As we move through 2026, aftersales leaders are facing a familiar but intensifying challenge: how do you deliver greater efficiency and profitability without compromising the customer experience that keeps people coming back? How do you maintain workshop performance when skilled labour is harder to find, EVs require less servicing, and customers are holding onto their vehicles for longer? And crucially, how do you protect margin when operational costs continue to rise?
These pressures are forcing retailers to rethink how every ramp, every repair and every customer interaction is managed. Increasingly, the answer lies in deeply integrated, best‑in‑class digital solutions that remove friction, unlock productivity and elevate the service experience.
The skilled labour challenge
Technician shortages remain one of the toughest issues. Unlike other roles, technicians can’t easily be recruited from outside the industry, so the priority must be maximising the productivity of the resource you already have while developing apprentices for the future. Tight, well‑designed processes and integrated systems in the workshop are essential to reducing wasted time and ensuring every hour counts.
Service Advisors, on the other hand, can be recruited from other sectors but only if the systems they use are intuitive and supportive. Their role can at times be stressful and customer‑facing so digital tools should simplify their workload, reduce admin, and give them more time to build relationships. Frictionless integrations benefit both the user and the customer.
Reduced EV servicing opportunities
EVs bring fewer moving parts, fewer serviceable components and longer intervals meaning fewer natural touchpoints. To protect revenue, retailers must maximise the value of every visit. This includes offering relevant add‑ons such as key‑fob battery replacements or valeting, supported by a robust eVHC process with consistent follow‑up. Customers still expect expertise, reassurance and transparency and the right digital tools at the right time can help retailers deliver exactly that.
Customers keeping cars longer
With the 1–3 year service parc shrinking and the 4–6 year parc growing, long‑term customer retention is becoming critical. This is the moment to strengthen relationships beyond the warranty period. Retailers must avoid losing customers to competitors for tyres, glass or cosmetic repairs because once they leave, they rarely return.
Technology can play a key role in building trust with customers: clear communication, transparent pricing, and tools like digital triage that support first‑time‑fix outcomes all reinforce confidence and loyalty.
Rising operational costs
Energy, consumables and overheads continue to climb for everyone, putting pressure consumers disposable income and organisational margins. Digitisation, from electronic job cards to paperless check‑ins, reduces waste and streamlines operations. Every manual process removed is time and cost saved.
In 2026, the retailers who win will be those who turn routine servicing into remarkable customer experiences. By embracing integrated digital solutions, aftersales teams can drive revenue, boost efficiency and deliver an experience today’s drivers expect.
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