While there may be a lack of customers for a while, the good news to finish this week is that car dealers in Ireland can start dealing in cars again from Monday, the 18th of May.
Hygiene protocols in place for re-opening
The end of the COVID-19 shut-down, for car dealers at least, has been welcomed by the industry, albeit with due and appropriate caution.
"We are doing everything we can to keep our staff and customers safe, to follow and comply with Government guidelines and we look forward to reopening on Monday," said James McCarthy, CEO of Nissan Ireland.
"We take the safety of our staff and customers very seriously. 'Nissan Safety First' is a set of precautions that will be in place when we reopen for business this coming Monday. All our technicians will wear the necessary PPE when working on your vehicle, all cars and keys will be fully sanitised before being returned. Contactless collection and delivery services will also be available," he added.
"We have also redesigned our dealership to meet all social distancing guidelines. We will have protective screens in reception areas, as well as customer sanitisation stations," McCarthy continued. "We have also ensured that a lot of services are now available remotely, recognising that some customers may prefer to deal with us in this way in the immediate term. This includes trade-in valuations, test drive at home facilities, online finance applications, online payment transactions and contactless delivery. We want our customers to know that we are doing everything to keep them safe. We look forward to reopening, to meeting customers and to providing a service that meets their needs whichever way they may choose to service or repair their car or to buy a new car," he added.
Remote sales and shopping
Volkswagen Ireland has confirmed that it, too, will be putting special measures in place to facilitate customer and staff safety. "We know that many customers are eager to get back into our showrooms, either for servicing their car or to take delivery of a new or used vehicle," said Volkswagen Ireland Brand Director Rodolfo Calixto. "However, we place the safety of our staff and our customers at the forefront of our plans for reopening. And we know that the Safer Measures initiative will retain the high level of service you expect from a Volkswagen retailer, with all the best hygiene and social distancing measures in place."
"It is essential for customers to feel safe," said a spokesperson for Volkswagen Ireland. "For that reason, there has been a raft of new safety measures implemented to ensure the safety of both staff and customers alike. Some of the measures in relation to hygiene and social distancing at retailers will include hand sanitisation options in showrooms and customer toilets. All counters and workplaces will be disinfected regularly, thorough hand washing will be practised by all staff, distance measures will be in place in all seating areas, service bays, parts areas and workshops. However, long before you ever need to come to a Volkswagen showroom, you will now be able to carry out many steps in the sales or service process remotely. Should you need to have your car serviced this, of course, can be booked by phone or online and from here the process will be contactless. Technicians will practice best hygiene measures, and workshop tools are disinfected between use. All vehicles will be cleaned and sanitised inside and out before the vehicle is handed back to the customer."
Strict hygiene regulations
Skoda's Irish dealerships are following suit, with the brand saying that: "Strict hygiene regulations, which aim to minimise health risks for customers and employees while providing a full range of services, have been implemented."
Speaking about the reopening John Donegan Brand Director of Skoda Ireland says: "We clearly welcome the government's decision. Reopening a dealership is good news for customers, dealers and manufacturers. In cooperation with our authorised sales network, we have been working hard to implement measures to comply with all requirements of government regulations and to protect our employees and customers. This is an absolute priority for us.
"Many Skoda dealers also offer a 'pick-up & delivery' service, i.e. collection of the vehicle at the customer's home or its delivery. In addition, our dealers are also offering a remote sales service whereby you can contact them via WhatsApp or e-mail, and they will present you with product information on the car you are interested in. This could include extensive video footage from the salesperson outlining all the details of the car to explaining your finance options over the phone. Customers can find out about the availability of extended services by telephone or e-mail from individual Skoda dealers."