Alastair Shephard

Content Writer

Congratulations to Blackburn Audi, who have been named Bumper’s Dealership of the Month for March 2025. 

Since 2017, Blackburn Audi has used Bumper’s car repair finance to split the cost of customers’ bills into interest-free, monthly payments. 

The use of the interest-free option has resulted in a positive impact on their customer feedback, with the site regularly rated 5 stars through Trustpilot. 

One customer wrote, “Such an easy way to plan and pay for those unforeseen motoring expenses. Love the branding too – friendly and so different from typical finance providers. Highly recommend!” 

Not only have Blackburn Audi used Bumper to increase customer satisfaction levels but they’ve also experienced growth in their key metrics. 

With a proactive approach to offering Bumper Swansway Blackburn Audi saw:

Kellie Pickering, service manager at the site, said, “I’d like to say a huge congratulations to the team on this outstanding achievement. This award is a testament to their hard work in implementing flexible payments into their everyday aftersales process. 

“At Blackburn Audi, PayLater has been extremely popular with customers. When faced with unexpected repair bills, customers are often unprepared. 

“By introducing this option to every driver at the start of the customer journey, we’ve not only been able to alleviate the financial burden on the day but keep them coming back for more.” 

Congratulations to Kellie, Jonathan, Adam, Rajon, and the whole team at Swansway Blackburn Audi! 

Swansway Blackburn Audi achieve Dealer of the Month award 

Congratulations to Evans Halshaw Renault Dacia Sunderland who have been crowned our next Dealership of the Month. 

Since joining the Bumper network in 2022, Evans Halshaw has been using PayLater to split the cost of customers’ repair bills into interest-free monthly payments. 

PayLater enables dealers to increase their customer satisfaction, retention, and conversion of repair work. 

Customers celebrated the interest-free option at Evans Halshaw Renault Dacia Sunderland on Trustpilot. 

One customer said, “Finance was there when we absolutely needed it. Had a trip to Kent booked for the Thursday of the same week. Work needed done - Bumper helped pay for it.” 

Another praised the innovative payment option for being easy to set up: “This is the first time that I have been offered the opportunity to pay off my repair bill in instalments, a most welcome event. The process was both easy and speedy to arrange.” 

Congratulations to Beth, Katie, Daniel and the whole team at Evans Halshaw Renault Dacia Sunderland!

Winner: Evans Halshaw Sunderland crowned Dealer of the Month 

Helping consumers manage the costs associated with aftersales bills is the biggest challenge facing service advisors in their day to day work.

A quarter of the 520 service advisors polled for the forthcoming Bumper UK Automotive Aftersales Report 2024/25, cited affordability of repairs for customers as their main challenge, underscoring the financial pressures on consumers due to the increased cost of living and rising parts prices. 

Customer expectations was the next biggest challenge with 18% of service advisors signalling the growing demand for high quality service and personalised experiences.

Parts availability was a concern for 12%, as service advisors grapple with supply chain issues.

The research also found service advisors were equally split between those who had identified operational changes in dealership priorities in the last 12 months and those who had not.

The biggest changes identified by over two-thirds of the former group were to customer retention and satisfaction strategies, reflecting an increased management focus on ensuring positive customer experiences and loyalty.

Most service advisors (58%) reported observing changes in customer preferences or behaviour in aftersales services compared to previous years.

Increased price sensitivity was the most frequently cited change (43%), indicating that customers are focused on affordability and value, with over one in five noting a rise in the use of interest-free options to settle workshop bills.

A fall in the acceptance of recommended repairs was identified by 13% of service advisors.

“Service advisors are in a unique position to observe the behavioural changes of aftersales customers with our research highlighting the impact that servicing and repair costs are having across the sector,” said Daniel Christie, Head of Sales at Bumper

“Push-back from customers to the costs charged for servicing and repair work is understandable and increasingly difficult for service advisors to counter. This is why it is more important than ever for dealers to make the strategic decision to provide the option of interest-free payments. This in turn can help drive customer satisfaction and retention, while making necessary advisory work more affordable. 

“The findings underscore the importance of tailoring aftersales strategies to meet evolving customer expectations and balancing affordability with service quality,” said Christie.

Bumper research identifies affordability of repair work for customers as biggest challenge faced by service advisors 

Dealers offering discounts on servicing and repair work risk trading customer retention for eroded margins and long term damage to their businesses, according to new research. 

Three-quarters of the 4,269 car owners polled for the forthcoming Bumper UK Automotive Aftersales Report 2024/25 said they expect dealers to offer an initial discount on the prices they quote for aftersales work. 

When it comes to subsequent jobs over half (51%) expect the same level of discounts and nearly a quarter (23%) expect even larger discounts. Only 20% view such discounts as a one-off offer.

Dealerships who fail to offer the same, or greater, discounts on subsequent visits run the risk of losing repeat business with 57% of respondents saying it would affect their likelihood of returning.

However, the research found dealers offering interest-free financing to spread the costs of bills were likely to have stronger customer retention rates, with 89% of respondents saying they were more likely to return to a dealer providing it as an option.

“Discounting can only ever deliver a quick fix as it erodes profit margins and once withdrawn can have a damaging impact on repeat business,” said Daniel Christie, Bumper’s Head of Sales.

“The research shows how interest-free monthly payment options deliver a more consistent long-term solution to winning business and then retaining customers, while delivering transparency and protecting margins,” he said. 

The research also identified that over a quarter (27%) of customers spent between £500-£1,000 on servicing and repair work in the last 12 months. 

Higher and lower bills were equally balanced with 21% paying £250-£500 and 21% paying £1,000-£2,000. Bills totalling up to £5,000 were paid by just 3% of respondents.

Dealers urged to rethink “quick fix” discounting on workshop bills, or face margin erosion

We’re celebrating our latest Dealership of the Month – Citygate Kia Slough. 

The Slough-based site had an impressive Month using Bumper’s PayLater to split the cost of customers’ repair bills into monthly payments. 

Doubling the number of transactions year-on-year, the team saw a 21% increase in conversion and an 86% increase in redwork value. 

The team use the Bumper RTC integration to further streamline the process. 

PayLater allowed the service team at Kia Slough to deliver on their commitment to outstanding customer service. 

Charlotte Miller (Kia Slough service team) said: “Whenever one of my customers comes in for a service, I explain we have two payment options – in full or monthly. This really gives drivers peace of mind as they aren’t always aware that option exists for car repairs. 

“Quite often the repair bill is unexpected, so it just eases people’s minds when they find out they need extra work. 

“It’s great for the customer because they drive away happy and it’s great for us as we get that work over the line we otherwise might not have secured.” 

Customers praised the site for being helpful, knowledgeable, and friendly. On Trustpilot, Alma wrote: “Very helpful and friendly team”. Kristof said: “I’ve got my service bill sorted with Bumper. They offered me a payment plan in just a couple of minutes. It’s really simple.” 

Congratulations to Katherine, Charlotte, Natalia, Charlie and the whole team at Citygate Kia Slough! 

Citygate Kia Slough crowned Dealer of the Month

We’re pleased to announce that our latest Dealership of the Month goes to Bowker BMW & MINI Blackburn.

Since early 2024 Bowker have been using Bumper’s PayLater option to split the cost of their customers’ bills into interest-free monthly payments. 

In that time, the flexible payment method has become a staple of the team’s everyday routine.

Stewart Rose, Group Service Manager, said, “Bumper has quickly become an essential part of our service team’s process, giving them confidence when presenting necessary repair work to our customers.”

The Blackburn team use Bumper’s Keyloop and Snap-On integrations to strengthen their customer offering and boost their KPIs. 

“The ease of use and integration with our existing eVHC system has been invaluable”, said Rose. 

"Since signing up with Bumper in February 2024 we have noticed a marked increase in our recovery rates across the group, as well as a notable increase in retention of older vehicles.

"The award is a great reflection on the value we place on offering Bumper to our customers", he continued.

Congratulations to Stewart, Kelby, Kieran, Andrew, and the whole team at Bowker BMW & MINI Blackburn!

Dealership of the Month: Bowker Blackburn Drives Higher Retention of Older Vehicles 

We're thrilled to announce Bumper's latest Dealership of the Month goes to Vindis Audi Northampton. 

The Northampton-based team has excelled with Bumper this month, using PayLater to split the cost of customers' service and repair bills into interest-free monthly instalments.

Vindis provides a seamless customer journey with flexible payments offered at every touch point, from bookings at the contact centre to taking payments on site.

A recent Bumper case study revealed dealer groups using Bumper in their contact centre saw a 10% conversion increase on the work they had quoted for.

Vindis posted about the win on their social media. They said, "Bumper provides interest-free credit, helping our valued customers get essential vehicle work completed with ease. This achievement reflects our dedication to offering tailored solutions that meet our customers' needs.

“A big thank you to our amazing team and loyal customers for making this possible!”

Audi Northampton customers also celebrated the flexible payment option via Trustpilot.

One customer said, “Really straightforward, simple to navigate and clear to understand process which made my purchase less stressful. Particularly like the tracking of payments and easy access to make an early repayment without charge.”

Another reviewed wrote, “Honestly the best service out there! I do appreciate the peace of mind Bumper thank you.”

Congratulations to Hasan, Nadiyah, Nigel, Tyler, David, Alistair, and the whole team at Vindis Audi Northampton.

Vindis Audi Northampton take Dealership of the Month

Congratulations to LSH Auto Mercedes-Benz Stockport for being named the latest winner of Bumper’s Dealership of the Month. 

The team uses Bumper’s PayLater to split the cost of customers’ service and repair bills into monthly payments. 

Operations Manager for LSH Auto Stockport, Andrew King, noted how useful the interest-free monthly payment option was for keeping drivers safe on the road. 

He said, ‘Bumper is a great tool in assisting us to deliver a brilliant customer experience. Bumper is especially useful during the Christmas period when a customer's priorities may lie elsewhere and helps alleviate any anxieties about covering the bill.’ 

LSH Auto recently launched PayNow, allowing customers to make one-off payments remotely from their own device. 

Andrew said, ‘We find PayNow to be an incredibly useful tool, as it streamlines our checkout process with customers.’ 

The group also plan to implement the Bumper integration in Tjekvik’s self-service kiosks, allowing customers to pay by Bumper when they check-in. 

Congratulations to Andrew, Matthew, James, Joel and the whole team at LSH Auto Mercedes-Benz Stockport. 

LSH Mercedes-Benz Stockport win Dealership of the Month

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