“Nowadays, customers want to tailor their subscriptions to their own unique needs”
Bengt i Örkelljunga
Bengt i Örkelljunga is one of Sweden’s largest and oldest motorhome and caravan companies.
It has around 50 employees and a turnover of over SEK 300 million and sells between 500 and 600 motorhomes annually. The company was founded by Bengt Bengtsson, a real entrepreneur who had previously sold vehicles such as tractors. Bengt’s dream for his children to take over after him was fulfilled, and the company remains a family business with owners who were raised with caravans and motorhomes. The CEO of many years is Bengt’s son, Bengt-Åke Bengtsson.
Short season – high demand for fast service
The company has grown significantly over the years, and today it has an impressive facility by the E4 in Örkelljunga, which houses exhibition halls, winter storage options and a complete workshop for servicing and repairing both “home” parts and “car” parts. We were shown around the facility by the likeable workshop manager, Jesper Lauritsen, and we were struck by just how practical and structured everything was, both in the workshop and in the storage halls.
We have customers throughout Sweden as well as many visitors from Europe who we want to be able to help quickly with repairs and new parts so that they can continue to enjoy their holiday.
Customer care and aftermarket are the heart of our business
It was clear that Bengt-Åke’s nephew, Victor Svensson, is passionate about customer care. He spoke compellingly about the company’s values.
“We treat all our customers equally regardless of whether they have a claim or they are buying a used motorhome or a new RV. We know that we must constantly make the effort to deserve our customers so that they will choose us as often as possible.”
Benefits for the company
“From a company perspective, it is a huge benefit that subscriptions contribute to a long-term, predictable cashflow and that we can plan our obligations more rationally. Not having to sell the same services every year also saves us time and resources. Last but not least, a subscription is a tool for building long-term customer loyalty,” Bengt-Åke summarised.
Subscriptions make things easier for everyone
“We work with AB Svensk Bilgaranti on warranty products and Fragus GOSafe, a digital platform that easily transforms our services into subscriptions for whatever functionality the customer needs, such as service agreements, warranties, reconditioning and winter storage. Our customers benefit from knowing exactly what a service will cost without any expensive surprises, and we benefit by being better able to plan ahead. “There has been a dramatic increase in subscriptions,” said Victor, and CEO Bengt-Åke Bengtsson agreed.
“It makes sense because most people today have already got used to subscribing to various services and functionalities. It is easy, straightforward and predictable. And it helps create long-term customer relationships.”
How does the market look for summer 2021?
There are few companies that have been unaffected by the current situation. How do you view things right now and what do you think they will be like in the future?
“Just like a lot of other companies, we are facing challenges related to the Corona crisis and uncertainty about the future. Naturally, our target group has been affected by travel restrictions and general anxiety. The issue of bonus-malus for recreational vehicles has not been decided yet, but we hope that it can be settled in a reasonable way.
Even though we are convinced that this year will be worse, we hope and believe that more people will take a ‘staycation’. Since the majority of us cannot or do not dare to travel abroad, they have a unique opportunity to experience the freedom of an RV in our beautiful country. Happily, we have had an unusual number of first-time buyers this spring. We have been here for a long time, and we still believe that the future is positive for our industry,” concluded Bengt-Åke with a smile.