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The Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation

DENSO: ‘OESAA perfect platform to work closer with technicians’

Date: Friday 18 June 2021

In the aftermarket, by its own admission, DENSO is still in its infancy – compare that to the fact DENSO is the second largest component supplier to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) – so the opportunity to join an organisation advocating OE parts at aftermarket level was one the company ‘had to jump at’.

That’s the view of DENSO Sales Manager (UK & Ireland), Kevin Peacocke, who said DENSO and the Original Equipment Suppliers Aftermarket Association (OESAA) strategy runs in parallel with one-another:

“Initially, to be closer to the technicians and workshops, in general, and because we were brand new to the aftermarket, all our efforts were put into working with distributors – we needed the products on the shelf.
“Over a decade later, our strategy has changed, in that we now want to work with workshops and highlight the importance of quality parts – OESAA is the perfect platform to do that.”

Kevin highlighted the OESAA Garage Forum as an “immensely valuable asset”, so DENSO could listen and adapt its messages.

He said:

“Without the ‘pull factor’ from technicians, we’d struggle, so the introduction of the OESAA Garage Forum has been a breath of fresh air and allowed us to ask questions, absorb and respond, if necessary; for example, our marketing activities have changed, we’ve reshaped our recruitment strategy and brought a better focus at workshop level.”

‘Air conditioning will be focus of Autoinform Live’
As November 6th and 7th approaches, with the first Autoinform Live event since 2019 to take place at the GTG Training Academy in Wolverhampton, DENSO is eager to make up for lost time and will be sending its product specialist, Richard Groot, to provide a seminar on air conditioning (AC) systems.

Kevin said:

“He’s the person for the job! Richard is a specialist in his field and will go back to basics of the AC system, such as how it works and what technicians need to know. It will then head into an in-depth chat about components, best practice and common faults – all with the objective of trying to give technicians the right information to allow them to do the job professionally.”

As part of DENSO’s ongoing strategy, to work closely with technicians and workshops, the event is also an opportunity to receive feedback, so the company can evaluate its own communication to the market.

‘Protecting our industry’
Four years into its partnership with OESAA, Kevin believes DENSO’s relationship with the organisation is as strong as ever, as both share “best practice ideas” to promote a “quality-first approach”.

He added:

“In this global market, unfortunately, the availability of substandard parts has never been higher. Advertising language can be misleading, leading to drivers or technicians convinced that they are getting a good deal on quality parts without realising the potential dangers.
“Trust in a quality brand is rewarding in terms of time, confidence and reputation. A failure of a substandard component directly damages the reputation of the workshop and threatens future business – OESAA members know this and do all they can to protect our customers, and long may that continue!”