A VISIT to OMC Motor Group in Oldham to meet Stewart McQuillan, Sales Director at OMC Motor Group, delved into all things motoring and how car sales have changed since the start of the pandemic.
Stewart has worked at OMC for the past 16 years and in the motor industry for the past 25 years.
When he first started selling cars in 1996 the Spice Girls were at No 1 with Wannabe and the biggest selling car of the year was the Ford Fiesta!
We have seen many changes to all aspects of our lives in the past two years – and buying a car is no exception, Stewart tells us how the Pandemic affected OMC.
“Back in March 2020 when we went into the first lockdown, we had to implement many changes across the business.
“With all our showrooms closed to the public, we had to become much more responsive to online enquiries. We created a team of digital first responders who could answer questions and help with the wide range of sales and service enquires.
“As things gradually opened up, we were then hit with the global shortage of semiconductors.
Millions of products including cars, washing machines and smartphones rely on these computer chips.
“Car production was significantly hit, which resulted in a shortage of new cars available to buy.
How we sell, and how customers buy new cars, was about to be turned on its head.
“Customers could no longer come into our showrooms and choose a car from stock. Instead, we now take orders for new cars which unfortunately has resulted in longer lead times from order to handover.”
So, if someone wants to buy as new car what should they do?
“The first thing is come and talk to us. We can talk through the different options available and then place the order. We just want to make our customers aware it is never too early to start a conversation about changing their current car.”
How do you see electric cars changing the way we drive?
“While all manufacturers, including Ford and Kia, are developing battery electric vehicles, our brand partners are also still investing heavily in hybrid and mild-hybrid technology while we wait for the charging infrastructure to catch up.
“This should reassure our customers that, despite what they may see in the media, we are still able to offer a huge choice of more efficient traditional combustion engine vehicles supported with hybrid technologies, leaving you plenty of time before you have to take the leap and go all electric.”
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