Managing MAN Bus & Coach UK

Wayne Ulph, General Manager of Bus & Coach sales at MAN talks to Gareth Evans about the latest developments at the Manchester-based dealership, including new products, used vehicles and his approach

It’s been all change at MAN Bus & Coach’s Trafford dealership in Manchester. In the not too distant past, I recall finding a yard full of used vehicles. However, when I visited the site recently to interview Wayne Ulph, General Manager at MAN Bus & Coach, I was immediately struck by how empty the yard was. In fact, there were only four new coaches out the front and a couple in the workshop.

Wayne knows how to welcome his visitors – he immediately offers a brew, which says a lot about someone in my opinion. He speaks in a frank, non-aggressive, down-to-earth manner which I believe appeals to many operators. Away from the hustle and bustle of the reception, we talked in the dedicated coach and bus suite – surrounded by seat samples, fabrics and memorabilia.

New Tourliner

CBW: The new Tourliner made its UK public debut at the UK Coach Rally in Blackpool. What’s the latest? How did you bring the previous model to a close?

Wayne Ulph (WU): In 2016 we had the European launch of the new Tourliner, only to be told we would not be getting it in the UK until the end of the year. The vehicle displayed at the UK Coach Rally was a prototype – it’s still our current demonstrator. I had a challenge that to fulfil our commitment to the factory, we had to sell 47 of the existing model before we would even see a new Tourliner.

I decided we would no longer offer a two-tier product – a Select or a VIP. Why? Because when I took over the department, I inherited a number of older stock units – and primarily, they were VIP. Customers would openly say they were coming in to buy a VIP and test drive it. While they were here, they would ask to look at a Select. No customer can justify a £30,000 hike in cost, when at the end of the day it’s still a Tourliner. The Select was built to a slightly lower specification, including slightly cheaper seats and no alloy wheels. Are the operator’s customers going to pay extra to sit on a slightly better seat or on a vehicle with alloys? The answer is no of course. Nine times out of 10, operators would choose the Select. It meant I was left with a lot of expensive stock that I had to move on.[wlm_nonmember][…]

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My colleagues and I came up with a new specification, which wasn’t a VIP or Select – it was in the middle. We called it Select Plus. It was well-received by operators as it seemed to tick all the boxes. The specification included alloy wheels, Efficient Roll (ER) and Efficient Cruise (EC) as standard. ER uses the topography to calculate that it will reach a point where the engine no longer needs to push a vehicle up a hill, so it will select neutral – the driver may see the rev counter falls to zero. It then goes over the hill, ticking over in neutral, saving fuel and re-engages gear when the speed starts to increase. It should not be noticeable to customers. EC uses satnav topography and selects the appropriate gear before the vehicle starts to struggle up a hill. Again, EC is aimed at saving fuel.

We’ve also fitted a new sound system and screens integrated into the dashboard, USB charging points and we also included a three-year warranty. We included the Kiel 2010 standard Select seats.

We tried to upspec it – a bit like they do with cars when they’re coming to the end of the old shape. We put Warranty Plus on it, so every year the operator gets a free engine service – including engine oil, filter, fuel filters and the valve clearances set free of charge from their local MAN dealer.

In terms of price, it was pitched between Select and VIP. We then had the currency issue. Every time the exchange rate changed, so did the price I bought the vehicle for. Wherever possible, we tried to absorb as much cost as we could to try to keep the cost at a constant throughout 2017.
We’ve sold them all. I have no stock remaining. They were P20, P21 and P22, ranging from 12m and 13.8m long.

CBW: I understand your demonstrator has clocked up the mileage – there being no shortage of interested operators. What are your plans for it? Also, at Busworld Europe last autumn, it was announced a new model will join the Tourliner range in the UK for 2018 – what’s the latest?

WU: The new Tourliner was well-received at the UK Coach Rally. It went straight from there on to a back-to-back demo programme – to the point where we’re now getting a second demonstrator to support it. We were struggling to give it to customers for a sufficiently long period for them to get an accurate feel for it.

The second demonstrator will differ from the other one in that it won’t have a wheelchair lift.

The plan is for us to have a third demonstrator in the coming months too. I’m expecting that to be the latest addition to our range – the new P10, a 13.1m two-axle.

Therefore, we are offering four variants this year. The two-axle P10 will offer 57 seats and a centre sunken WC. It’s come about due to the change in the axle weight to 19.5T. I think the P10 will do very well. The P10 will augment our current P21 (12.11m), P20 (13.37m) and P22 (13.91m) models.

CBW: Have there been any changes to the engine and transmission?

WU: The engine is the same across the range, regardless of length – the Euro 6C D2676 LOH, which is available with a choice of 420, 460 and 500bhp.

Fully automatic transmission is now available as an option on all models (500bhp AS-Tronic only). We believe the ZF EcoLife will be popular. A comment a number of operators have made is that while some like the AS-Tronic, others are not so enthusiastic. That’s because the AS-Tronic requires a more highly skilled driver – it’s still a manual gearbox. Automatics are easier for drivers.

We will split our tri-axle stock between the two options, while on the two-axle models we will favour the fully-auto. The AS-Tronic is a touring gearbox – and that’s what its strengths are.

We have seen good fuel returns on both the AS-Tronic and we’re somewhat limited on our experience of the auto as we’ve only got one at the moment.

CBW: Have you sold any new Tourliners yet? Are you able to give us an idea of retail price?

WU: We’ve delivered the first two – the inaugural custom-specification a P20 for Hawkes of Derby and a stock build P20 to Parkers in Gateshead in early November.

We’ve also sold the first fully auto P21 to Lakeside coaches, which is due for delivery in March. We have here in Manchester one each of the new models we currently offer – other than a P10 as that’s due here imminently. W

e’re going into 2018 in a fairly solid position. We’re seeing a steady build up of our order bank for the year ahead – to the tune of at least a dozen vehicles so far.

The difference in price between the old and new model was about £30,000. The cheapest we will do will be a P21 at £249,950 plus VAT, full retail. The most expensive is the P22 at £282,500 plus VAT, again full retail. The P10 will be £265,000 plus VAT, full retail.

CBW: In simple terms, what are the benefits of the New Tourliner over and above its predecessors?

WU: It’s lighter and more fuel-efficient. It’s not just a facelift – they’ve gone to town with it. It has a larger luggage compartment than its predecessor; the vehicle’s been developed in a wind tunnel to reduce drag and noise; and the locker doors are now a single-hand operation, rather than you having to throw your whole body at it.

ER and EC are standard with AS-Tronic, but that’s not possible on the automatic. We’ve also specified automatic lights and wipers as they’re increasingly standard fit within the automotive sector, so why not offer it on coaches too.

Other standard fits include USB charging points and Lane Guard. The interior colouring has been changed too and racks have been redesigned. It’s a nice product.

The demo has been out continually since April. I can categorically state nobody has been critical of it. We’ve had real positive feedback.

CBW: With your inaugural new Tourliner being equipped with a wheelchair lift, have you had any interest from customers in specifying a lift?

WU: We can offer wheelchair access on all new Tourliner models. It does not encroach into any luggage space. Currently a Hubner lift, we’re in advanced talks to fit another system.

One or two customers have enquired, but those we’ve quoted to have also been customers of our body-chassis partners. We won’t get into a bidding war. We’re not bothered whether it’s a Neoplan, Beulas or Barbi – as long as it’s an MAN. We quote our price and don’t negotiate. Nobody has yet rolled their eyes and reacted ‘how much!’ That’s always a good indication that we’re not that far off.

CBW: What impact has the relaxation in the Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) had? Is it a welcome development for you?

WU: Yes it is – we could not have had a P10 otherwise. It takes the pressure off across the range. There’s never been an issue with the P22 tri-axle, but on a P21 two-axle, the legislative change opens up options for customers. I don’t think that’s anything which is bespoke to MAN.

Used

CBW: What’s the latest on your used vehicles? I understand you have none in stock. In the yard outside, it is noticeable that only new, unregistered coaches can be found – there are no older motors present. Do you not take part-exchanges?

WU: We currently have no used coaches in stock. We will take part-exchanges, but only if it’s our own product and not older than five years of age. We will put other vehicles out to trade.

We will quote any customers on any part-exchange – whether they take it up is down to them. We will try wherever possible to be competitive.

The nature of the business says we have to have some involvement with used vehicles. Clearly, we can’t tell a customer they have to sell a coach before we can do business as they’ll walk away. They will go to someone who will offer what they deem to be a fair and accurate valuation of their vehicle.

We remain competitive. We’re in a strong position – we currently have no stock in the yard which is over 90 days old. Everything we’ve got in the yard is new.

CBW: That you’ve cleared your old stock without filling your yard with part-exchanges is extraordinary. I’m sure there are many who would love to know how you’ve done that.

WU: Don’t get me wrong, sometimes it’s frustrating the way we do it – it doesn’t work every time. As we know, this business is highly bespoke – one size doesn’t fit all.

Three or four years ago, out there in the yard it was reminiscent of Blackpool coach park. Some vehicles had been stood there for a long time. Simon Matthews, who now works for Close Brothers, did a phenomenal job in selling them.

The procedure for how we look at trade-ins changed. It made his role more limited as to how much stock he would get through. He wanted to carry a rolling portfolio of stock – the current strategy makes that difficult.

In fact, we’ll only take anything that’s under five years old and our own product. It does however, keep things manageable. As I said, three to four years ago, the department was haemorrhaging money. We were doing deals on new vehicles, but used was sucking the life out of it. This year, we’re making money.

CBW: How many used vehicles did you sell in 2017?

WU: Forty. It’s rare to have a straight deal – there is normally a part-exchange. We’ve sold some straight on, other we’ve traded. Those vehicles we sell ourselves are marketed under the ‘Top Used’ banner. We’ll try to put Top Care on them, which involves a driveline warranty with a free service.

Reputation

CBW: You’ve been at MAN a number of years. The manufacturer’s reputation in this sector has taken a bit of a kicking. Has it been restored?

WU: I‘ve been with MAN 12 years. Yes, MAN’s reputation took a real pounding, especially at Euro 5 and around Euro 5 cooling issues.

The problems that we faced in the UK were two-fold. Any issues with our own product could be dealt with entirely by ourselves. The problem was when engines were being sold to other manufacturers. That meant the UK wasn’t in a position to support them – the product had been sold through Munich. We no longer sell engines for use in vehicles that compete directly with our own product. That decision was not based on the issues which arose – it was down to the fact that by selling engines, we were doing ourselves out of business. In essence, we won’t sell an engine to a bodybuilder which is in direct competition with a Neoplan.

Having said that, we will sell chassis in the UK to fulfil other segments of the market. All I have is Tourliner – there isn’t a double-deck Tourliner and they won’t let me have Skyliner. Therefore, it is great we have our chassis partners as between them they offer a diverse range of vehicles that allow MAN to access the markets we would not be normally be able to.

CBW: In terms of dealing with customers, are you winning hearts and minds again? I understand what you’ve said, but the perception in the market was that the aftersales was not in place. It was MAN’s reputation that got trashed, not those you sold engines to.

WU: We’re heading in the right direction. It remains an uphill struggle as people have had their fingers burnt for quite substantial amounts of money. We are seeing some customers coming round – remember it was a truck issue, as well as bus and coach.

I have to say that our own product did not suffer as much as the truck or other coach manufacturers did. It decimated the bus market for us though – we lost Stagecoach. We don’t currently have a chassis offering that is attractive to UK bus operators.We do

though have the CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) bus. They’ve been good buses – very reliable and robust. I admit there have been small issues, but we’ve rectified them. Touch wood, we have not had any major failures in the five years since they were delivered and most of the vehicles are well in excess of 500,000km. It’s a good sound product – it’s a pity the industry doesn’t seem to be buying into it.

Bus

CBW: That brings us neatly on to buses. It’s fair to say MAN put gas into the UK bus market – being the first to offer it. Early orders from Anglian and Arriva put gas back on the agenda. The market has since moved on to double-deckers – and that’s where the big orders for gas are coming – but MAN doesn’t offer a double-deck. What are your plans?

WU: I’ve tried to make the case for a double-decker gas bus for the UK. I see what’s happening. Whilst the Caetano body is very good, I believe it was a mistake by the previous management for two reasons. Firstly, its lack of general acceptance in the UK market; and secondly, it has to be bought in Euros, which with current exchange rates makes it an expensive vehicle.

CBW: How do you see the market in future for gas? You secured a repeat order from Arriva.

WU: We secured a repeat order from Arriva NW for nine MAN EcoCitys which entered service in Runcorn in September last year, bringing its current CNG fleet to 19.

We are currently in the tender process for Arriva’s 2018 fleet replacement and hope to be able to supply more.

In the UK, although it’s a body-built vehicle, the EcoCity is marketed and sold as a complete MAN product. If operators have an issue with doors, seats or glass for example, they come directly to our aftersales network.

The market for CNG is growing with operators wanting alternatives to electric and hybrid, so I see there is an opportunity for MAN to grow its market share.

We work with Gas Bus Alliance to offer a complete infrastructure package.

CBW: Do you see any potential for MAN diesel buses? You previously did a stock build of 20 midibus Caetanos.

WU: The Midi Chassis (A66) has been discontinued, so we only offer the 18 tonne chassis for Euro 6c in diesel and CNG. The UK market has moved more towards the lightweight variants in recent years, i.e. 14 tonnes, with a four-cylinder engine.

There is a small market for large heavy weight vehicles, so there is a potential for us and I hope we can grow this with our product.

Body partners

CBW: How many Beulas-bodied MANs have been sold in the UK recently?

WU: In 2017, we sold 17 chassis to Moseley and the majority are now bodied and sold. Moseley sells them as a complete product and they have been well received in the UK market. Once a vehicle has been sold, we as the chassis provider will then go with the Moseley team to give hands-on training at the customer’s site. That includes familiarisation, driver training and maintenance. This is not exclusive to Moseley but something that is offered to all our body partners and we find it works very well.

CBW: How many Nu-Track–bodied Pulses did you sell in 2017?

WU: Since the launch in 2015 the Nu-Track Pulse has sold in excess of 100 units. While the majority have gone to the Northern Ireland education board, the Pulse has also seen success in London, with councils such as Islington, Greenwich and Havering.

Recently, with the power-sharing government dissolved for some time now, funding has not been released. We’ve seen sales of up to 50 per annum drop to just 10 in 2017. A tender was issued late last year and it is hoped funding will be available shortly.

The demonstrator is out and about with local councils with good reports being received. The Pulse is a practical vehicle, which has been well-received by its main customer and we hope to see more sales in 2018.

CBW: What about the Midi Explorer midi coach sold by BASE, which is based on the same chassis as the Pulse? How many MANs were sold through the Leyland-based dealership?

WU: We have a great working relationship with BASE – in 2017 we sold 47 chassis in total to them. The Majority for the popular Mobipeople Explorer with the MAN RR8, but also there has been an increase in sales for the Italian built Barbi which uses the MAN RR2 and RR4 chassis.
As a coach, the Midi Explorer is a well built, attractively priced vehicle for that segment of the market and has done very well this year.

CBW: Do you have plans to broaden the bodybuilder option? Historically, MAN and Ayats have worked closely.

WU: Currently Ayats buy directly from MAN Spain. We’ve spoken to Dave Nixon at Ayats UK and quoted him on several occasions for chassis, but he’s yet to place an order. We keep in touch with him.

CBW: Plaxton previously bodied MAN chassis. Is it something you would consider? Plaxton is the last UK coach bodybuilder of course and it boasts an amazing amount of loyalty.

WU: I would not be averse to new partnerships. Earlier in my career, I was responsible for the Plaxton relationship. I would be interested in any collaboration that puts more MANs on the road. Clearly however, I have to maintain an eye on our current collaborations – the last thing I would want to do is anything that would damage those relationships.

Aftersales

CBW: In terms of your aftersales support, like many major manufacturers, you depend on the related truck dealership network. What are you doing to help coach customers?

WU: We try to offer the comprehensive extended warranty option for customers called Warranty Plus to get the engine serviced. We also have a team of engineers within the dealer network throughout the UK and Northern Ireland called the VIP technicians. They are staff who’ve been known to the aftersales team, which is my background.

The synergies between coaches and trucks are phenomenal. We give our VIP crew extra training on for example, doors, heating and locker door systems, air-conditioning and PA systems – things they ordinarily wouldn’t get to learn about. That’s on top of the standard training they receive in the MAN Academy in Swindon. We have a purpose-built training school there, with fully trained trainers.

CBW: Vehicles now are incredibly complex and the nature of the beast means problem solving has become equally complex. Some of your competitors have realised that the best way of solving that problem is creating a direct line of communication between the dealership and the factory. Therefore, if an issue arises, the line of communication is to someone who will deal with it – doing it any other way is unlikely to resolve the matter.

WU: If, for arguments sake, an issue arises which our technicians have not managed to resolve, we can flag that direct to the factory through what we call SSD – Service Support Desk. Photos and short videos can be uploaded, along with data logging recordings and any other information such as wiring diagrams. It all goes to the technical department at the factory. We have the same ability to talk directly to the technical department in Munich.

Another thing we can offer to our customers is through our telematics fleet management system. The system can be set up so that if an error comes up on the dashboard to say low oil level for example, not only will that be stored within the vehicle’s system, it will notify the operator’s head office so the fleet manager can contact the driver to ask why the vehicle is still moving when it’s displaying that error. It’s an optional service at additional cost.

CBW: Euro 6c places a legal requirement for the operator and manufacturer to maintain the vehicle in a certain way. With telematics, you’ll find out immediately if the operator is not looking after it as they should. What happens then?

WU: If the operator is not meeting the requirements for the service interval, as would be the case for any vehicle manufacturer, any warranty would be invalidated.

CBW: Is the information from the vehicles collated automatically?

WU: Information is collated in real-time. If the operator subscribes to our ‘Fit to Go’ service, it’s all part of the package, which includes tracking. Operators can click on the map to see the location of hard braking for example, which is interfaced with Google Maps. If the system is fitted in conjunction with cameras, it will then also record 30 seconds prior and post any incident. The information is not collated if the customer does not purchase that product.

Minibus

CBW: You displayed a van at the 2017 UK Coach Rally in Blackpool, with the aim of offering a minibus in 2018. What’s the latest on this addition to your range?

WU: We’re currently talking to various body-builders in relation to establishing a partnership for the near future. Watch this space.

We plan to offer two lengths – standard and long – as well as front, rear and all-wheel drive. We can also offer it as a crew cab for bodying.

As a van, the product is available now. It can be ordered with windows without any interior. That’s what we’ll supply to our converters.

The vehicles will be sold by our van network or the bodybuilder. There will be a purpose-built factory minibus manufactured at our facility in Poland. It will be available at the end of 2018, but we expect it to attract a premium.

Role

CBW: You manage a team, which is based in Manchester. Who are they? Have there been any changes?

WU: The sales team remains the same – it includes Jeff Edwards for the South, Matt Jacob for the Midlands, Steven Duffy for the North and Graham Wilkinson is our chassis guy.

However, we’ve got a new CEO, Thomas Hemmerich, who comes from a bus-related background. When I took over the department, I reported to the head of the truck sales. I now report direct to Thomas. It’s good and it works. His approach is that as long as the volume and margin is there, it’s for me to run it.

CBW: Tell us briefly about your career. Are you enjoying your role?

WU: Most definitely. I’ve been at MAN for 12 years. All my background has been in aftersales. I’m a fully qualified and trained mechanic. After leaving school, I joined the Kirkby Central dealership in South Anston – when it was a Bedford dealer. I worked there for 12 years as a mechanic. I then moved to SJ Carlton to work on the Neoplan product for seven years.

I left and joined MAN as a regional engineer in the bus department. My area covered everything north of Sheffield and Northern Ireland. I was then put in charge of the bus field team, a role I performed for a number of years. I had a 12-month period where the structure was all changed and we became area aftersales managers. I was responsible for the North East. I looked after anything that was MAN/ Neoplan, truck and bus. This opportunity came along – 12 months down the line, I’m still here. It’s good – it’s been an eye-opener.

As aftersales, we had what we call ‘meisters course’ in Swindon over a two-week period – an information event involving workshop controllers and senior technicians. We did a slot for bus and coach. I stood in front of the team and said I had been where they are. I said people used to stand up in front of me and tell me that a salesperson sells the first one and aftersales sells the rest. I thought what a load of rubbish that is – it’s just an excuse for a poor salesperson. Now however, I’m on the other side of the fence and have had customers tell me they love our product, but issues arose in the past etc. It’s true – aftersales does sell the rest. For me, it’s nice to have that broad spectrum.

The other side of that is that my father is a coach operator – Brecks Coaches of Rotherham. I grew up in the garage. I learned from an early age from dad how to pack cases into coaches, how to clean them and later, how to maintain them.

Dad put me through my PCV driving test. I always used to do drive one tour a year, just to keep my hand in.

CBW: Do you get the opportunity to get out to see customers much?

WU: I do – it’s something I enjoy. This business is about people – and people buy from people. It’s something I learned as child – I remember accompanying my father to the dealerships. Those relationships are essential to do business.

Primarily, I won’t go in as a standalone, but if one of my team says they would benefit from my experience of aftersales, it’s sometimes useful for me to be there.

We’re fortunate to have a good team of aftersales personnel. I’ve worked with them all, so if any issue arises and I feel a customer has a justifiable claim, invariably we’ll do something to rectify the stumbling block.

The team includes Paul O’Cain, who is General Manager for Field Service and who used to be my boss. He previously worked at Northern Counties in Darlington – he’s a bus guy through and through. Another team member is John Davies, the Aftersales Director, who started his working life at a bus depot.

Last word

CBW: What’s your target for 2018?

WU: The factory has told me that I will do a minimum of 114 units. That’s a mix of chassis product and coach. It includes vehicles sold through Moseley (Beulas bodywork), BASE (Barbi and Mobipeople bodywork) and the Nu-Track Pulse.

I know I work for MAN, but it speaks volumes for me that the dealer network has seen its warranty work take a nosedive. As a result, they’re embracing this van as it’s another avenue they can fill their capacity. Exciting times.

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