COVID 19 Update From SLM – 5th November

Following the government’s announcement of a further national lockdown from the 5th November, we felt it important to let our customers know what the SLM Group (including Barnard & Brough Nissan) can continue to offer during this 2nd lockdown.

Our Aftersales departments (Service & Parts) are classed as an essential business and will continue to be fully operational for service, repairs and MOT’s. This will help keep everyone’s vehicle, which of course includes our vital keyworkers, safely on the road. So, if you have a service, MOT or repair already booked this can still go ahead.

Our Accident Repair Centres will continue to be open and fully operational, so still available to assist you in the event of any unfortunate accidents.

To ensure our customers feel confident and safe when visiting our sites and for the safety of our teams, we already have many things in place to ensure we are fully COVID-19 compliant, including, hand sanitiser, masks, protective screens, social distancing measures and regular cleaning being carried out. Please ensure you make an appointment before visiting and all of our Aftersales departments will still be available on the phone to help you with any booking or enquiry.
It is also important to note that if your vehicle was subject to an MOT extension during the 1st Lockdown, the government has not extended this any further at this stage, therefore it is important to book your MOT early to ensure your vehicle is safe, road worthy and legal.

Unfortunately, car sales showrooms and external used car displays cannot remain open from the 5th November. However, our sales teams will still be available to help with any new or used vehicle enquiries. You can contact our sales teams by telephone, email, live chat or a video call and we can send you a personal video on the vehicle of interest. We will also soon have the option for you to reserve your desired vehicle online using our website www.slm.co.uk.

Customers who have an existing order or wish to purchase a new or used vehicle can still collect their vehicle during this lockdown. All vehicle collections will only be allowed to take place outside in a designated handover area, following all the required social distance measures to protect yourself and our teams. Alternatively, we may be able to arrange a home delivery of your new or used vehicle, again following all Social Distancing measures.

These continue to be challenging times for everyone and we thank you for your continued patience and support in ensuring our sites remain a safe place to visit for you and our staff.

Due to the current pandemic we will endeavour to look after both YOU and OUR EMPLOYEES, so please adhere to signage and social distancing at all times. During these unprecedented times, your visit to us may take longer than normal, this is to ensure we adhere to social distancing rules and maintain a safe working environment for everyone, so please be patient with our teams.

We have removed all the vehicle brochures and information leaflets from our showrooms and service areas, to stop any potential spread of the Virus, should you require any information on any of our vehicles or services, please ask a member of the team who will be happy to assist.

Below are some points for you to be aware of:

• You will only be able to pay by card, preferably contactless where possible, or bank transfer, cash will not be accepted.
  
  
• Please park in a designated parking bays on site and not in front of the customer entrance.
  
  
• When entering the dealership please take notice of all signage and floor markings.
  
  
• To prevent too many customers being on site at the same time, the service and sales teams will give you an appointed time of arrival for your visit when making a booking or appointment. When dropping your vehicle off for service we will also arrange an appointed collection time. Please try to adhere to the arranged appointed times.
  
  
• In order to maintain limited contact with keys you will be asked to place your key in a clear plastic bag. Assuming your vehicle is keyless entry and Keyless start it will not need to be removed whilst it is with us.
  Please ensure there are no personal belongings in the vehicle that any member of our teams would have to move or come into contact with during the visit.
• If you are waiting for your vehicle, we will have dedicated waiting areas situated around the dealerships in order to maintain social distancing. We will use these areas to discuss any requirements and to hand your vehicle back to you.
  
  
• Each waiting area will have a box of protective gloves, hand sanitiser, and wipes.
  
  
• We will try to accommodate hot and cold drinks although these will be served in either paper or plastic cups. Please ask if you require a refreshment.
  
  
• Waiting areas will be sanitised on a regular basis, before and after each customer visit.
  
  
• Employees will be using PPE protection, please do not be offended if they are doing so!
  
  
• When a member of the team first enters your vehicle, a protection pack will be fitted to your car, which will include disposal covers for the steering wheel, gear selector, seats. These will be fitted at the point when a member of the team first enters your vehicle and will only be removed once the vehicle is parked up ready for your collection.
  
  
• Our vehicle Technicians will be wearing disposable gloves, whilst working on your vehicle.
  
  
• If your vehicle is booked into our service department, your vehicle will be washed and hoovered (please advise a member of the team if you would prefer not to have the wash and hoover). Once we have finished working on your vehicle and it is ready for collection, we will remove the protection equipment and we will sanitise the steering wheel, gear knob, driver's door seal and outer door handles.
  
  
  

We have ensured that all of our sites are adhering to the Governments COVID-19 secure guidelines, but if you have any concerns about visiting our site please give us a call and we will try to help.

Our teams are here to help and assist you, so please be patient and treat them with respect during these difficult times and if any abuse occurs directed towards our employees, we may ask you to leave.