What initiatives does Schaeffler VLS have planned?

Following on from part one, Matt Selby, the sales and marketing director at Schaeffler Vehicle Lifetime Solutions UK, updates PMF on the company’s initiatves.

Q. What does Schaeffler Vehicle Lifetime Solutions (VLS) hope to achieve from the Wrenches and Wisdom campaign?

A. “This campaign was initiated by the UK digital team, following the success of the REPXPERT conference in May this year, which had a particular focus on how we can help to address the skills and labour drought in the aftermarket.

“The conference featured ex-apprentices who have gone on to achieve great success, such as Louise Baker, along with a champion of apprenticeships in Colin Denton, chief executive of the North London Garages Group Training Association.

“The future of the aftermarket depends on workshops being able to attract, nurture and retain talent, so if we can play a small part in training and guiding the technicians of the future then we will be helping to secure our own too.

Q. So, the REPXPERT conference was a ‘hit’, the new video series has begun, a rebrand and the REPXPERT Millionaire campaign continues to be popular – 2024 was quite a year, wasn’t it? How can Schaeffler VLS improve on that and how can motor factors play a part?

A. “We are certainly breaking new ground for an aftermarket supplier aren’t we! We will continue to adapt and grow our service offering for garage owners and technicians in 2025.

“After the resounding success of the REPXPERT Conference, we will make a return to hosting a couple of REPXPERT Academy Live events, which will be held at IMI approved colleges around the country.

“The REPXPERT Millionaire promotion will continue in 2025, but with a new format. Needless to say, it will again offer members a chance to win big by simply scanning the OneCode on the pack of every Schaeffler product installed.”

Q. Every company has its own challenges – what are Schaeffler VLS’s and how is the company looking to address them to enhance its customer service?

A. “Like many companies, we are facing lots of challenges, such as adapting to rapid technological changes in the automotive industry, meeting the increasing demand for sustainable solutions, and maintaining high standards of service.

“As everybody knows, we are already focusing on enhancing our digital infrastructure, improving product availability, and offering more comprehensive training for our partners.

“We are currently developing an advanced digital training platform for our supplier partners to enable their sales staff to become Schaeffler ‘product champions’. A series of online interactive training sessions will provide them with the knowledge and skills to help them deliver better quality service to their own workshop customers.

“By leveraging technology and working even closer with our customer base of parts distribution partners, we can streamline operations and respond more effectively to the market needs.”