Lookers open new Ford Transit Centre in Sheffield… Car dealer Lookers has opened its new Ford Transit Centre in Sheffield, with a newly refurbished showroom, elevated aftersales standards and extended opening hours.
Spring Issue 2015 ••• This newsletter is designed as an insight into what is happening within Lookers Leasing. It covers a range of topics, issues affecting our industry, news, product launches, our success stories and our people.
Lookers Leasing New Home… The new centre, in Savile Street, is the first of three Ford Transit Centres to be opened by Lookers in 2015. The Transit Centre has been designed in line with Ford’s global brand strategy and will be one of the first Ford Transit outlets in the UK to provide an "enhanced retail experience" with industry-leading facilities and the latest technology. Lookers' chief executive Andy Bruce said: “We are passionate about delivering a quality service experience to our commercial vehicle customers and this latest investment in a brand new Ford Transit Centre reflects our
commitment to ensuring that we do this well. “Ford is also one of the UK’s most trusted, reliable and sought-after brands in the commercial vehicle market and this exciting new Lookers' Ford Transit Centre provides our expertise and dedicated commercial vehicle team to support its award-winning fleet of vans. We look forward to welcoming Ford customers – old and new – in the months ahead.” Lookers has confirmed that in addition to Sheffield, it will also open new Ford Transit Centres in Colchester and Chelmsford. www.am-online.co.uk
Due to our continuing expansion, we will move into our new head office building hopefully by the end of June 2015.
It will mean a lot more operational space but still based within beautiful Harrogate. We will let everyone know when we have our official moving date!
Driving Licence Changes - Abolition of the paper counterpart… Important information regarding the abolition of the DVLA driving licence paper counterpart. th
You may be aware that from 8 June 2015, the paper counterpart to the photo-card driving licence will not be
•
counterpart and only return
valid and will no longer be issued by DVLA. The counterpart was introduced to display driving licence details that could not be included on the photo-card. These details include some vehicle categories you are entitled to drive and any endorsements/penalty points. Please note these changes do not affect photo-card licences issued by the DVA in Northern Ireland.
For photo-card licences, the Court will retain the paper
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the photo-card to you. For paper licences, the Court will return it to you but they won’t have written or printed the offence details on it. th
This means that from 8 June 2015, neither the photo-card nor
Lookers Leasing add to team … Joe Skinner joins Lookers Leasing as Business Development Manager to further develop our customer partnerships. He will be responsible for major corporate accounts with a fleet size of 100 plus vehicles. For a quotation or free fleet evaluation, please contact him on: T: 07870 894 398 joe.skinner@lookersleasing.co.uk
the paper licence will provide an accurate account of any driving endorsements you may have. Instead, this information
Paper driving licences issued before
will be held on the DVLA’s driver record and can be checked online, by phone or post. The DVLA online system “View Driving Licence service" lets you see what details are on your
the photo-card which were introduced in 1998 will remain valid and should not be destroyed. If you need to update your name, address or renew your licence you will be issued with a photo-card only. th
From 8 June 2015, new penalty points (endorsements) will not be added to driving licences. From this
licence, including vehicles you can drive and any penalty points you may have. In order to view you
Court, but the way the Court deals with the paperwork will change:-
“Industry leading end of contract charges.”
would need the driving licence number, national insurance number, postcode on the driving licence, and the driver must tick a box to consent to view the information online. www.fleetnews.co.uk
date, if you commit an offence you will still have to pay any applicable fine and submit your licence to the
“A FN50 UK Leasing Company, with over 4,000 vehicles on its fleet.”
Lookers Leasing provides driving licence checks, please contact us for more details.
“True national coverage in mainland UK and Northern Ireland with an open underwriting procedure - we will always listen to what a company has to say and their business plan.”
“Part of the £3BN turnover Lookers PLC motor group, one of the largest in the UK.”
New Business… Lookers Leasing is superbly equipped to show that it makes an excellent choice as a fleet funding and management partner, through a tender process, nominated funder or partnership agreement. The ever increasing amount of businesses choosing to evaluate the funding and management requirements of their fleets provides Lookers Leasing with opportunity to show how a partnership agreement is the way to saving considerable amounts of your costs and resource by utilising a cost saving identification and consultancy approach.
Some of the direct benefits of considering Lookers Leasing are: • • • • • • • • • • • •
A simple clear and pricing strategy without hidden costs. Industry leading, clear and fair end of contract charges. The ability to customise the services we provide directly in line with how your business works. Full commercial vehicle service including livery and specialist fit out. We listen to what you tell us works from your experiences in the past. Dedicated account management team who learn to know how your business works and how you want things to be delivered. A dedicated lead-in fleet of various types of cars and LCVs. Saving time and money in dealings with multiple suppliers. Benefits of aggregated purchase. Enables budgeting – protecting against large ancillary costs. Ensuring that business needs are understood and met - allowing you to focus on your core business. Lookers Leasing work with the Manufacturers to ensure the best fleet terms for your fleet.
Lookers Leasing welcomes the opportunity to tender, quote and advise on your fleet, please contact Joe Skinner, our Business Development Manager, with the tender details.
Our Business Development Manager, Joe Skinner, explains what makes a partnership with Lookers Leasing such a good choice… “The reason why I joined Lookers Leasing was the fact that I loved the idea of a company whose sole motivation was looking after its customers in the way that they actually said they wanted to be looked after.”
“Lookers Leasing does this by providing a one-stop shop service, combining competitive rentals, superb customer services, logistics, customisation of delivery and dedicated people, all combined with the technology to deliver what the customer needs exactly to run their fleet efficiently.”
Total Cost of Contract (TCC) Lookers Leasing has developed a truly unique offering with our
Total Cost of Contract partnership agreements . It is an agreement whereby our customers can truly see how much they can save in cost and time while also protecting themselves from large ancillary costs that were not included in the fleet budget. The actual cost of running a fleet on Contract Hire is not simply the finance aspect of the rentals each month, but a much greater cost base:
Cost of the rentals +: End of contract damage re-charges. Excess mileage charges. Administration charges e.g. fines. Cost of temporary vehicle until contract vehicle delivered. • Tyre damage (accidental). • Accident Management. • MID • • • •
Our Head of Sales, Nicki Campbell, outlines the key principle of TCC… “Our industry leading delivery of contract hire agreements that ensure the WHOLE COST of the contracts is taken into consideration. TCC removes cost exposure and risk and enables true budgeting.
By utilising a TCC partnership agreement some of the immediate benefits in cutting costs are:
TCC Benefits: Industry leading end of contract re-charges. Industry leading excess mileage charges. NO fine administration charges. NO quibble accidental tyre policy. • Lead in vehicles at monthly rental price. • • • •
Lookers Leasing welcomes the opportunity to show how TCC could work for your fleet, please contact Joe Skinner, our Business Development Manager.
“The ability to show to a company the amount of fleet cost and time savings we can achieve, by using the customer’s own provided data, is a very powerful tool indeed and the key to our TCC partnership agreements.”
Commercial Vehicles… The latest news from the world of LCVs, that we have found interesting this quarter.
The funding and management of LCVs is a rapidly expanding activity for Lookers Leasing and one that we are considerably experienced in.
Mercedes-Benz’ posh pickup has been confirmed… The new Mercedes pickup will be engineered and designed by Daimler using the Nissan NP300 platform which will also underpins the new Navara 2015 model from the Japanese manufacturer that goes on sale in the UK at the end of this year.
As well as underpinning the new Mercedes pickup, the new Nissan Navara will also feature as a Renault pickup in some markets. As you would expect, the Mercedes pickup will have all of MercedesBenz’ distinctive characteristics and features.
Van sales rise sharply in plate-change month… Van sales saw a large increase in volume in the plate-change month of March, with registrations up 23.6% year-on-year to 61,894 units, according to new figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Vans between 2.5 and 3.5 tonnes led the growth in volume terms, up 23.8% in March to 67,695 units. Commercial 4x4s and pick-ups saw the biggest increase in growth with registrations up by 50.5% to 2349 units and by 27.6% to 7463 units respectively.
Our parent company, Lookers PLC has one of the largest networks of LCV dealerships, providing a great choice of vehicles in stock and often greatly reduced lead times for factory orders.
Fitting…
We work with all the UK’s top fitting companies to complete sometimes complex racking and fitting solutions for customers.
www.fleetnews.co.uk
New look for Peugeot Partner…
The Mercedes pickup will feature a double cab and will be targeted both at personal-use and commercial customers. The primary target markets for the truck are Europe, Australia, South Africa and Latin America. www.businessvans.co.uk
Lookers Leasing loves vans …
www.peugeot.co.uk
Signage…
We are able to provide signwriting solutions using either yours or our suppliers to produce stunning graphics and wrapping.
Vehicle funding… THE TABLE below gives details of some of the key factors which influence vehicle funding decisions. Lookers Leasing can help you evaluate these factors and choose the most appropriate solutions for your organisation and situation.
This issue our MD, Andrew Collett reviews … New Volvo XC90
There are many reasons why a company will choose different funding products for its fleet requirement. An organisation’s appetite for risk, its balance sheet management and taxation position are just three of the leading factors. Other considerations include capital investment requirements, fleet management capability, restricted loan facilities and distribution of vehicle users. As companies change and develop these factors can alter and influence what is the most appropriate solution at any one time. It may not be that one funding type is right for all company vehicles, but a mix of funding options may help give an appropriate balance between optimised financial considerations and future financial flexibility. Many companies have recognised the importance of having a well-managed vehicle fleet and are finding this helps to give it a competitive advantage in an ever more competitive environment. Lookers Leasing offers a variety of options to fund your vehicle fleet. We also have experienced consultants who can help guide you through the various funding and management options available. The table above gives you some insight into the complexity of vehicle funding. The Lookers Leasing philosophy is to keep it simple and our consultants are trained with this one objective in mind. Business is complicated enough without adding extra layers of confusion.
Lookers Leasing provides free of charge advice and fleet evaluations, please contact us for more details.
“I had the pleasure of recently being invited across to Barcelona in order to drive the new Volvo XC90. With prices beginning at £45,000 the XC90 will remain firmly planted in the executive section of company vehicle choice lists. It offers a credible alternative to the luxury SUV’s offered by other manufacturers. Volvo has managed to combine their unique contemporary Scandinavian style with a real craftsmanship to produce an exterior design that tells the world you have arrived. The interior is opulent and luxurious, proving very relaxing for the 4 hour test drive. Volvo’s legendary safety features are evident throughout the vehicle but don’t intrude on the pleasure of driving. Great care has been taken to unclutter the cabin and Volvo has done well with this without overcomplicating the remaining controls. The command centre for most of the controls is a large, high definition intuitive touchscreen.” Verdict: A very high quality package that will appeal to the executive SUV driver that values, comfort, style and safety.
LiteLease A fantastic way to secure a vehicle on a short term contract with no hidden extras. Here at Lookers Leasing we have developed our Lite-Lease product, which is based upon a hassle free 12 month contract including maintenance.
Audi A3 1.6 TDI Sport 5dr
We provide an excellent choice of vehicles and you can be confident that the vehicle and contract is provided direct from
Audi A4 2.0 TDIe SE Technik Saloon
one of the fastest growing FN50 UK Leasing Companies.
Contact us now for further details…
Ford Transit Custom 270 L1H1 2.2 TDCi 100ps
£449 per month £325 per month 1+11, 20,000 miles per annum Full maintenance Profile: Rentals based on 1 months deposit followed by 11 monthly payments. Mileage: 20,000 miles per annum including full maintenance.
1+11, 20,000 miles per annum Full maintenance
£375 per month 1+11, 20,000 miles per annum Full maintenance
Audi A4 2.0 TDIe SE Technik Avant
Vauxhall Vivaro 2700 L1H1 1.6 CDTi 115ps
Alternative profiles and mileages available. Business users only. Rentals are plus VAT. (Vehicles used for illustration purposes only.)
£459 per month 1+11, 20,000 miles per annum Full maintenance
£375 per month 1+11, 20,000 miles per annum Full maintenance
For new business quotes, tender opportunities and TCC fleet evaluations, please contact: Joe Skinner Business Development Manager M: 07870 894 398 E: joe.skinner@lookersleasing.co.uk
For existing customers, please contact your Account Manager: Steve Quayle Area Sales Manager M: 07939 677 060 E: stephen.quayle@lookersleasing.co.uk
Cath Burgess Area Sales Manager M: 07908 000 714 E: cath.burgess@lookersleasing.co.uk
Diana Charalambous Public Sector Regional Manager M: 07983 561 155 E: Diana.charalambous@lookersleasing.co.uk
Lookers Leasing Limited 11 Cardale Court Cardale Park Beckwith Head Road Harrogate, HG3 1RY www.lookersleasing.co.uk Telephone: 01423 853 000 Fax: 01423 853 002