Customers are willing to pay for quality parts fitted by technicians they can trust, OESAA visitors told.
Andy Savva presenting his seminar on the OESAA stand at Automechanika Birmingham
"The aftermarket is ever-changing and there are a great many things to keep up-to-date with." Andy Savva.
The Original Equipment Suppliers Aftermarket Association (OESAA) has said that it is ‘delighted’ by the positive feedback from attendees who flocked to its stand at the UK’s first ever Automechanika, which took place at the NEC earlier in June.The stand featured seminars presented by former racing driver Steve Deeks and industry expert guest-speaker Andy Savva, who helped to educate garage owners and technicians in attendance on the confidence-boosting effects of OE components, as well as the potential pitfalls of aftermarket alternatives.The seminars addressed the necessity within the industry for an organisation which raises awareness about the quality of components which are supplied for original fitment in an industry saturated with sub-standard ‘equivalents’.
Andy used actual comparison examples of OE and non-OE components to visually demonstrate the difference in quality, explaining that only OE parts are used on production lines, whereas non-OE parts are engineered for the aftermarket and may not meet the stringent standards which are set by vehicle manufacturers.
Speaking on the OESAA stand, Andy said: “OE parts undergo a rigorous testing process before being approved, something that aftermarket alternatives certainly don’t do.
“The slightly higher price tag that comes with manufacturer approved products is well worth the assurance of quality.”
He disagreed that customers were not willing to pay for quality that they can rely on fitted by technicians that they can trust.
This, Andy insisted, is the difference that OE parts can make: both garage owners and their customers will have greater confidence in the business, as any work undertaken will not be compromised by poor quality parts.
Prize winners
Learning more about the various OESAA members present at Automechanika was even more rewarding for five lucky winners, who each won items from a range of exclusive prizes.
Terry Marshall of Walstell Services won a garage make-over worth £2,000 courtesy of OESAA, Andrew Pirt of Station View Garage is now the proud owner of a complete Bosch KTS 970 diagnostic system valued at over £7,000, Andrew Collin from Parkside Garage has received two tickets to the Goodwood Festival thanks to NGK, Sid Parr from Parr Automotive will enjoy a 5 supercar track experience donated by ZF, and Maciej Spalek of Spalek Motors will get to enjoy an England game at Wembley courtesy of Hella.
As Andy stressed: the aftermarket is ever-changing, and there are a great many things to keep up to date with – knowing that your parts are compliant is one less thing to worry about.