A survey by Castrol Professional, has found that high levels of staff turnover in aftersales departments, is posing a serious threat to profitability in this sector. The findings do not come as welcome news to franchise dealers, who are increasingly looking for service and maintenance to prop up their business, in the face of difficult new and used car sales conditions.

Castrol Professional found that more than 40% of service advisers say they plan to leave their role within two years. This creates problems in terms of staff continuity and also has serious cost implications, when the investments made in training and recruitment are taken into account. The survey also found that it was well-established service advisers, who had been in a role for more than three years that were the best at developing new business opportunities such as up-selling. Fast staff turnover means that many dealers miss out on this significant area of business potential.