AM's popular aftersales conference returns on April 24 with a focus on maximising profit potential and boosting customer loyalty.

The Aftersales Conference – Profit & Customer Retention is set to help dealerships attain the highest profit margins possible by identifying additional revenue streams whilst ensuring traditional ones such as tyres are not overlooked.

Tickets are available now to dealers and manufacturers on a special 'early bird' rate, plus a limited number of supplier tickets are on offer.

To book, contact Nicola Baxter on 01733 468289, email nicola.baxter@bauermedia.co.uk or visit www.aftersalesconference.co.uk

The conference will include an analysis of current trends and future opportunities from leading aftermarket analyst Chris Oakham while automotive competition lawyer Miles Trower will put Block Exemption Regulation guidelines under the microscope and explain how this can provide potential profit opportunities for aftersales departments.

Main conference sponsor automotive web developers and digital marketing experts GForces will look at ways dealers can utilise online opportunities to enhance their offering, attract new customers and remain in meaningful communication with existing customers.

A focus on CRM and customer loyalty incorporates talks from Eclipse Marketing, an agency which provides product recall services, predictive marketing campaigns and CRM programmes on behalf of a number of manufacturers and large dealership groups, and a case study from Jemca Car Group, which represents Toyota and Lexus in and around London.

Specially designed workshops will offer delegates the chance to become involved in highly focused and informal sessions aimed at boosting revenue in ways that are easily implemented on return to the dealership.

In association with GForces, it will take place place in the Hilton at the newly opened national football training centre St George’s Park in Burton on Trent, East Midlands on April 24.

The pressure on the aftersales department to deliver revenue and profits has never been greater as their counterparts in sales continue to struggle with squeezed profit margins and an uncertain economic outlook.

Despite lengthening service intervals, vehicles becoming much more reliable and the ever present threat of the independent sector, aftersales departments in franchised dealerships are still expected to deliver.

With all this in mind, the AM conference will help dealers recognise and take advantage of ways to increase business and to keep customers loyal.

The conference has been designed to appeal to a wide range of dealership and carmaker staff including managing directors, dealer principals, aftersales directors and service managers who are responsible for the performance of the aftersales department.

However, content will also appeal to workshop controllers who want to gain a wider understanding of the department as well as how the workshop can influence profit potential; service advisors who are in contact with customers for the time a vehicle is in the workshop; CRM managers and advisors who are responsible for customer retention; marketing managers who design and implement initiatives to attract custom; corporate sales managers who want to help their businesses grow fleet aftersales work; and account managers and account executives who work for marketing agencies with automotive retail and manufacturer clients who need to expand their aftersales knowledge.