Jeremy Chapman with Stephanie and Hannah Brookfield

Last Friday, 14 October 2011, sisters Stephanie and Hannah Brookfield of Chesham in Buckinghamshire walked away with a free MOT for life and a free valet courtesy of Roy Chapman Ltd, the female friendly Ford garage in Berkhamsted, Herts.

Jeremy Chapman, Director for Roy Chapman Ltd, donated the two prizes in support of a pamper evening in aid of The Little Princess Trust and LUCY air ambulance. The pamper treatments included manicures and threading through to a wash and blow dry and full hair styling with all donations going to the two charities.

The event was organised by Principal Hair Dressers in Chesham and Kelly Perryman and Meredith Theodorou of LUCY Air Ambulance. Over £400 was raised by Kelly Perryman before the day, who had her hair cut off to make a wig for a child in need and, on the night, over £750 was raised from further donations.

Of the evening Jeremy said, “The event was really well supported and we were delighted to have an opportunity to promote the immensely important work provided by these two charities.”

Yet another sign of a caring community business to add to Roy Chapman’s already impressive female friendly credentials.

FOXY Steph

Ford's Active CityStop braking technology

Nearly half of all women surveyed by Ford believe they are safer behind the wheel.

This is a sentiment shared by just one in five men surveyed – plus FOXY Lady Drivers Club of course and Adrian Walsh, director of motoring safety partnership RoadSafe.

As Adrian is better placed to explain this to disbelieving men we’ll let him spell out the gender truth…

“Women are generally much safer drivers than men; every piece of substantial research done on this subject reveals that. Fundamentally it’s because they take fewer risks. Whereas males aged 17 to 24 are high risk drivers involved in proportionately many more accidents.”

When asked about today’s driving test two out of three drivers lacked the confidence that they could pass it rising to a surprising 73 per cent of 17 to 24 year olds.

Ford’s survey then probed responses to new technologies such as the car automatically dialling emergency services after an accident and inflatable rear seats belts.
Both of which technologies are coming to a Ford car near you soon…

When asked which features and new technologies make drivers feel safest now, respondents ranked airbags first (32 per cent), automatic braking aka Active CityStop (19 per cent) and voice control (11 per cent).

Which just happens to coincide with the availability of their Active CityStop technology on the new Ford Focus in the photo (to apply brakes when needed and no safe driver response) and voice control systems to change radio channels and music tracks, adjust climate control settings or make a phone call without taking one’s eyes off the road.

Finally motorists admitted to hazardous activities such as texting at the wheel including posting messages on social networks using a handheld phone. The most common and distracting activities are apparently changing the CD or radio station (by 60 per cent of drivers), followed by driving with one hand (40 per cent), eating and drinking on the move (30 per cent), driving when tired (20 per cent) and talking on a handheld phone (10 per cent).

It’s good to see that Ford is leading the way with so many of these safety features all of which are high on the new car shopping list for women drivers on behalf of their family.

FOXY Steph

Small car deals in August are to reel in the cost-canny fleet business whilst the female purse might be being neglected by UK dealers.

Ford list prices are due to fall between 6% and 15% for Ka, Fiesta, Focus and Kuga models in August. This is because fleet drivers are taxed on the list price, not the transaction price (the transaction price means the net discounted price to a fleet operator) and Ford is focussing on securing this business ahead of individual motorists.

Kevin Quigg, Ford Dealer Council chairman said: “There was an immediate effect in the showroom as a result of the lower list prices on large cars [in April and for fleet buyers again]. Ford dealers are delighted to see the company continuing to lead the market by applying the initiative across the entire Ford car range.”

Sadly Ford dealers didn’t do at all well in the recent AutoExpress poll of c20,000 customers so perhaps Mr Quigg needs to address the service gap in terms of reported poor standards of workmanship, poor technical knowledge and poor helpfulness scores otherwise they won’t keep that business, fleet or private buyers.

I was surprised I must say to read the Daily Telegraph’s InBrief PR this week stating that Vauxhall and Ford dealers, Britain’s two biggest selling car brands, are the worst in the country, according to this survey.

Could it be that Ford is too busy courting the fleet wallet to bother about the private and typically female purse? This wouldn’t be very foxy at all because so many of us drive Fords and with Hyundai champing at the value for money, customer service and warranty bit they could lose that female support if they don’t pick their skirts up fast.

FOXY Steph

Find out about your female friendly garage choices in FOXY’s Good Garage Guide for women.

See which female friendly garages could look after your car near you.

Join FOXY Lady Drivers Club to sample a female friendly motoring support service with the best deals on offer for women drivers.

Ford dealerships are targeting female motorists who drive cars up to 12 years old offering them a new car service that, allegedly, could cut their fuel bills by a quarter.

The offer is called an Econo Check service which costs £30 and comes with a £15 voucher to be claimed against the next scheduled service.

Garage technicians will carry out a 15-minute check on the car including tyre pressure and condition as well as oil and air filter cleanliness. They will also fit ‘a data logger’ to the vehicle’s diagnostic port which remains in the cabin for seven days after which either the dealer or the customer will detach it and return it to Ford by post. Assuming she has driven enough to make sense of this in the meantime, this will give Ford enough information about the driver’s speed, anticipation, braking and gear change to create a personalised report (the Econo Check) which will then be emailed to the customer.

This report is likely to recommend

1    driving style adjustments that could reduce fuel consumption and emissions by up to 25%.
2    eco driver training, which could be provided through Ford’s driver training partner, the AA.
3    upgrading to a new Ford Econetic car.

“The primary function of this is to help change driving styles so drivers can become greener and save money” a Ford spokesman said.

And the secondary function, says FOXY, is to re-engage with male and female drivers they have lost touch with and who have gone to cheaper independent garages AND to sell them new cars of course.

By and large, this is a good thing but whether cost conscious motorists running older cars will choose to pay £30 to be sold a full service at dealership rates, driver training (unlikely if they’re male ) or a new car in tough economic times is a very different matter.

And the independents will react of course.

FOXY Steph

To find out about FREE quarterly FOXY Car Fitness Checks that include tyres, oil, coolant, CO2 emissions and a seasonal item such as your air conditioning system, visit FOXY Lady Drivers Club.

Much as the stories about women drivers being unable to read maps disappeared with the arrival of satnav systems hopefully the tales of our not being able to park will fade away with the arrival of parking sensors…

Not that I accept that we are any worse than men at doing either by the way but these (usually male driven) perceptions give women drivers a bad name and being peace makers by nature, we are more likely to accept blame for things we aren’t always responsible for… knowing that many men feel the need to believe/convince us that they are the better drivers

Parking sensors make sense to me (and I must say that it isn’t just women drivers who need these in our household…) because…

• Repairing a scuffed bumper costs £460 on average
• Bumps and scratches can reduce your car’s value by £00s
• 37% of all accidents are caused whilst reversing
• The majority of minor car repairs are likely to come out of your insurance excess

Well worth checking that your new car has these and to find out how much parking sensors cost to be fitted to used cars.

If you live near Peebles or Galashiels, female friendly Ford car dealership David Harrison lists costs from £270 on their website.

And female friendly Inchcape Ford car dealerships in Farnborough, Guildford, Wokingham and Guildford are advertising these from £234…

Needless to say you’ll also find some great new and used Ford car deals at both locations.

FOXY Steph

PS To check out female friendly garages and dealerships near you, use the FOXY Choice search finder on the home page…

Whilst the current emphasis is on the cost of motoring I have no doubt that it will soon return to the environmental cost of motoring when those who can do without a car will preach at those of us who can’t about the impact on our planet. And that this message concerns a lot of us, men and women drivers alike.

So when you know that you need your car because there isn’t a viable public transport system or you can’t make sense of the bicycle, city car clubs or shared transport, it’s good to know that the car manufacturers are beavering away in the relative background doing all they can to make the new cars women drivers buy in future much greener and produce less CO2 – this will also keep the automotive industry vital for the future.

I am pleased to read that Ford, for example, isn’t stopping at eco-engine technology but is also looking at ways to produce their on board components by recycling wherever possible.

Not only stepping up their research into plastics, rubber, foam, film and fabric with a view to developing alternative bio-based materials that are functional, durable and cost-effective (and therefore steering clear of oil-based products) they are also developing all-new materials that include more natural ingredients such as soy flour, hemp and cellulose.

Test results are encouraging and show that natural fibre-reinforced plastics can reduce weight by up to 30 per cent which means better fuel consumption and lower CO2 emissions.

They are also working with a biodegradable plastic called polylactic acid (PLA), derived from the sugars in corn, sugarbeet and cane so that a plastic part (made from PLA) would biodegrade after its life cycle in just 90 to 120 days, compared with 1,000 years in a landfill for a traditional, petroleum-based plastic.

Just think about the applications here; for carpets, floor mats, upholstery and interior trim pieces that are injection moulded.

Ford has also joined a three-year research project into a new wood/plastic compound known as “liquid wood” which looks as if it will be capable of being reprocessed up to five times, with an overall near-neutral CO2 balance.

Ford’s material researchers (at Dunton Technical Centre in Essex) are required to develop components from recycled material that will not compromise quality, durability or performance in any way but they will reduce CO2 emissions and therefore the cost of motoring in terms of £££s and our planet.

Just to give you an idea of where these can be used…

• Heater and air conditioner housing made from 25 per cent recycled plastics
• Replacement bumpers made from 20 per cent recycled bumpers
• Interior carpets made from 20 per cent recycled carpet material
• Battery tray made from 50 per cent mixed recycled plastics
• Wheel arch liners made from up to 100 per cent recycled polypropylene
• Air cleaner assembly made from 25 per cent recycled plastics
• Fabric seat option made from 100 per cent recycled material
• Roof lining, parcel shelf, instrument panel, insulation and sound-proofing materials include recycled textiles

Sources for this recycled material are everyday items like plastic bottles, bottle tops, computer and TV casings, CDs, household carpets and even denim jeans. For example, the noise insulation in all Ford vehicles is made from jeans and reclaimed car seat upholstery.

Every little bit helps. Maybe we’ll see the automotive industry investing in landfill schemes soon .

FOXY Steph

Well done engineering student Zoe Burton! Zoe is the seventh winner of the FORD WISE (Women Into Science and Engineering) prize that recognises exceptional women studying engineering and promotes engineering as a career.

Zoe is studying mechanical engineering at the University of Durham and is seen receiving her £1,000 prize from HRH Princess Anne at the WISE awards ceremony in London.

On hearing the good news she said…

“I’ve loved motorsport for as long as I can remember, and to embark on a degree in engineering seemed the logic step to combine my hobby and a potential career. After several years of work experience and a gap year in Formula One, I can’t imagine committing my life to anything else. The academic and research staff at my university have been hugely supportive.”

Other finalists were Elaine Cornell and Katherine Bexfield, both at Loughborough University.

Well done – you are great role models for women and I hope you will all consider a career in the UK motor industry – it doesn’t have to be in motorsport .

With just 20% of motor industry employees female, yet the majority of decision makers and influencers are women, we need more to join in and make a real difference to service levels in future. Good for you Ford for celebrating female talent ahead of others here.

FOXY Steph

What’s your business strategy in this recession?

I hope you are doing well – many independent garages are I find, and perhaps that is because their aftersales prices are often (but not always) cheaper than dealers, combined with the fact that it has been cool to defer buying new cars for a while.  Pre-scrappage I agree but probably true during the rest of 2009, even if there might be a mini car sales bonanza come the summer.

Or are the independent garages marketing themselves more effectively than many dealers or franchised car dealerships?

FOXY certainly has more independent garages promoting themselves as female friendly than new car dealerships but there again new car dealerships have been more affected by the recession because of the down in new car sales. That and the fact that Ford, Peugeot and Mazda, at least, expect their  dealerships to subscribe to the Motor Industry Service and Repair Code even though these dealerships must surely exceed these minimum standards and may well face more complaints as a result in areas where cost conscious motorists have no independent garage choice to meet their needs.

Perhaps it is because most manufacturers are new car sales oriented and few seem to appreciate that the aftersales function is the backdoor into finding new customers that aren’t on their database yet? And maximising workshop income of course.

We find that many Dealer Principals have told Sales and Aftersales Managers to cut all costs including marketing. Others are definitely adopting a ‘let’s wait and see’ approach and of course it’s always easier to do nothing… but is that wise when others are beavering away behind the scenes…?

Fortunately some dealerships (and definitely internet car dealers) are taking a much more bullish stance and using any down time as a sales opportunity to position themselves in a different light, come the good times.

I also see companies quietly buying up struggling competitors and cherry-picking the best local employees that may have been laid off by their competitors – qualified technicians in particular.

These businesses know the good times will pay back this investment in spades and make up for the temporary cashflow shortfall.

They also know and are reacting to the knowledge that customers, including women drivers, are expecting and seeing deals wherever they go. This makes them more likely to shop around than ever, using the interweb, to sample other value-for-money products and services.

This makes a recession a fantastically fertile time to win new customers if you get out there with the right sales message. And if you are not there you send out the wrong message to customers…

I have just read an excellent article written by an American PR company saying things after my own heart in this context, recommending that businesses banish sayings like “but we’ve always done it this way” and replace them with “how can we do different things” and “how can we add more value to the customer experience”.

Gentlemen dealers, you are looking at a UK gift horse marketing solution in the heading of this blog.

You should be marketing to more women drivers. We are the ones that either buy or influence most of the big ticket purchases.  We want to know what makes you better than the rest and that you really do care about us in an industry that, quite frankly, is seen to fall woefully short in so many female customer service areas.

Whereas if you work with a female brand like FOXY you’ll learn to understand women drivers better AND your male customers won’t think that you have had a barand personality change or gone frilly overnight!

For example (shameless sales plug follows…) if you can sign the female friendly FOXY Promise we can start to market you as female friendly, online and in your local community. You get your own female friendly website presence (which you can measure) as well as a Female Friendly Marketing Pack and the opportunity to promote yourself to members of FOXY Lady Drivers Club.

With prices from £60 for a basic (not measurable) entry to £180 plus VAT for a 12 months unique and fully inclusive package what are you waiting for? What’s not to go for it!

FOXY Steph

“Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing those you hold well”
Josh Billings

See which local garages, dealers and new car dealerships are listed as female friendly already…

Believe it or not, this is a genuine headline that I didn’t write but which has been used to describe a special FOXY day out this Sunday hosted by Hendy Group at their new car showroom in Eastleigh.

When all about is doom and gloom to do with new car sales, I am delighted to report that this is the sort of bullish strategy that is likely to sort out the men from the boys in future. Use the downturn to strengthen local relationships and with a view to reinforcing Hendy’s female friendly reputation and you have some goodwill among local women drivers to rely on come the new dawn.

We’ll be there of course and in good (non motor related) company this time including local businesses Portrait Place, Wannabe Pampered, The Feel Good Factory and Dior Cosmetics.

We met Hendy some time ago and through their aftersales team who are particularly pro-active in marketing their ‘all makes garage servicing’. At their request FOXY carried out a female friendly audit of their South East businesses, made several recommendations which were welcomed, has spoken to their aftersales managers since and now promotes their female friendly garage services and offers to women driver members of the Club. It’s instantly obvious that this is a family run business that genuinely cares about customer service from the top down. I say that after visiting other dealerships who clearly don’t understand the female friendly touch at the very top of their organisation…!!

I expect it to be a lot of fun on Sunday. Anyone in the area who’d like to pop in and say hello are most welcome. It’s at the Hendy Showroom (they look after Ford, Mazda and Kia franchises, offer vehicle rental, parts and car servicing here too) at Leigh Road, Eastleigh which is underneath Junction 13 of the M3 motorway (so to speak).

Come and be pampered (nails, makeup, skincare that sort of thing) and to stand a chance of winning a fabulous Spa Day at Careys Manor Hotel at Brockenhust in the New Forest. The way I am feeling (and looking) today I could do with winning it!!

Don’t forget the clocks go back this weekend – an extra hour in bed (hoorah) but darker evenings (always look on the bright side – getting closer to Spring 09) …

FOXY Steph