ABM Q4 - Flipbook - Page 36
Meet the Dealer
Pinkstones Toyota
Milly Standing speaks with Steve Batchelor, general
manager at Pinkstones Toyota, Stoke-on-Trent,
about the challenges and opportunities for the
modern dealership
How would you describe the
trading conditions this year?
Overall conditions are stable compared
to last year, and we are very much
focused on our retail market.
We have also seen an uplift in our
Motability sales due to our electric
vehicle (EV) products, as well as growth in
the used car market, which we planned
for as we had expanded the used car
sales team.
The lift in Motability sales is around
about 120 to 150 cars per year for our
market area.
We planned to stock more used
vehicles so that we could achieve a
bigger number this year, and that is what
we have done so far.
We were ahead of our expectations
and more than 100 units ahead at the
end of July, compared with where we
were in 2025.
Where are you seeing
demand, and what are you
hearing from customers
when they come in?
We are still quite strong with our small
city cars – Yaris and Aygo, and the
Aygo Hybrid.
We are also seeing a strong pull
towards the SUV market, with our C-HR,
C-HR+, and Urban Cruiser.
Customers are now more focused
on money, but it is not all about the
payment; it is about the overall running
costs and the value the customers are
getting for their money.
They are much more aware of their
finances, and they make fewer impulsive
decisions; it is a thought-out process
when buying a car, especially new cars.
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The customer has to think about what
they are doing, how much they are
spending, and what they can get for their
money, because there is so much choice.
They are very knowledgeable, and they
have done hours of research before they
get to us.
Really, they are testing the sales team
on their product knowledge daily, so it
is then our responsibility to ensure we
have all of that information ready to
go. The reality is that they are using our
salespeople to confirm the information
they already have.
Customers are not just wandering into
a showroom and asking a salesperson
to show them the cars the dealer has to
offer; they already know which car they
want, they just want someone to reaffirm
their research.
They know the answer; they just want
us to also know the answer so they can
build that channel of trust.
What role is technology now
playing in the way that you
sell cars?
We have customers come in now who
have used ChatGPT to give them a full
breakdown of everything they need to
know about a car.
They have put in a prompt saying: “This
is what I want.” “This is what I need
in a vehicle.” “This is the type of car I
like.” “These are the brands I like.” And
it provides them with an extensive list
of information they come armed with to
the dealership. The customer can do this
research, but they still want to come in
and test drive the vehicle and see how it
operates in real life.
It is quite amazing what is available
now to the consumer compared to two
years ago or even a year ago.
