Ignition Magazine New Zealand | March 2021

MARCH 2021

CAPRICORN SERVICE DATA Enhanced with New Service Advisor Feature

FUTURE RIDE

GENESIS ESSENTIA

4 QUALITIES TO LOOK FOR IN A NEW APPRENTICE The qualities you should be seeking out.

CAPRICORN MEMBER PORTAL Get organised and be proactive.

PANDEMIC IMPACT 2021

Global automotive consumer trend study.

GOOGLE REVIEWS

Why you should ask every customer for one!

David Fraser Group CEO

CEO’s message

Hard work Make your has its workshop rewards. a more rewarding place to work.

Welcome to Ignition! It was only a moment ago I was wishing you all a Merry Christmas, and already we are well into March.

Recently we launched our new Facebook page and have enjoyed engaging with the Capricorn community directly. Follow us on Facebook to be kept in the know about the automotive industry, how to get the most of your membership, and social-first offers and giveaways.

It’s been great seeing so many Members encourage their apprentices, and show them they have a bright career ahead, by nominating them as Capricorn Rising Star. I’ve read some truly inspiring applications so far and look forward to seeing many more nominations submitted as we recognise and reward those apprentices with the right attitude to retain them in the industry long term. For more information on how to nominate your apprentice see back page.

2021 is starting out to be a very busy year, and we are seeing from the economic projections that New Zealanders seem to be cautiously optimistic about recovery efforts this year.

We encourage you to investigate the increased low value asset threshold for eligible businesses, and how this government benefit may help you get the equipment you need from our Preferred Suppliers. I’d also remind you that Capricorn Finance is available to help Members take advantage of any EOFY tax breaks and special offers that may be available. Find out more about your options with Capricorn Finance, on page 12.

One of the great Capricorn Member benefits is complimentary access (worth $1,056) to Capricorn Service Data which is, without doubt, an incredibly valuable workshop information resource for servicing modern vehicles. Recently, Capricorn Service Data have launched the Service Advisor feature which gives automotive workshop offices, reception staff and technical staff the ability to quickly and easily determine what OEM services are required and what optional work should be recommended for each customer’s vehicle. For more information on Capricorn Service Data and the Service Advisor feature, see page 5.

Finally, with such a busy year ahead of us it can be difficult to stay on top of everything and keep organised. That’s why Capricorn provides you with everything you need, in your myCap Portal. Find out more about your myCap Portal and how to keep your portal experience safe, on page 4.

As always, I wish you a lovely March and look forward to speaking to you in April.

Yours cooperatively, ,

David Fraser Group CEO 2 CAPRICORN IGNITION MARCH 2021

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Got your eye on a new Weber Upgrade the BBQ? staff Now you can get it, or kitchen with a new Bugatti Divabetter, Espresso something in Machine.

Just one the all new Capricorn way you can use your Rewards. points with Capricorn Rewards.

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Coming Together to Support One Another

Find valuable COVID-19 resources to support your NZ Rewards Banner Ignition March.indd 1 business.

Visit COVID Support at capricorn.coop/covid

22/02/

CONTENTS MARCH 2021

4

Capricorn Member Portal

5

Capricorn Service Data Update

7

Looking for a New Apprentice

8

Capricorn Director Information Session

Get organised and be proactive with the Capricorn Member Portal.

Enhanced with new service advisor feature for automotive workshop.s

Four qualities to look for in a new apprentice.

Online information session providing insights into what it means to be a Capricorn director.

13 9

Fire Protection

Bushfire changes fortune in an instant are you adequately protected for fire?

10

Pandemic Impact Revealed

Pandemic impact revealed in 2021 Global Automotive Consumer Trend study.

14 Drivelife Review

Old dog new tricks - 2020 Land Rover Defender SE .

20

Importance of Google Reviews

Why you should ask every happy customer for a Google Review!

18

22 TaT Article

You can introduce simple processes to help maximise technician productivity.

CAPRICORN IGNITION MARCH 2021 3

GET ORGANISED AND BE PROACTIVE WITH THE CAPRICORN MEMBER PORTAL After a slow 2020, the new year has certainly kicked off with a bang. And in the busiest of times, it can be difficult to keep organised and stay on top of everything. That’s why Capricorn provides you with everything you need right in your myCap Portal.

Through the myCap Portal you can access all of your Capricorn products and services, as well as keep up to date with everything new, or coming soon.

STATEMENT & DOCS

Did you know that you can get your monthly statements through the myCap Portal before they arrive in the mail? You can access current and previous statements here so there are no worries if your paper statement takes a walk.

PURPLE PAGES

Can’t find your Purple Pages directory? All the latest details for all Preferred Suppliers are available online through the myCap Portal.

REWARDS

Not sure what to do with all of your Capricorn Rewards Points?

Well, the Capricorn Rewards website will have something to reward you and your workshop. From coffee machines, to golf clubs, to iPads, you can always find something exciting on Capricorn Rewards.

CAP EZI-PARTS

KNOWLEDGE

They say knowledge is power. Well, we like to think our knowledge products are pretty powerful. Enjoy instant access to the most comprehensive range of online service information for over 34,000 vehicles with Capricorn Service Data. Boost your business operations with AutoBoost which includes checklists, customer service guides, advertising templates, staff forms and more.

EVENTS

We love seeing our Members and are looking forward to inviting you along to our Member Events when its safe to do so. When these events come back, look no further than the Events page to register for an event near you.

MEMBER RESOURCES

Keep up to date with all things Capricorn, our Preferred Suppliers and the industry with Sparks and Ignition. Also find a digital copy of our Member Guide and Member logos under Member Resources.

CAP ezi-parts is an email based car parts locater service which is free and exclusive to Capricorn Members in New Zealand. It provides Members with a simple and efficient method to locate parts and equipment, removing the need to spend excessive time on the phone.

KEEP YOUR COMPUTER SECURE 1. Keep your internet browser up to date.

As soon as a browser falls out of schedule it is at risk of being hacked. Your browser will prompt you to update when this happens, so make sure to take the time to download and install the new version.

2. MyCap Portal can be logged into via https://online.capricorn.coop (this is the same URL as our current login page).

3. Always make sure your passwords are over six characters in length and include a capital, a number, and a special character.

4. Do not store passwords on a Post-it note where someone can easily see them, making them easily stolen.

4 CAPRICORN IGNITION MARCH 2021

5. As we continue to secure our myCap Portal, your browser may prompt you to re-enter your login information; existing saved passwords may not be pre-filled on the browser.

9. If you ever suspect that your login details have been compromised, click ‘Forgot your password?’ on the myCap Portal login page and follow the prompts to set your new password.

6. Make sure you always see the lock button next to the URL in your browser before entering your username and password:

10. When using the Capricorn portal, some of our pages open in new tabs. Always make sure to close your browser window (not just these tabs) after logging out of our myCAP Portal, before moving on to your next items of business.

7. We do not recommend saving passwords on shared workstations.

8. If you have never accessed our Portal or set a password, please contact our friendly Customer Service Team.

CAPRICORN SERVICE DATA ENHANCED WITH NEW SERVICE ADVISOR FEATURE

O

ne of the many benefits of being a Capricorn Member is complimentary access to Capricorn Service Data which is, without doubt, an incredibly valuable workshop information resource for servicing modern vehicles.

Powered by world-leading automotive data providers Autodata, Capricorn Service Data covers more than 34,000 makes and models. This provides Capricorn Members with instant and accurate online service information which would otherwise cost $1,056 per year in subscription fees.

A new addition to Capricorn Service Data is the Service Advisor feature. The Service Advisor function gives automotive workshop offices, reception staff and technical staff the ability to quickly and easily find what OEM services are required and what optional work should be recommended for each customer’s vehicle.

Capricorn Service Data’s new Service Advisor component also supports easier

quoting and repair cost estimating for customers. After selecting a vehicle within Capricorn Service Data by model in the usual manner, Members can now bring up a one-page view of all replacement intervals and service times.

This information includes key parts for services, outlined in plain language.

This presents a fantastic opportunity to illustrate to customers what current and upcoming work may be needed.

According to Capricorn Automotive CEO Bradley Gannon, Capricorn is always seeking to make operating automotive service and repair businesses more rewarding and efficient for its 20,000 plus Members located across Australia and New Zealand.

“The new Service Advisor component to the Capricorn Service Data suite is a timesaving benefit that enables Member technicians to concentrate on their work and help front-of-house staff to easily provide customers with accurate information relating to upcoming service or repair work,” Mr. Gannon said.

The new Service Advisor feature has been optimised to function across both desktop and touchscreen devices, making it easy to present to customers on a tablet, notebook or monitor.

This is yet another benefit of membership in Australasia’s largest automotive cooperative that enables automotive businesses to become more efficient and profitable while providing premier customer service.

See for yourself. Login to Capricorn Ser vice Data via capricorn.coop to tr y the new Service Advisor feature.

To find out more about how you can take advantage of Capricorn Service Data, speak to your Area Manager.

CAPRICORN IGNITION MARCH 2021 5

n o s u w o l l Fo ay ! d o t k o o b e ac

F

Follow us today by scanning the QR code or by searching ‘Capricorn Society’ on Facebook

QUALITIES TO LOOK FOR IN A NEW APPRENTICE Our apprentices are the future of our industry. The work we put into training them today is the foundation for our success tomorrow. Not just for our own businesses, but for our industry as a whole.

We know from the State of the Nation Report 2020 that finding good staff is the third biggest challenge facing Members overall. If we want reliable team members, solid workshop managers, good business partners and dynamic industry leaders into the future, then it’s up to us to provide the opportunities and encourage the best possible people into our industry.

The desire to do exactly that is already there: 74% of Members who’ve had or have apprentices say they took them on to train the next generation and almost half say they want to pass on their skills.

Yet finding the right apprentice can be a struggle, with 14% of Members saying it was one of the top five challenges facing their business.

So, when we’re looking for apprentices, how do we identify the candidates most likely to do well, to stick around, and to become a long-term asset for our businesses and the industry as a whole?

We asked an industry veteran for his advice on the qualities to look for in a potential apprentice. He’s employed about 20 apprentices over his decades in the business and said they’re always “a bit of a mixed bag”.

“We’ve had some that have stayed on with us and gone on to manage workshops for us — we have one who’s currently doing that now,” he said. “And others, look, obviously when they’ve completed their trade, you tend to part ways.”

With many lessons under his belt, here are the qualities our Member recommends seeking out in an apprentice.

“We’re really after somebody who has a can-do attitude and is proactive: someone who just wants to work, wants to be part of it, who’s enthusiastic about what they want to do.”

HAVE THEY DONE A PRE-VOCATIONAL COURSE?

Our Member said he’s also always looking for evidence that a candidate truly has an interest in mechanics.

“Do they have any certificates for mechanical courses that show that they’re working towards this as a career?” he said.

“Can they demonstrate that they’ve got an interest in cars and in the industry.”

HAVE THEY DONE WORK ON THEIR OWN VEHICLE?

“I’m also looking to see if they’ve worked on their own cars, if they’ve tinkered with cars, and if they’ve bought and sold cars,” he said.

“That way you can see they’ve really got an interest in mechanics and that they’ve got their hands dirty; that they’ve physically played with things.”

DO THEY HAVE A NATURAL AFFINITY WITH MECHANICS?

Lastly, our Member recommends finding apprentices who have grown up around engines as a part of daily life. He said farm kids, for example, tend to make really good apprentices.

“They’re used to tinkering with things on a farm and playing with mechanical things,” he said.

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR INTERVIEWING A POTENTIAL APPRENTICE

We asked for any advice our Member had for other Members interviewing potential apprentices. He recommended looking for the basics (not just the above qualities but also questions like whether the candidate has a driver’s licence) before interviewing.

DO THEY HAVE THE RIGHT ATTITUDE?

“Obviously, attitude is important,” he said.

“That’s the same if you employ anyone.

CAPRICORN

APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR

Stars

He said it’s important to get the candidate quite comfortable during the interview process so you can ask enough questions to work out how they think and “how they tick”.

“We talk a little bit about cars,” he said, “We ask questions like what’s your favourite car, what do you drive — just those kind of things.

“If you see them start to light up and start to talk about a few things to do with cars, you can sense whether they’ve got a passion for cars. It’s the attitude and a bit of a passion for the industry that you’re looking for.”

ONE LAST THOUGHT ON FINDING THE RIGHT APPRENTICE

Our Member had one last recommendation for other Members struggling to find an apprentice: think outside the box and look to mature age applicants.

Increasing your employee diversity is an important consideration which can have positive effects for your business. He mentions supporting and encouraging mature age apprentices and the benefit they can have to the industry.

“We have employed some adult apprentices and they are really engaged and hit the ground running. So, I wouldn’t discount adult apprentices.”

KEEPING YOUR STAR APPRENTICES ONCE YOU FIND THEM

Once you find the right apprentice it’s always good to keep encouraging them.

With positive reinforcement you will continue to stoke their passion for the industry, helping prevent them from burning out.

Capricorn Rising Stars provides one such opportunity for our Members to recognise and reward their repairers of the future. By showing apprentices that they are on the right track we can keep them committed to their workshops and retain them in the industry long term.

Nominate your apprentice today via capricornrisingstars.com Entries close 30 April 2021. For more information visit capricorn.coop/tc and click on ‘Capricorn Rising Stars 2021 Terms and Conditions’.

ONLINE INFORMATION SESSION Providing insights into what it means to be a Capricorn director Capricorn is looking for energetic and passionate Members to join our board of directors. In 2021, director elections will be held for a director in the NSW/ACT zone to fill a vacant position and one for the VIC/TAS zone.

This year, we have introduced a new initiative to provide Members with more information about what it means to be a Capricorn director. We will be holding an online information session on Wednesday 24 March 2021 at 5pm AEDT at which Russell Becker, Capricorn’s previous chairman and current NSW/ACT director will provide insights into what it means to be a Capricorn director. It should last no longer than an hour.

For those of you who have already registered your interest, we will be in touch to provide you a link to the webinar closer to the time. If you have not registered, you still have time! Just email sarah.chamberlain@capricorn.coop As we have previously mentioned, we will also be hosting a mini governance course so Members can learn more about the role of the board and the requirements to be a director. This online event will take place in April and is open to all Members.

Please let Sarah know if you might be interested in attending.

Will Bargmann Company Secretary

Participation in the information session is relevant to all zones, and is not limited to NSW/ACT and VIC/TAS Members. If you have been interested in becoming a director in the future, this session will still be of benefit to you.

o o T d o o G nottnot o to Share If you have a story or a ride that could be published in Ignition, email it to ignition@capricorn.coop Ensure you include Member Ride in the subject line.

• Are you looking for personal growth and your next challenge?

• Do you want to use your experience and industry knowledge to give back to the automotive industry?

• Would you like to be part of the team that helps shape the future of Capricorn?

If you answered YES to those questions, then becoming a Capricorn director could be the right fit for you.

TM

Bushfire changes fortune in an instant As Hassan Baghdadi swam with his kids near Sussex Inlet, NSW, on New Year’s Eve 2019, the terrible bushfires of that summer seemed a safe distance away. But when the wind suddenly changed direction, the family’s fortune changed with it.

“We had no reaction time,” Hassan said. “Within half an hour of the wind changing, the fires had travelled seven or eight kilometres to our property and it was alight.”

Hassan owns Woonona Tyres and Mechanical in Woonona and the Sussex Inlet property, a couple of hours down the coast from home, is the family’s weekend retreat. It’s an ideal getaway location, just a few kilometres from the beach and with plenty of room for four motorbike-mad kids. The accommodation is modest: a shed, a caravan and an annexe.

When it became clear the property was in the path of the fire, Hassan and his eldest son jumped in the car and raced back to the property to save whatever they could.

“I was taking a load out to the car and the sky just went orange,” Hassan said. “It was 2pm and the sky went dark like it was nighttime. I just said to my son, ‘get in the car, we have to go now!’ ” Returning later that night, Hassan found a scene of devastation: the caravan and annexe destroyed, the property burnt out. The shed still stood — thanks to a neighbour’s efforts with a hose — but everything inside it was badly smoke-damaged.

Hassan, who has been a Capricorn Member for nearly 20 years, called Capricorn Risk Services.

“I’ve never put in an protection claim before so I was sort of dumbfounded, but the assessor took me through it all — ‘here’s what can be fixed; here’s what can’t; here’s what’s covered’. He was really helpful. And the response time was really quick, too.”

Unfortunately, while the annexe was covered under Hassan’s protection policy, the caravan wasn’t.

“That’s where Capricorn really came through,” he said. “They helped us with a little bit for the caravan as well — I think as a gesture of goodwill.”

Hassan said the fire was a devastating experience that had been particularly hard on his wife and kids. But he said he felt fortunate that it wasn’t his family’s main home that was lost.

The terrible bushfires of 2019/20 affected thousands of people, devastating entire communities. Among those affected were 23 Capricorn Members. Capricorn continues to help these Members.

Fire can impact your property at any time, so please make sure you are adequately protected for fire, especially if you are in a high-risk area. Talk to Capricorn Risk Services if you require a quote for fire protection.

Contact Capricorn Risk Services 0800 555 303 I info@capricornrisk.com I capricornrisk.com Products sold through Capricorn Risk Services Pty Ltd (NZBN 9429041139813) include discretionary risk protection and general insurance products. Discretionary risk protection is issued out of Australia by Capricorn Mutual Ltd. Before deciding to acquire discretionary risk protection you should consider the Product Disclosure Statement to see if it is appropriate for you. This can be obtained from Capricorn Risk Services Pty Ltd by calling 0800 555 303. General insurance products are issued by a range of insurers and are available through Capricorn Risk Services Pty Ltd as a member broker of PSC Connect NZ Limited. Capricorn Risk Services Pty Ltd is a registered financial services provider (390446) and a corporate Authorised Representative (No. 460893) of Capricorn Mutual Ltd (AFSL 230038).

CAPRICORN IGNITION MARCH 2021 9

PANDEMIC IMPACT REVEALED IN 2021 GLOBAL AUTOMOTIVE CONSUMER TREND STUDY

by Paul Marinelli

Deloitte, a leading global provider of professional audit and assurance services, has completed a global automotive study that has revealed some interesting trends in relation to how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected consumer vehicle purchasing and servicing preferences.

Australian respondents were included in a total of 24,000 participants from 23 global markets. The data gleaned from this detailed study provides a great deal of food for thought for all within the industry, whether in the new or pre-owned car sales sector or the automotive servicing and repair sector.

Despite the onset of online vehicle inspections and purchases during the pandemic lockdown periods of 2020, 79% of respondents stated that they prefer to purchase a car in person at a dealership, being able to inspect, test drive and negotiate the cost and all inclusions face to face.

The onset of the pandemic also saw several major manufacturer dealerships and some independent repairers offer their customers a vehicle pick-up service for regular servicing and repairs. Sixty per cent of the people surveyed said they preferred this and would continue to use the service if it does not incur extra cost. Interestingly, 20% of respondents stated they are willing to pay extra for their vehicles to be picked up and serviced or repaired, with remaining respondents continuing to use mobile mechanics.

Something that has ever so slowly emerged in the Australian and New Zealand automotive market is the vehicle subscription service concept. While still very much in its infancy and with GM having shut down their much-touted Maven subscription service when they unceremoniously threw the Holden brand into the dumpster last year, there are some emerging vehicle subscription services available. For the uninitiated, this is where you pay a monthly subscription fee and drive the same car or a number of cars within a specific model range with all running costs (including servicing and insurance) included within that regular fee, removing the need to own a vehicle. Thirty per cent of Australian respondents were interested in subscription services using a single brand of car, with 25% interested in driving different car brands along with pre-owned vehicles.

A fact that goes some way towards explaining the current pre-owned vehicle sales boom in this part of the world can also be attributed to 26% of Australians surveyed who did not own a car before the pandemic but are seeking to do so to ensure social distancing. In the 35 to 54-year-old demographic, this percentage jumps to 41%. These are people who rely heavily on public transport for commuting to work but now consider this form of transport to be unsafe once required to return to their workplaces.

In terms of vehicle brand loyalty, 30% of all respondents in this study consider their most trusted brand relationship to be with the vehicle brand they currently own, 22% with the dealership where they purchased their last vehicle, and 19% with the dealership that services their vehicle.

Mechanics who may be thinking that electric cars will destroy their businesses will be pleased to know that 70% of people surveyed still prefer a vehicle with an internal combustion (fuel-powered) engine as opposed to hybrid or completely electric-powered cars. The majority of respondents’ major concerns with EVs continue to be their high purchase cost, the requirements of vehicle charging, the driving range and safety concerns relating to the combustible nature of batteries in the event of a major accident.

In relation to the economic impact of the pandemic and the uncertainty ahead, 55% of respondents seeking to purchase a new car in 2021 stated they intend to buy a less expensive car than they had originally planned, 39% stated that they would seek a smaller car than planned and 26% of the people surveyed would be seeking a vehicle with more fuel economy.

Despite the emphasis on reducing costs during 2020, 45% of respondents did not research any alternate financing options than those offered by the dealer when purchasing their last vehicle. This reflects the strong trust placed in vehicle dealers by their customers, or for some it may simply be attributed to laziness or not having the time nor the patience to seek the best possible financial package from other providers.

It is important to note that the Australian automotive consumer trends revealed in this detailed study closely reflected those of their counterparts in the USA, Asia and Europe.

1 0 CAPRICORN IGNITION MARCH 2021

55% of respondents seeking to purchase a new car in 2021 stated they intend to buy a less expensive car 70% of people surveyed still prefer a vehicle with an internal combustion (fuel-powered) engine

CAPRICORN IGNITION MARCH 2021 1 1

Capricorn is helping Members get new equipment

GIVE YOURSELF A TAX BREAK equipmentTAKE ADVANTAGE OF END OF FINANCIAL YEAR TAX INCENTIVES & PREFERRED SUPPLIER SPECIALS.

Find out what you’re eligible for at capricorn.coop/eofy lending@capricorn.coop l 0800 401 444 Capricorn Finance offers business equipment finance in Australia and New Zealand through Capricorn Society Limited (NZBN 9429038593185) and brokers business finance through Capricorn Society Financial Services Pty Ltd (ACN 129 134 667). Fees and charges, terms and conditions, and lending criteria apply.

TM

Scotty joins the pit crew at Targa When well-known Targa driver Brett Morse called into Perth- “You generally have two or three or even four service areas per based family-run workshop G-Spec with his new BMW day that you have to get to, so it’s usually a bit of a rush to get M2 Competition, he got more than just the performance there, get it set up, get the service area set up, and then just wait modifications he’d asked for. for the car to come in.

He also landed a new sponsorship deal and an enthusiastic new pit crew with tonnes of BMW expertise, including G-Spec’s own Scotty Howard.

G-Spec is a German vehicle specialist based in Bassendean, Western Australia. Scotty’s father, Tony, owns the workshop and is a long-time Capricorn Member. Before joining the family workshop Scotty worked at WA’s main BMW dealership, Westcoast BMW. He specialises in vehicle performance.

“Then once the car comes in, it’s bedlam again. Like, ‘we’ve got 15 minutes; we need to do this, this and this’. So, it’s very, very busy and then… nothing.”

“So, I think ‘hurry up and wait’ is a really accurate way to describe it.”

“We saw an opportunity to sponsor what is generally the only BMW in almost all of these events,” Scotty said. “Brett has a bit of a reputation because he’s entered Targa a lot of times and he’s been a very successful driver. We’re quite into doing performance stuff on BMWs, so to sponsor the only one in a big local event was a no-brainer for us.”

The M2 Competition was purchased especially for racing and even after this season of rallies only has about 5000km on the clock. Brett had previously raced an M3 with some success, but October’s Targa was his first race in the M2. So, how’d it perform?

“The car has been super reliable,” Scotty said. “Credit to the car that it has been almost perfect. We’ve had some small issues with the surface preparation of some of the tracks where the track had been resurfaced and there was a lot of loose stones and gravel and that sort of thing. So, we had a lot of issues with rocks and gravel getting stuck inside the brakes and inside the “We attended all four days where we looked after the vehicle — wheels between the brake calipers and the wheels. changing the wheels around, flushing the brake fluid, and just generally doing things that needed to be done on the car,” “But honestly, it was pretty uneventful because the car was Scotty said. perfect — which is exactly what you want.”

The result for Scotty and his colleague Nathan Angus has been a summer spent trackside at various tarmac racing events around WA— with the highlight being the four-day Targa West rally in October around Perth and its hinterland.

Scotty and Nathan joined service crew members from Flashtuned, Tony Flood Motorsport and Morse Motorsport trackside throughout the event. The M2 placed fourth overall at the end of the week. Scotty said the experience was fantastic.

Targa was just the start of a summer of motorsport for Scotty and Nathan, who have since provided support to the Morse team at the Bunbury Sprint and a rally sprint at Barbagallo Raceway.

There are plenty more races to come, too.

“As Brett put it to me before we started, it’s a lot of ‘hurry up and wait’, Scotty said.

“Our sponsorship agreement is an ongoing one,” Scotty said.

“We will look after the car for the foreseeable future and attend all of the events that Brett needs us at.”

CAPRICORN IGNITION MARCH 2021 1 3

2020 LAND ROVER DEFENDER SE

Old dog, new tricks

Written by DriveLife online

It’s been the watercooler talk for most of the year, the brand new and dramatically redesigned Land Rover Defender. What’s it like, why has it changed so much, will it be the same, or is it good on and off-road? So many questions to be answered, all of which we hope to explore as the team at Drivelife get the behind the wheel of the 2020 Land Rover Defender SE My daily drive is my 2015 Land Rover Discovery 4 HSE and I love it. It’s the perfect vehicle for me and my everyday requirements. I must note that I know my Discovery is a different model, so I wont be doing a side by side comparison, just a yardstick reflection based on my own experiences with it. What I love about my Discovery is that it’s nice enough to be comfortable, while still having rubber mats and a huge boot to chuck all sorts of things in and out without being too worried about damaging the vehicle. My almost 3 yearold daughter also loves it as she can climb all over it without Dad getting too freaked out with her standing all over the seats and treating it like a jungle gym. A good test for the new Defender then is how it stacks up against one of its own and everything that life can throw at it.

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THE RANGE The new Land Rover Defender is available in New Zealand in two formats, the Defender 90 and Defender 110. The 90 is the 3-door model and the 110 is the 5-door model.

Both of these models come with a selection of spec levels. Defender 90 comes with three spec levels; Defender 90 S ($94,900) Defender 90 SE ($106,900) and Defender 90 X ($159,900). The Defender 110 comes with four spec levels; Defender 110 ($89,900) Defender 110 S ($107,900) Defender 110 SE ($114,900) and Defender 110 X ($169,900).

The Defender 90 and 110 comes with a wide range of engine options that are

linked to the different spec levels. The Defender 90 S D200, Defender 110 D200 and Defender 110 S D240 comes with a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder twin turbocharged diesel engine that creates 147kW of power and 430Nm of torque.

The next spec level SE comes with a wider selection of engines, one petrol, one diesel and hybrid petrol. The Defender 90 & 110 SE D240 comes with a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder twin-turbocharged diesel engine that creates 177kW of power and 430Nm of torque. The Defender 90 & 110 SE P300 comes with a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder twin-turbocharged petrol engine that creates 221kW of power and 400Nm of torque. The Defender 90 & 110 SE P400 comes with a 3.0-litre 6-cylinder twin turbocharged petrol MHEV (Mild Hybrid

DRIVELIFE

Electric Vehicle) hybrid engine that creates 294kW of power and 500Nm of torque.

The Defender 90 & 110 X P400 comes with the same MHEV Hybrid engine.

plug socket, All Terrain Progress Control, electronic active differential with torque vectoring by braking, Terrain Response 2 and configurable Terrain Response.

The standard features between the trim levels is impressive, as are the optional extras. Land Rover have really made it possible to customise the Defender to allow you to make it your own. The S spec comes standard with LED headlights, Cold Climate Pack heated windscreen, heated washer jets, heated steering wheel, headlight powerwash, keyless entry, metallic paint, 19” 6-spoke gloss sparkle silver wheels, 19” full-size spare wheel, grained leather and robust woven textile 12-way heated semi-powered front seats, light oyster morzine headlining, Click and Go integrated base unit, 40:20:40 folding rear seats with centre armrest, standard leather steering wheel, recessed dash beam in light grey powder coat brushed finish, manually adjustable steering column, interactive driver display, sound system 180W with 6 speakers, driver assist pack with adaptive cruise, control blind spot assist, clear exit monitor, rear collision monitor and rear traffic monitor.

The 110 also comes with the option of having a 5 or 7 seat configuration.

In addition to this, the SE comes with front fog lights, 20” 5-spoke gloss sparkle silver wheels, front passenger seat ISOFIX, Clearsight interior rear view mirror, electrically adjustable steering column and MeridianTM sound system with 400W with 10 speakers plus subwoofer.

The X add darkened tail lights, black contrast roof, gloss black bonnet, sliding panoramic roof, X exterior pack, 20” 5-spoke satin dark grey wheels, roughcut walnut veneer, bright metal pedals, carpet mats, Illuminated metal tread plates, premium cabin lighting, domestic

For a full range of the specs and options available for the Defender 90 and 110, check out landrover.co.nz.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS It’s definitely a Land Rover, but I am not sure if you would say it’s a Defender at first glance. Our review car was completely black, which was a look I had not seen much of. The international media have been pushing the two tone sand colour with aluminium highlights. The black looked good, but it did seem to highlight some of the other funky design features.

This was the second time I had seen the Defender in the flesh. It’s a very modern style, and it reminds me of the Land Rover truck they made for the Sylvester Stallone Judge Dredd movie. I don’t love it and don’t hate it, as there are things I like and things I don’t. Maybe over the course of the review this will change. But looks were never a Defenders strong point; it was its ability on and off the road which I was keen to test.

THE INSIDE The inside of the New Defender is of no comparison to the Defender of old, it’s really not that far away from the other Land Rover and Range Rover products on the market today. It has a clean and up-market luxury feel, while still having a utilitarian vibe. A mixture of soft and hard surfaces,

rubber floor matts, to let you know that the Defender still means business.

The first thing you notice when inside the Defender is that sheer amount of storage compartments. It’s insane, there are so many areas in the front alone to store all sorts of different items. The dash, behind the media screen, either side of the drivers cluster, in the doors, in the centre console, under the centre console, under the cup holders, behind the cup holders, under the arm rest and in the doors. In fact if you accidentally dropped something in this car, there is a good chance that it would land in a storage compartment before hitting the floor. Very impressive and practical.

The seats were great, a mixture of fabric and leather, real easy to get yourself comfy. Compared to the Defender of old, it would be easy to do some long road trips in this. The back seating was similar. As the second row was able to slide, you could (when not using the third row) have a lot of space in the back. The third-row, which is optional, has 2 seats and they looked like airline crew seats, not the same as the rest of the vehicle. The room was tight, and for any adult, the second row had to go forward a good bit for leg room.

From old to new, the level of equipment is staggering; LCD central media screen, and a nice confined space for all the controls and gear stick. Everything from the radio on/off and volume, air-conditioning, off road terrain settings and ride height were all here. It sounds like a lot, but it has been well laid out and thought out. I really liked how the air conditioning controls doubled as controls for seat heaters and dials for other option selections.

The contents of and any opinions contained in this article do not reflect the opinions of Capricorn Society Ltd and Capricorn makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy, completeness or reliability of any material in this article.

CAPRICORN IGNITION MARCH 2021 1 5

I did not like the gear stick, it had an uncomfortable feel to it. Reminds me of a Prius, which I would not have liked if I purchased the vehicle. Feelings aside, I found it clumsy to use, I would often when going into reverse, put it in Park. On many occasions, I would have to pull it down to Drive several times before it would engage.

I think a T-bar configuration would have been more ergonomic than the current gear stick.

The central media display was impressive, touchscreen and fast. It was like using your phone, jumping to each section, quickly and easily. The main screen showed nav, device connected and media playing.

From here you could access a large menu of apps, your profile, seats, climate, towing & trailers, cameras, valet mode, eco data, Land Rover 4x4i, wade sensing, low traction launch, and voice. As you can see there is a lot of functionality.

I noticed early on was that the keyless access was not as fluid as it was on previous models. For example on my Discovery, when you grab the handle and it senses you have the key, it unlocks automatically. While on the Defender, you have to press the button on the door handle. A bit picky I know, if you’re right handed, the button is always close to your pinky finger and not your thumb. Most cars at this price level have a single touch unlock system. Everything after that was great, it’s just that small thing. An odd one to change considering they had it set up well in the past. I never got used to this during the review, which I continued to find frustrating.

The rear tailgate opens from left to right on a single hinge. The door is noticeably light, taking little or no effort to move it. It also stays exactly where you open it, there are no stages to it opening like a car door. This means it would swing away from you with the weight of the spare wheel on there.

The boot is a pretty decent space with 916 litres with the third row down. With the third row up, this space shrinks to 231 litres.

Not great, but bigger than most 7 seaters.

When the second and third row seats are down, the space opens up to 2,233 litres.

Something to note though, if you get the 7 seater, the second row does not lay flat when down. Only the 5-seater option does this as the seats move in a different way. I would like to know why they have two different setups, since my seven-seater Discovery can do this.

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THE DRIVE The driving experience of the new Defender is where the most extreme change has happened. For anyone lucky or unlucky enough to drive an older Defender, they will know that it’s a bit agricultural, missing many refinements for comfort we may be used too. The 2020 Defender has taken a leap and the driving experience has been dragged forward into the 21st century.

Even in the space of the first 10 minutes on the road, I was amazed at how well the new Defender drives - it could have been a mid level Range Rover, or even any one of the other European luxury SUVs available in New Zealand. It didn’t feel like a tank or a tractor to drive, it was really nice. The engine was nice and quiet too, from the inside, you would easily be mistaken for not knowing it was diesel powered.

The engine in this 100 was the P240, which was a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder twinturbocharged diesel. This engine creates 177kW of power and 430Nm of torque, and is able to haul the Defender to 100km/h in 9.0 seconds. This is not quick, but it’s not slow either, rather typical for a vehicle of this size and spec. Driving around normally I felt that this 2.0 engine was pretty damn good, with plenty of power. The 8-speed automatic gearbox was ok, it was not great or as good as I was used to on the Discovery, however this may have been due to having more power running through it. The Defender was great at speed, but I did find on many occasions in slow traffic or when asking for more power at low speeds, some turbo lag which made it feel slow and jumpy. It was not a dealbreaker, but it was worth noting.

One thing that I was very impressed about this engine, was the fuel consumption.

Land Rover rates its combined fuel consumption at 7.8L per 100km. Generally we find that manufacturers give a number that can only be reached in perfect conditions. However after a week in the Defender, I had an average of 7.5L per 100km. I did check this many times, to be sure, but I was pretty impressed it was below the manufacturer specs.

On the road, you could be mistaken to think the Defender was more like a car then a lumbering SUV. It didn’t roll half as much

as my Discovery does in the corners, which was great - it felt strong and connected to the road at all times.

I love innovation, but I also love the old saying, if it aint broke don’t fix it. The digital rear view mirror was just one of those things. I could see why they put it in place, as visibility out the rear or sides was not great at the best of times. The spare wheel on the rear door was the first thing you could see and it blocked a lot of space where cars would be behind you. So you now get a digital rear view mirror. It sounds cool, and it kind of is. However your brain can have problems using it. For example, if you are focused on the road, say 100m ahead of you, and you quickly look into the rear view mirror. Your eyes and brain and still focused at a point 100m away. With a digital screen, your eyes need to focus on the point where the mirror is, to see what’s on the display. This crash focus from far to near and back, can give you an unsettling feeling or headaches. If you are going to buy one of these, best test that out. I just left the rear view mirror in the mirror mode and used the many other cameras and sensors when reversing to ensure a safe environment around the vehicle.

During my time in the Defender, I needed to tow a trailer with a vehicle on it. This is something that I do often with my Discovery, which never finds it difficult or noticeably taxing. The tow kit that came with the Defender had a 50mm tow ball in place, but my trailer used a 42mm tow ball. Not a problem for the Defender as the tow balls can be swapped out very quickly.

Within the space of a minute, we had the right ball in place and we started to set up the trailer. Once hooked up, I did notice the load on the small engine. Even though it’s got 430Nm of torque, it’s still a small 2.0-litre engine. When we had a trailer and 2-ton vehicle back there, it had a bit of an effect. It was more than able to do the job, but I would have preferred a bit more power so the trailer had less of an impact on performance.

I got a chance to do some offroading, easy stuff, nothing hardcore. It also doubled as a good location for our photos. Having owned a Discovery 4, the setup was much the same. Lift into off road ride height, select the offroad mode you want and away you go. The 4x4i info screen was very useful. It displayed the altitude, bearing, roll and pitch of the vehicle. It

DRIVELIFE

2020 LAND ROVER DEFENDER 110 P240 SE

also showed in real time what each wheel and suspension was doing. This is where you could also lock your differential.

Along the top of this screen you were able to see some of the settings you had selected, ride height and terrain mode. It was all a bit too easy.

Taking the Defender across the lake bed was not a strain for it, we could have been driving across a lawn it was that easy.

Even up and down to the bed articulated the body a bit, pushing and pulling the suspension to its extremes, and still it carried on. It was obvious to me, who was not an experienced offroader, that the only part of the equation that was lacking ability was the driver. However, the new Defender makes it so easy and provides the driver with a lot of confidence.

When out taking all of the photos of the Defender on the lake bed, I found it frustrating that each time I would turn off the vehicle, and then just back in, I had to set all the settings again. So if I had it in off road ride height and rock claw, it would then reset to normal height and drive mode when turned off. I hope this can be set to stay in the mode selected, as it would be a bit frustrating to turn it on each time.

Overall I was impressed with the Defender, it’s now an every day comfy and practical vehicle for everyone, not just the die-hard offroaders.

SUMMARY There is much to like about this reborn legend, it’s funky, practical and has some outside the box styling. It won’t be for everyone and some of that may come from the lineage of the Defender. The change is big, but for today’s market, slightly updating the older version would have been a disaster for Land Rover.

On a personal note, I am not fully sold on the new design. It’s not because it doesn’t look exactly like the older model, it’s just because I am a visual person and it does not appeal to me. Apart from that, the list of dislikes are small, and outweighed all of the changes and updates that have towed the Defender into 2020 ready for a modern lifestyle.

VEHICLE TYPE

SUV

STARTING PRICE

$114,900

PRICE AS TESTED

$120,150

ENGINE

2.0 litre 4-cylinder twin-turbocharged diesel

POWER, TORQUE 240/430 KW/NM TRANSMISSION

Automatic

SPARE WHEEL

Full size on rear door

KERB WEIGHT, KG

2184

L X W X H, MM

5018 x 2008 x 1969

It’s safe to say that the new Defender will be a hit, opened up from a niche market to something for everyone. It’s tough, it has all the right gear and its build ready for everything life can throw at it. I think we will be seeing many more of these on our roads in the months to come.

FUEL TANK, LITRES

90

For more Drivelife reviews, visit drivelife.co.nz

TOWING CAPACITY KG,

750 /3500

TURNING CIRCLE, METRES

12.84

FUEL ECONOMY, L/100KM LOW 0-6 / MED 6-12 / HIGH 12+

UNBRAKED/BRAKED

SML: 6-10M / MED 10-12M / LGE 12M+

Advert. - Comb.

9.5 Real World - Comb.

10.5

WARRANTY

3 yrs or 100,000km warranty

ANCAP SAFETY RATINGS

N/A

CAPRICORN IGNITION MARCH 2021 1 7

FUTURE RIDE

SUPER SLEEK ESSENTIA NOT AN EVERYDAY GT

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Remember when Steve Jobs unveiled the very first iPhone and our minds were completely blown?

Here was this incredibly sleek, stunningly beautiful phone — like nothing we’d ever seen before. Suddenly we realised we’d all been walking around with really ugly phones.

Well, if the iPhone forever changed what we thought a mobile phone could be, then Genesis Essentia is similarly revolutionising our understanding of what a Hyundai is.

Yes, this is a Hyundai. You probably knew that already. But just look at it. This isn’t an all-day, everyday Hyundai. This is what happens when a car manufacturer asks itself “what if we design something that doesn’t look mediocre?” and then actually backs itself to produce it.

Genesis is Hyundai’s luxury brand, meant to compete with BMW, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and co. But the Essentia is a step up from the Clayton’s luxury offerings they’ve given us in the past, the G70 and the G80. Whereas the G80 looks like something a family accountant who’s nearing retirement might drive, the Essentia is the Hyundai Batman would drive.

So, what are we being offered here?

The Genesis Essentia is a battery-powered electric GT. It has a lightweight carbon-fibre monocoque structure and what Genesis promises is “a robust, multimotor electric powertrain”. We have no idea about power as yet but, apparently, it’ll be capable of zero to 97 km an hour in three seconds.

Want more details than that? Sorry — Hyundai appears to be keeping it under wraps for now.

But we can tell you it has a long, swept-back cabin, parabolic design features and, in case you were wondering, “cognac leather seats” and an eight-inch screen with “piano black surround” for the driver display. (Odd, the detail they can provide when they want to.)

While Genesis is keeping a lot of detail under wraps still, perhaps all we really need to know at this stage is that the Essentia is in good hands. The team behind its development included Manfred Fitzgerald (a former motor racer and the guy who brought Lamborghini to prominence at the turn of this century), Luc Donckerwolke (another Lamborghini alumnus who also headed design for Audi and Bentley), and Albert Biermann (the former head of BMW’s M division who was responsible for the E46 M3 and E39 M5).

The vehicle was first unveiled as a concept car at the New York International Auto Show in 2018. It completely wowed audiences and went on to pick up plenty of design awards over the next couple of years. Now, the industry rumour mill suggests production may not be far off.

Could a Genesis Essentia be rolling into your workshop for a service some day soon?

If it does, make sure you have your iPhone handy so you can take a few pictures. You can tell all your friends it’s basically a Getz.

CAPRICORN IGNITION MARCH 2021 1 9

Why you should ask every happy customer for a Google Review Asking happy customers for Google Reviews significantly increases the chance of them recommending you online, which makes you very visible to prospective customers who are searching and ready to book their next service.

Positive reviews of businesses left by customers on Google not only are powerful testimonials, but they also improve your visibility in search. The more four- or five-star reviews you have, the better you will rank on the local ranking and on Google Maps.

This article is designed to help you encourage more positive reviews for your business.

But, before we go on, let’s do a little test.

Do a Google search for “mechanic”, or a relevant keyword for your services, and see if you appear in the Google Local Pack (the snapshot with a map and several highlighted businesses).

It looks like this:

2 0 CAPRICORN IGNITION MARCH 2021

Example of Google Local Pack from Auckland, NZ. Search term “mechanic, Auckland, New Zealand”.

If you see your business highlighted with a map pin, you’re already doing something right — you probably have lots of positive Google reviews — and the phone should be ringing.

If you don’t see your business highlighted, you’ll be losing customers to competitors.

The good news is, you have some control over this — and encouraging Google Reviews is an important step to fix things.

Leave Capricorn a Google review - and find out just how easy it is for your own customers!

Be more visible in search

Acknowledge your reviews with replies

Google Search is by far the most popular search engine in Australasia, with a market share of 98 percent of searches made on mobile and 94 percent made on desktop.

A great way to thank your reviewers is to get online and write an authentic reply to each one.

There are several things you should be paying particular attention to in the Google Local Pack.

Google My Business Help recommends that you respond to reviews because it shows you value your customers and their feedback. The tip is listed as one of the top things to do to improve your local ranking.

First is that all of your contact details are correct, including: • Your business name • Business address • Phone number • Opening hours • Website link, and • Category of business.

If the details are incorrect, the good news is that you can change them. The first step is to verify your business through Google My Business. (And if you haven’t already claimed and verified your business on Google My Business, definitely go do that right now!)

The next thing to look at is the star rating and the number of reviews, which is the number in brackets. These figures provide an indicator of the service level customers can expect at your workshop. Google prioritises businesses with strong reviews and you can even use star ratings as a search filter, which means if you’ve got a poor star rating, you might not show up at all.

Google makes it easy to get reviews One advantage of encouraging customers to leave Google Reviews (as opposed to any other platform) is that most people will already have a Google account on their phone, which means their name will automatically appear on their review when they post it. This makes it easier for them to leave authentic praise for you online, but also shows you which customers are reviewing you.

A simple, personalised response will make your customers feel appreciated.

Something like: “Thanks, Jenny, for bringing your Hilux in. It was a pleasure to service it ahead of your road trip. We hope to see you again next time.”

Always respond to negative reviews, but never reply when you’re angry. Nothing good has ever come from a rash response to an unfair review from an unsatisfied customer.

Recommendations are a top contributor to success Capricorn’s State of the Nation Report asked Members what success looked like to them. The results showed that customer recommendations and referrals were at the top of the list, with 57 per cent of responses.

The report also showed that 75 per cent of businesses rely on word of mouth for marketing their services. Conversely, just 30 percent used Google Reviews as a means of finding new business.

Most people are willing to get online and write about their experience with a business. After all, their car is an important part of their life and they want to feel like they are being looked after.

The way to get reviews from happy customers is to give them a link to your Google Review page as close to the time of the transaction as possible, while the experience is fresh in their mind.

Research conducted by Podium, a customer interaction platform, showed people leave reviews to help others understand what your business is like to deal with.

Increase the chance of a review by using one of the following methods:

For the top reasons people leave reviews, Podium’s 2017 research found 35 per cent of people left feedback to inform others about the customer experience and 26 per cent left reviews to help others make decisions.

• Send your customer an SMS message with a link directly to your review form on Google. (SMS is the most opened digital marketing medium, with a 98 percent open rate, according to Gartner.)

• If email is easier for you, or you don’t have the customer’s mobile number, send an email with a review link on the day they pick up their vehicle.

• Leave a brochure or business card in their car to ask for a review. Include a link to an easy-to-type address on your website. For example: www.yourworkshop.com/review.

If you’re providing good service, this is going to show up in your star rating.

All in all, encouraging Google Reviews is a great way to help spread the message about your business in a way that impresses Google and encourages more people to choose your workshop over your competitors’.

You can read the full State of the Nation Report at capricorn.coop/campaigns/state-of-the-nation.

CAPRICORN IGNITION MARCH 2021 2 1

Maximising technician productivity - by Geoff Mutton

This is the all-too-often lament of busy auto workshops: 'We are really busy and booked out, but at the end of the month there is only just enough money to pay the bills'.

Being booked out and only just covering bills shouldn’t go together in the same sentence. It is being repeated far too often to ignore.

There are several reasons for this disparity between productivity and income, but the number one reason is poor technician productivity.

Technician productivity is the proportion of a technician’s work week that is productive and invoiced to customers. For example, if a technician’s standard work week is 38 hours, but at the end of the week only 19 hours have been invoiced to customers, it means that the technician’s productivity is just 50 percent.

2 2 CAPRICORN IGNITION MARCH 2021

Workshops can introduce simple processes to help maximise technician productivity.

Set output expectations Sales reps, accountants, lawyers and even parking police have targets they are expected to achieve. Why should automotive technicians be any different?

Review each technician separately, taking into account their qualification levels and any additional responsibilities and writing down how many productive hours you think they should be capable of charging out each day.

While doing this, take into account historical data on productive hours per technician, so that your new productivity target is realistic.

Having drawn up the chargeable hours target, discuss it with your staff, so they are very aware of your expectations.

Record time taken on jobs Labour is the most important commodity that a workshop sells, yet it is amazing the number of workshops that don’t record the time taken on each job. Some business owners have a warped belief that they know exactly how long everyone is spending on each job.

It’s imperative that all technicians clock on and off jobs or manually record start and finish times. This information can then be used to calculate how many hours each technician has sold each week. It is just as important to analyse what type of jobs technicians gained or lost time on.

Analyse technician labour results and discuss with your team There is no point recording technician output if the data collected is just shoved away in the bottom drawer. Each week or month spend some time analysing your technician performance reports and, where appropriate, discuss the results with your team so that, as a group or individually, some means of improving the situation can be discussed and put into action.

Managing the type of work booked in The natural tendency is to book in jobs on a first in, first served basis.

Obviously, any job is better than nothing, but when a workshop reaches a stage of having to book in work a day or two in advance, it means that workshop is now in a position to start allocating work to timeslots, or even days that will match the technicians available.

For example, a day of purely diagnostic work and timing belts on late model vehicles will most probably result in junior staff standing around doing little. In this instance, leave some space in the diary for general servicing and repairs and fill it up with more advanced jobs only at the last minute.

Estimate hours when taking bookings Job prices can vary from $50 to $5,000, so the number of jobs booked in is irrelevant. Workshops sell labour hours, so this is what managers must estimate and monitor when taking bookings.

As each booking is taken, apply your experience to arrive at the best estimate of the time it will take to complete the job and any estimated additional work.

Stop booking in work only when you estimate that all available technician hours will be fully utilised.

Review vehicle history with the customer When customers drop off their vehicle, it is imperative that you review and discuss the vehicle’s previous history. Very often, items listed for future attention after the last service are now well overdue.

Technician productivity will be significantly boosted if the go-ahead is given on additional items before technicians have started the job, rather than having to report the same problem again and then wait for customer approval or parts before the job can be completed.

Charge for diagnostic time It’s in a technician’s DNA to report and fix problems, but if the time spent on conducting a diagnosis is not charged out, technician productivity takes a hit.

Diagnostic work, or simply working out why a problem exists, needs to be treated like any other service the workshop provides. You would not do a brake fluid flush for free, so why would you diagnose a problem on a customer’s car for free.

Be up-front with the customer and get a financial commitment before going ahead. This methodology needs to be applied to standalone diagnostic problems, as well as those situations where a customer mentions additional problems that need looking at during a routine service. A service is a service, and the book time required to perform that service does not allow for time to investigate why the headlight globe keeps blowing.

Over the years, we have worked with some hugely successful workshops with highly productive technicians and the common trait is that they had all instituted productivity processes similar to those described above.

Working hard is noble, but perhaps for some workshop owners, slowing down and working smarter on managing and controlling their technicians’ time might make a huge difference to the bottom line.

Make it a priority. You will be pleased with the results.

CAPRICORN IGNITION MARCH 2021 2 3

ARE YOU WORKING ON YOUR BUSINESS, OR JUST IN IT? No-one else is going to do it. As the leader of your workshop, you need to make time to think about the direction you want your business to go in, and put plans in place to make it happen.

How much time do you spend planning, developing, learning and growing your business, as opposed to working on customers’ cars and ordering parts.

If the answer is “not that much”, and you want to have a prosperous business, it might be time to set a new course for success.

If you’re spending a lot of time working in your business – working on cars, doing admin, and keeping suppliers, customers and staff happy – then you’re not working on your business Working on your business means thinking about and setting goals and tackling the problems that hold you back in the long-term.

Your job as the owner, or manager, of your business is not only to oversee daily operations, but it’s to set the standard and know where you’re trying to go between now, next year and the period after that.

Setting goals for growth, customer experience and profitability is a powerful way to focus the mind and remind you daily why you’re doing what you’re doing.

We know from the State of the Nation Report 2020 that only 42 per cent of Capricorn Members are very or extremely confident “working on growing and developing the business” and only 40 per cent are confident “planning for the future”.

Yet, the building blocks for great businesses are there: 86 per cent of Members told us they feel extremely confident with “customer service” and, likewise, 82 per cent felt confident “working on the tools”. Knowing the business will prepare you for taking the next step.

The skills you need to plan for the future and grow and develop the business come with practice. They probably aren’t taught as part of your apprenticeship, so if you’re not confident, don’t panic.

Working on the business takes time, so make time for it It will be a conscious decision you make. You need to carve out time in your calendar for annual planning, quarterly check-ins and regular times in between to think about the difficult problems facing your business. This can be time you spend alone, with your entire team or with a business coach.

An annual cycle for setting objectives works well for most businesses, when you decide where you’re going: • Are you setting the scene to open a new location in future?

• Are you setting a target for the average star rating you receive on Google Reviews?

• Are you adding electric vehicles to your service offering?

Whatever it is, set the course, determine your measure of success (“how will we know we are there?”) and write down your goals somewhere visible for regular reference.

Set aside one to two days for annual planning to give yourself enough time to do it right.

Quarterly goal setting is the next level down that gives your team a manageable horizon to focus on. A quarter, just 13 weeks, is long enough that you can achieve a lot but short enough that you don’t lose focus.

You can choose a quarterly goal to focus on that contributes to your long-term objectives, like asking customers to leave reviews so that your ranking in Google improves.

Spend half a day each quarter planning the next goal and celebrating the wins of the previous period.

During the quarter, whether you do it monthly, fortnightly or weekly, you should form a rhythm where you take time out from the workshop floor to review your quarterly and annual goals and see how you’re tracking against them.

By coming back to them regularly, they will be top of mind and you will find a way to make them happen.

But we know what you’re thinking. Finding time is a real struggle. You need to put a few things in place to free yourself up so you have planning and thinking time.

24 CAPRICORN IGNITION MARCH 2021

Use tools to help you automate tasks

Don’t delegate the fundamentals

Are you manually writing down when customers need to come in to get their oil changed next? Get a low-cost or free customer relationship management tool (CRM) that can help you store and manage your customer interactions.

You mustn’t give away control of everything; it is your business:

Are you trudging through Microsoft Excel to produce an invoice or a purchase order? Subscribe to some low-cost accounting software and have your bookkeeper set up your templates and accounts. It will save you time and prevent mistakes.

No matter the task, if it is repetitive and common, you can bet there is a cost-effective software tool out there that can help you do it faster or from your phone.

Saving five minutes three times every day might not sound like much, but it allows you to think about, and do, something more valuable for your business.

Delegate or outsource to save time

• Quality Control: the buck stops with you and you set the standard for the work that gets done for your customers.

Always keep an eye on what work is being delivered, to avoid a poor experience for customers.

• Team Culture (including hiring): the people in your business are your business. They interact with your customers and you need to make sure they are aligned with where you need to go and have the right personalities and skill sets.

• Strategy and planning: never delegate this, even if you find it difficult or uncomfortable. Your business is led by you, so keep this one under your control.

Working on your business, not just in it, is crucial to the longterm success and growth of your business. It might be difficult to find the time to do it, but you’ll never regret it. It’s an investment as important as any new scan tool or employee.

To help you make time for strategic thinking and planning that will help you achieve your goals, you should delegate tasks that don’t directly contribute to the services your customers pay for.

Two obvious examples of things to delegate are: • Bookkeeping: you need to know this is being done right, but you don’t have to be the one doing it. Hire an experienced bookkeeper and free up time.

• Marketing: understanding your marketing strategy is your job, but enacting it can be better done by someone else who is more savvy with the required tools and techniques.

For more articles like this one, check out Capricorn’s CapHub for exclusive articles, interviews, industry analysis and more at capricorn.coop/caphub or scan this QR code.

CAPRICORN IGNITION MARCH 2021 2 5

CAPRICORN CLASSIFIEDS Classifieds Advertising Guidelines Do you have a business for sale, have equipment that you need to get rid of, or are you just looking for a part that you haven’t been able to find? If the answer is yes, then you should advertise in the Capricorn Classifieds; it’s FREE to do so. See below for details.

• The Capricorn Classifieds are for Capricorn Members only to advertise. Payment is to be organised between advertiser and purchaser.

• Parts or equipment that relate to your business only may be advertised.

• Businesses for sale may be advertised.

• Cars for sale cannot be advertised.

2WD Dynotech, Rockhampton QLD With extras, fan, ramps, new computer and more, ready to plug and play $33,695+ neg. Shipping to be calculated. Photos by request.

Contact Rhys - rhys@tsomechanical.com.au or 0402 742 733 Workshop service station, Richmond TAS. Well established independent service station with mechanics workshop long lease offered, Good strong customer base with huge potential, owner retiring. Call 0408906076 Automotive Mechanical & Suspension Business, Myaree WA. Established 1974, huge client base, excellent reputation, 3 units on long lease, 4 hoists incl wheel aligning hoist, all equipment & stock, office manager & mechanic happy to stay if required. Contact Graeme 08 9330 3231 or graeme@g-mac.com.au Automotive workshop, Tauranga CBD, NZ Since 2011. WoF AVIC. Spacious. 2 hoists, tyre machine, balancer etc. courtesy car,. reasonable rent, good lease/landlord. good returns and potential to increase turnover, inquire today $200,000. Andrew 022 6469334 Automotive Repair Workshop , Sunshine Coast QLD 3 hoists and lot of equipment, high profile frontage. Long Established family run business, large client base. Come and enjoy the Sunny Lifestyle so the Owner can retire. $134,000 WIWO. Call Richard 07 5493 6000

• Classifieds are on a first come, first served basis. Depending on the number received, your classified may not appear immediately.

• No positions vacant.

• No pictures to be submitted.

• By submitting the Online Capricorn Classifieds Ad Form, you acknowledge that the price of any goods or services shown is inclusive of GST.

Siemens Exhaust Tube Bender - Rapid make press type 1¼in to 2½in. Tooling has had minimal use. $6,500. Press Hydraulic 35 ton Manual plus air over hydraulic operation. $1,500.Suspension Spring Compressor Hydraulic operation automotive. $500.

Call Denise 07 5520 2755 Truck Wheel Alignment & Mechanical Brisbane North Trading for over 46 years this fully quip 725 m² workshop situated in a high exposure position on Brisbane North. Full mechanical & wheel alignment for cars 4WD trucks buses & trailers $342,000 + SAV. Ph.0450 484 008 Premier Automotive Repairs business, Berry NSW. Established for over 20 years with loyal customers and continuous repeat business.

Great location, strong returns, this is an Ideal lifestyle business. Price on Application.

Call Steve 02 4464 3999 or 0417 251 205.

Mechanical Automotive Workshop, Gladstone QLD Well established. Owner retiring. Strong customer base. Always busy. Well equipped with plenty of room. $110,000 ONO. Ph: Michael Carr 0401 828 615.

Antique Block Boring machine ,circa 1915 “Improved Universal Cylinder Reboring Tool – USA”. In very good condition. Packed in original wooden box with instructions. $1000.00.

Contact owner 07 4630 7001

Mechanical Workshop, Melbourne VIC Established in 1962 with current owner for 12yrs, located in Bayside, mechanical service & sales, very prominent loc. Owner retiring.

Ph: 0411 460 460

Mechanical Workshop, Port Macquarie NSW. Town is booming and this great earner could be yours! Prime location, large loyal customer base, excellent google reviews. 4 hoists, wheel aligner, injector bench, scan tool etc. Price/ lease negotiable. Call Maca on 0414 850 365 Brake, Mechanical Workshop., Port Lincoln SA Well Established for 28 years. 5 Bays. 2x Molnar Hoists. Large pit. Fully equipped large block.

WIWO. Freehold, equipment & stock. Owner needs to retire. Contact 08 86830779 or 0428113242.

Mechanical Workshop, Calliope QLD Empty Workshop with washbay & land for sale. Calliope Qld, leased on a monthly basic to mechanical business now. Buy, move in or keep leased. PH Susan 0491038142 email bellindarabit@gmail.com Mechanical/Tyre Workshop, Collie WA Est 20yrs, current owner for 7yrs, long lease offered, located in centre of town, fully equipped large workshop & showroom, potential to grow business. Ph (08) 9734 1992 or accounts@collietyre.com.au Automotive Mechanical & Transmission Workshop, Eurobodalla Coast, NSW. Business operating in this location for 25 years.

4 bays, 2 x 2 post hoist, all plant equipment & stock. Busy industrial area, long lease & regular clientele. Email: aquarius2536@hotmail.com Automotive Mechanical Repair Workshop, Huskisson, NSW. Brilliant business opportunity for a qualified automotive mechanic in beautiful coastal town. Well-established client base. WIWO incl. plant, equipment (5 hoists) and stock.

Ph: Warwick on (02) 4441 8449.

How to Advertise in the Capricorn Classifieds 1. Send an email to ignition@capricorn.coop with the following details: your Member number, business name, contact details and details of your advert (no more than 30 words).

2. Capricorn must receive your classified advert by the 16th of the month preceding the publication month. If we have not received your classified advert by this date it will be published in the following month depending on the number of adverts received.

3. Check out your advert and fellow Members’ classifieds in the next edition of Ignition.

Email: ignition@capricorn.coop Publisher's General Disclaimer All information, material and content contained in this edition of Ignition is provided or sourced by Capricorn Society Limited (“Capricorn”) for general information only and is not intended to be advice or comment on any particular matter or subject. Before acting on any information, you should consider the relevance of it to your own circumstances and, if necessary, take professional advice.

Capricorn makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy, completeness or reliability of any material (including, without limitation, any third-party supplier advertisement in respect of which Capricorn merely acts as a conduit) included in this edition of Ignition. To the fullest extent permitted by law Capricorn, its officers, employees, agents and representatives disclaim any and all liability to you or any other person for any loss or damage whatsoever connected with: (i) reliance on material in Ignition; or (ii) inaccuracy, error or omission in material in Ignition.

Capricorn, Stronger With Capricorn, Ignition, Capricorn Travel, Capricorn Mutual and the boomerangs device are trademarks or registered trademarks of Capricorn.

If you have any news or information that you think would be of interest to your fellow Members, please send the information to Capricorn via email ignition@capricorn.coop.

2 6 CAPRICORN IGNITION MARCH 2021

Capricorn Society Limited ACN 008 347 313 Postal Address: Locked Bag 3003, West Perth WA 6872 Registered Office New Zealand: PO Box 91567 Victoria Street West Auckland 1142 Phone 0800 401 444

N R O C I R P CA

Spot the Difference

LAST MONTH'S WINNERS

LAST MONTH'S ANSWERS

1st Prize - 4,000 points

Find them all and win!

1st Prize: 4,000 points 2nd Prize: 2,000 points

S & SJ Mechanical Repairs

2nd Prize - 2,000 points Master Lotz Automotive Engineering DECEMBER/JANUARY WINNERS 1st Prize - Precision Panel & Paint (2007) Ltd 2nd Prize - Schwarz Motor Repairs

Email your answers to ignition@capricorn.coop before 21 March 2020. Winners will be selected by a lucky hat draw of correct entries. Please ensure you include your Member number and email address when submitting your entry.

WORD Hunter

Find the 16 words hidden in the jumble. They could be horizontal, vertical, diagonal or backwards. See if you can find them all!

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K CAPRICORN IGNITION MARCH 2021 2 7

RECOGNISE EFFORT | REWARD HARD WORK | RETAIN FUTURE LEADERS

CAPRICORN

APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR

Stars

NOMINATE YOUR APPRENTICE AT CAPRICORNRISINGSTARS.COM $20,000 IN CASH AND PRIZES UP FOR GRABS! ENTRIES CLOSE 30 APRIL 2021

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