A day in the life of...Andy Lowe, Contract Manager

“What vendors really appreciate is that grs buys cars all year round, not on a seasonal basis or when it suits us, but month in, month out,” says Andy Lowe, arriving back at base in Shrewsbury after visiting one of his clients – a car rental company. “That’s one of the things that really sets us apart.”
Another important factor is flexibility, with grs happy to work with vendors in the way that best suits their business model, including outright purchase, residual value underwriting and acting as an agent to sell vehicles on their behalf to a network of more than 13,000 franchised and independent retailers the length and breadth of the country.
“It’s so important for me to visit vendors on a regular basis for a a catch-up. It’s a chance to discuss what they have coming up for sale and how they’d like to work with us to sell those vehicles,” continues Andy, who places great value on the relationships he is able to build with his customers.
“It’s not just the fact that we buy vehicles, it’s the way that we do it that’s important too. People buy from people, and we’re a relationship business as much as a car buying business, so it’s important to get that right.”
He continues: “We pride ourselves on being good people to do business with. We treat people the way we want to be treated ourselves, and that’s why we always pay for vehicles promptly and always do what we say we’re going to do, as trust is so important.”
Following his first meeting of the day, Andy dropped in to see another vendor – a contract hire company – to pick up some vehicle logbooks before dropping in to see a retailer on his way back to Shrewsbury. “It’s essential for me to understand their perspective and take on the market too,” he says, “as sharing our market intelligence with vendors is also important.”
From time to time, he will also arrange to show a vendor around the company’s logistics centre at Cold Meece in Staffordshire – a purpose-built location which brings to life the scale and sophistication of the grs operation. “As soon as people see Cold Meece they understand how we have the capacity to de-fleet and re-market their vehicles so quickly and efficiently,” he says. “As well as being able to store 4,500 vehicles safely and securely at any one time, the bespoke systems and processes in place at Cold Meece are extremely impressive, while the site also includes our new high quality photographic centre with a 360-degree turntable.”

The remainder of Andy’s time is spent striving for perfection. “I’m forever checking stock and making sure we have all the necessary service histories, keys and documentation we need to sell vehicles quickly for vendors, because that’s what it’s all about for us – making vehicle re-marketing as easy as possible.”

Avoid the car buying lottery with grs

When is £8,000 not £8,000? It may sound like the start of a joke, but buying a car only to find additional and unexpected fees and costs mounting up is no laughing matter.
“Buying a car can be a bit of a gamble, or even a lottery,” says Dean Richards, grs Sales Manager. “The price under the hammer isn’t necessarily the price you end up paying, and lots of seemingly small additional fees and charges can really start to add up, which isn’t helpful in the current climate.”
According to Dean, increasing numbers of retailers are reporting that on top of a vehicle’s purchase price, they are being charged additionally for having documents or spare keys sent out to them, while fees are also being levied based on the vehicle’s price or even its engine size.
To make matters worse, the car buying lottery often dictates that the likes of spare keys and service histories may or may not be available with the vehicle depending on your luck, while a close inspection may reveal damage that needs to be fixed before it can be made ready for sale. Add to this the cost of a tank of petrol or diesel to drive it back to the forecourt and a seemingly healthy profit margin can start being seriously squeezed.
Not so when buying from grs, where £8,000 really is £8,000. “The price retailers pay is the price they pay, it’s as straightforward as that,” continues Dean. “We don’t charge any fees and we’re always clear from the outset whether a vehicle has a spare key and a full service history. When people buy from us they can be confident that the vehicle will be just as described and that there won’t be any unexpected fees or charges.”
Vehicle descriptions at grs are second to none, since retailers can view vehicles online where detailed information is accompanied by market-leading interior and exterior photographs taken at the purpose-built photographic suite at the Cold Meece logistics centre.
“There are no joining fees, no unexpected fees and no appointments required, as retailers can view all our vehicles online 24 hours a day,” says Dean adding that the market knowledge of the grs team also comes without charge – another rarity in today’s market place.
Continues Dean: “Our account managers are talking to people in the industry every day, so they know what’s selling well and where the opportunities lie. We’re always happy to share our knowledge with retailers and to work in partnership to grow their businesses. No fees and free market insight – we can’t say fairer than that!”