SuperSpark received the following question from Frikkie Freakout: "There seems to be an increase in crime at dealerships. How can we prepare ourselves against the substantial losses we may suffer?"  

SuperSpark answers:  

Dear Frikkie,  

You raise a valid concern. Crime is definitely on the increase and these criminals seem to think dealerships are “soft targets”. Most of us know about the many tricks criminals conjure up, as society communicates these incidents via emails, SMS, etc. 

With regards to dealerships, the most recent incidents include a prospective buyer swopping out vehicle keys when doing a test drive right under the salesman’s nose (and fetching the car later the evening); or misleading the salesman to believe the boot is open and as he gets out to close it… gone in 60 seconds…  

Fake proof of payments are out there and even armed robbery is a reality, as we learnt recently from Attie du Plessis - Tiger Car Sales:  

Attie's salesman started a car for a "customer" only to be surprised by a firearm being pointed at him. The "customer" then jumped into the car and sped off (in the process almost running over the salesman).    

"How do you prevent an incident like this happening?" asks Attie. "It is not practical to ask for the ID of every single potential customer unless they're requesting a test drive. And you also run the risk of annoying customers if they feel they are treated like criminals."  

I am sure many dealers are experiencing the same frustrations, and while incidents such as these are extremely difficult to prevent, the most important thing is to educate your staff to be super-vigilant. Share your experiences with others or write to me so that I can make other dealers aware of the posing threats you face (anonymously, if you prefer).  

SuperSpark will never just leave things to fate and this is why we are currently investigating a tracking device – which will not only help you find your car, but can also be sold to prospective customers, adding to your second gross.  It is a proven, cost-effective and established product and we are looking at doing a trial run at a few selected dealers in the next couple of weeks.  

We are excited about the product and hope to roll it out to all our dealers if the trials are proven successful. We will keep you up to date!  

Gotta fly now...    

SuperSpark