and ensures the use of genuine parts in the repair progress. It started out that the policy allowed for genuine parts to be used for the first five years of the vehicle’s life but it is now for the life- time of the policy.
If you are interested in applying to be part of the network, there are a number of factors to consider.
Business presentation is vital to premium brands. Dr Meierbeck rec-
B
MW HAS BEEN KICKING IT OUT
of the park in terms of sales over the past couple of years and will be looking to expand its coverage
in alignment with that growth. BMW started the network in 1998 and has expanded it to become the largest of all premium brands. It also has presence in New Zealand. The German luxury carmaker said it was also planning to expand the network in the future to accommodate its broadening product line-up and re-
quirement to look after customers’ needs with highly specialist services.
“We conducted a representation study that demonstrated the need to increase the number of accredited BMW body shops,” says Reiner Meierbeck, head of Aftersales for BMW Group Australia. “This is not only because there is an im- portant need to provide a high level of service to our customers but also be- cause in the future – when our product line-up broadens to include more battery electric vehicles (BEVs) – the require-