Garage Wire Aftermarket: Winter 2024

ISSUE 3 WINTER 2024

THE BRANDING ISSUE

THE IMPORTANCE OF GARAGE BRANDING

REFRESHING ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST ICONIC BRANDS

BIG BRAND OPPORTUNITIES ON A LOCAL LEVEL

ISSUE 3 WINTER 2024

Hello and welcome to the winter edition of Garage Wire Aftermarket. Although it’s probably too late to wish you a Happy New Year, we hope 2024 has got off to the best possible start. In this issue, we’re looking at the importance of garage branding, be it signage, point of sale material or your online presence. As you’ll discover, branding is about so much more than a simple logo. Get it right, and it could make a massive difference to your bottom line. Ignore it, and you could lose customers to a rival garage. We also look back at our most-read and most-commented online articles since the previous issue, both of which caused quite a stir when we published them. Enjoy the new issue.

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OPINION A BRAND IS MORE THAN JUST A LOGO

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NEWS CASTROL REFRESHES ITS FAMOUS BRANDING

17

MOST READ HALFORDS’ VIEWS ON FRANCHISED DEALERS

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DISCUSSION THE IMPORTANCE OF DIGITAL BRANDING

22

NEWS PUTTING A DEVON GARAGE ON THE MAP

Editor Gavin Braithwaite-Smith gavin.braithwaite-smith@garagewire.co.uk Commercial Manager Stuart Woolley stuart.woolley@garagewire.co.uk Designer Roy McCarthy Contributors Jane Wright, George Phillips While Garage Wire Limited prides itself on the quality of the information it provides, the company reserves the right not to be held legally responsible for any mistakes or inaccuracies found within the text of this magazine.

All trademarks are acknowledged. © Garage Wire Limited 2024

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CONTENTS

14

COVER STORY ELITE GARAGES JOINS THE BOSCH NETWORK

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MOST COMMENTED MOT BEFORE OR AFTER A SERVICE?

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DISCUSSION BIG BRAND SUPPORT FOR INDEPENDENT GARAGES

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DISCUSSION IS YOUR GARAGE ON BRAND?

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OPINION SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON YOUR GARAGE GARAGEWIRE.CO.UK 3

A BRAND IS MORE THAN JUST A LOGO OPINION

IS YOUR GARAGE THE REAL THING OR A GREAT PRETENDER?

GAVIN BRAITHWAITE-SMITH “If Coca-Cola were to lose all of its production-related assets in a disaster, the company would survive. By contrast, if all consumers were to have a sudden lapse of memory and forget everything related to Coca-Cola, the company would go out of business.”

Of all the quotes I read during the years I spent working in the creative industry, this one from a senior executive at Coca-Cola is my favourite. Although the two are intrinsically linked, there is a big difference between a brand and a logo.

And while there’s a massive gulf between a garage on the outskirts of a provincial town and the world’s most famous soft drinks brand, the same branding rules apply – albeit with very different budgets!

A logo is little more than the entry point to the brand.

The most visual reference point. The sign above the door.

It’s often the result of months of research and planning, followed by lots of to-ing and fro-ing between a client and a design team. There are many considerations, such as colour, typeface, shape and where it’ll be used. For a garage, this is likely to include the workshop frontage, reception desk, waiting room, uniforms, stationery, website

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and advertisements. It must be consistent across all forms of media and act as a bond between the garage and its customers and suppliers. It might be a shape, like Vodafone, Nike and Volkswagen, or simple text, like John Lewis, Google and Mobil. Others, such as Coca-Cola, Microsoft and Dell, are a combination of the two.

Crucially, they’re instantly recognisable. You could change the letters of the Coca-Cola logo, but if you kept the same shape and colour, it’d still scream “Coke”. Which brings me back to the Coca-Cola executive’s quote. The company has been operating for more than 140 years and is now the most recognisable non-tech brand logo in the world. It’s valued at around $33.17bn, nearly double that of Pepsi ($18.37bn). Such dominance means it would be incredibly difficult, if not impossible, for a rival to steal its market share. According to the Brand Marketing Blog, it has the highest brand awareness in the world, with around 7.1 billion people recognising the logo if you showed it to them. That’s 94 percent of the Earth’s population, which is remarkable when you consider that only half recognise the symbol of Christianity.

OPINION

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OPINION

“YOU CAN HAVE THE BEST LOGO IN THE WORLD, BUT IF THE FRONTOF-HOUSE EXPERIENCE, QUALITY OF WORK AND PRICING STRUCTURE AREN’T UP TO SCRATCH, YOUR BRAND WILL FAIL. YOU COULD BE LET DOWN BY SOMETHING RELATIVELY TRIVIAL, LIKE THE CONDITION OF THE CUSTOMER TOILETS, THE QUALITY OF THE COFFEE IN THE VENDING MACHINE OR LITTER STREWN ACROSS THE CAR PARK. SWEATING THE SMALL STUFF DOES MATTER”

Of course, brand awareness is one thing, but what the logo says is quite another. One person’s refreshing soft drink is another person’s dental nightmare. Few, if any, dentists would want to buy the world a Coke. Similarly, one person’s ultimate driving machine is another person’s car most likely to be glued to your rear bumper on the outside lane of a motorway. For better or worse, a logo says everything about your workshop without saying a word, even if your logo is little more than your name above a pair of roller doors.

And that’s because it’s what goes on behind those doors that really matters. Before the age of the internet, a customer’s journey began the moment they called your garage. How many times did the phone ring before you answered it? How warm was the greeting? Did the person answering the phone seem interested? If a logo is the ‘first base’ of a brand, the initial interaction with the customer is ‘second base’. Continuing the journey, ‘third base’ is the quality of service, and ‘fourth base’ – or ‘home run’ – is if the customer is sufficiently impressed to make a return visit for their next MOT or service. If they recommend you to a friend or leave a positive online review, even better. Speaking of which, in this digital age, the brand journey begins online, be it via your website, social media channels or work provider website. To create a strong brand, your customers must be embraced at every touch point of the journey. You can have the best logo in the world, but if the front-of-house experience, quality of work and pricing structure aren’t up to scratch, your brand will fail. You could be let down by something relatively trivial, like the condition of the customer toilets, the quality of the coffee in the vending machine or litter strewn across the car park. Sweating the small stuff does matter.

Non-visual branding is also a great leveller. About 15 years ago, while still working in marketing, I bought a Volkswagen Passat V6 TDI for my 100-mile daily commute. A few weeks

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later, it developed a worrying rattle from the area below the gear stick, which, thanks to the wonders of the internet, I diagnosed as a problem with the six-speed gearbox. My office was located a few doors down from a Volkswagen main dealer, so I booked it in for diagnosis and prepared for the worst. With the end of the day approaching, and no word from the dealer, I called for an update, only to be told that they hadn’t looked at the car but would do before closing time in about 45 minutes. So, I wandered over to the dealer at 5.30pm to be told that the gearbox needed to be repaired at a cost of £2,500. Ouch.

Figuring it would be a good idea to get a second opinion from an independent garage, I called Volkscraft in Exeter, explained to Matt (the owner) what I had been told, and asked if he could beat the price. I had a hunch that the main dealer never inspected the car, but my suspicions were confirmed when Matt phoned to say that the gearbox was fine and that he had traced the issue to a pair of loose clips. An unscrupulous garage could have cashed in on the incorrect diagnosis, but Matt did the right thing, earning himself a loyal customer and countless recommendations to friends and family. Indeed, one couple in my village bought a pair of Skodas purely on the basis that they could be serviced by a trusted garage. Volkscraft does have good logo, but nobody sees it when I recommend the business.

The brand is strengthened by word of mouth, not the badge above the door.

As this issue of the mag highlights, creating a good first impression via workshop signage, point of sale material and an online presence is vitally important if you want to attract new customers. But if you want to retain these customers – and encourage them to recommend you to their friends – your brand will live and die by your customer service skills and quality of work. It could be the difference between your garage being considered an also-ran or the real thing…

DON’T FORGET FEAD

The auxiliary belt system is notorious for being ignored, with little advice available apart from ‘check the condition’ on recommended service intervals – but Schaeffler suggests technicians take a different approach.

INA engineers recommend reminding customers that the front end auxiliary drive (FEAD) system powers engine and safety critical components such as PAS or vacuum pumps, and that the tensioner and pulleys will have done the same mileage as the timing belt system that is routinely changed as a kit.

Also, the FEAD system is usually subjected to worse conditions than the timing belt system, as it is often uncovered and exposed, and the failure of any component could lead to complete engine failure, especially if the belt wraps around the crank pulley and enters the timing system.

But by far the most compelling reason not to ignore FEAD is that in many applications the auxiliary belt must be removed to access the timing belt, so renewing it will incur a minimum cost to the vehicle owner.

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CASTROL REBRAND COINCIDES WITH DRAMATIC CHANGE ACROSS THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY

NEWS

REBRAND COMES AS THE LUBRICANT GIANT RESPONDS TO EVOLVING CONSUMER AND INDUSTRY CHALLENGES WITH A REFRESHED LOGO, UPDATED PRODUCT PACKAGING, AND A SERVICE-LED FOCUS

Castrol has become one of the world’s most famous lubricant brands. Ever since its formation by Charles Wakefield in 1899, the brand has been synonymous with premium quality, high performance and cutting-edge lubricants. From its early days of working with pioneering aviators and motorists as aircraft, motorcycles and motorcars developed, to its close cooperation today with car manufacturers and motorsport teams, Castrol continues to develop the world’s most advanced engine oils and fluids that are trusted the world over.

Today, Castrol supplies its lubricants to brands including Ford, Jaguar Land Rover and Renault, while in the world of competition, it develops bespoke oil formulations for the likes of the BWT Alpine F1 Team, the M-Sport Ford World Rally Team, and Jaguar TCS Racing in Formula E. With over 120 years of advanced oils and lubricants development, customers continue to put their faith in a brand that is the preferred oil supplier to some of the world’s most respected car manufacturers.

While this success and the strong reputation Castrol has in the public consciousness is considerable, the automotive industry is witnessing dramatic change. With environmental factors being one of the greatest global hurdles to overcome, car manufacturers are gradually moving away

from internal combustion and towards greater electrification as a way of lowering emissions. Legislation is also tightening, with the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles due to be banned by 2035 in many European markets, including the UK. The widespread switch from ICE cars to electric vehicles (EVs) marks the greatest change the industry faces.

As society continues with this shift towards electrification, Castrol has been busy developing and formulating cutting-edge fluids for EVs, notably with a new range of Castrol ON products. These include EV transmission fluids that deliver enhanced protection of the drivetrain while aiding efficiency, EV thermal fluids that help keep batteries cooler to enable ultra-fast charging even in extreme conditions, and EV greases that play a vital role in maintaining optimum efficiency while extending the life of vehicle components.

With the UK car parc currently consisting of approximately 40.7 million vehicles, (a record figure), there remains strong demand for oils and lubricants from distributors, workshops and end users, even as the EV market continues to rise.

Castrol continues to invest in the development of lubricants for ICE vehicles, which will continue to make up a significant proportion of the European car parc for many years, as well as fluids designed specifically for EVs.

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NEWS CASTROL REBRAND SYMBOLISES CHANGE With such widespread change taking place within the automotive industry and wider society, Castrol has recently refreshed its brand identity following a comprehensive brand strategy process, which included extensive research, analysis, and input from stakeholders, customers and industry experts.

This brand refresh is aimed at better reflecting Castrol’s unique positioning in the market and the opportunities it sees in meeting the changing needs of customers.

This goes far beyond being a lubricant supplier; it also includes workshop service offers, as well as the work it does with OEMs and within other industries. For instance, Castrol’s immersion cooling fluids are increasingly being used by the IT sector in data centres.

Along with an updated logo that features a more modern, dynamic, and vibrant design featuring Castrol’s iconic red, green and white colours, the new brand identity brings refreshed labelling across Castrol’s core product range. A simplified design has been created to make it easier for customers to view viscosities and other key pieces of information. While evolving such an iconic brand identity is a challenge, the company is confident its new approach will help it engage with a multitude of external audiences.

Castrol’s rebrand is more than just its new logo. The company also unveiled new designs for its range of top-up lubricant bottles in Europe, which use up to 20 percent less plastic in the case of its popular five-litre bottle. The new bottles were introduced in several of Castrol’s key international markets, including China and India in 2019, resulting in it using 4,000 tonnes less plastic when compared to the previous small bottle designs. In Europe, the new bottles are expected to save around 1,000 tonnes of plastic per annum compared to the previous small bottle designs and aggregated across the full bottle range.

These changes fall in line with Castrol’s sustainability strategy, PATH360, which was created to focus the company’s efforts on reducing carbon, saving waste, and improving people’s lives. Castrol’s overall aim is to become net zero by 2050 or sooner.

SERVICE-CENTRIC BUSINESS Castrol is using its rebrand to double-down on its aim to become a greater servicecentric business; not one that relies solely on selling products. The Castrol Service

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network is a prime example of this strategy in action and is proving to be a great success in the UK. More than 6,000 Castrol Service workshops are now in operation across Europe, and it’s a number that’s constantly growing.

Participating workshops receive a comprehensive range of benefits including a Castrol engine warranty when Castrol oil is used in customers’ vehicles, branded technician clothing, along with marketing support and training, all designed to facilitate an increase in and retention of customers.

Castrol is continuing to improve the Castrol Service workshop offering to accelerate the scheme’s growth. It introduced the ability for workshops to obtain independent certification by TÜV Rheinland, a global leader in third-party testing and certification. This certification scheme has been designed to help businesses optimise operational standards and further build customer trust.

In 2023, Castrol also launched its Technical Support Service to ensure workshop personnel have a dedicated team of specialists on hand to provide technical guidance and recommendations on suitable lubricants. Offered in partnership with Teleperformance, it utilises AI technology to provide a multi-language capability, enabling users to contact the technical support team in their native language from anywhere in the world.

The Castrol Learning Campus is another service-led offering. The digital learning platform for workshops and distributors features a range of modules suitable for staff in different departments, from service advisers to workshop technicians. It’s been designed to sharpen skills, enable staff to connect with their peers, elevate career prospects, and enhance business performance.

Modules include technical tutorials for technicians and workshop managers, to video sessions for sales agents and front-of-house staff to help improve customer service and facilitate upselling.

The interactive content enables users to learn at their own pace, at a time and a place that’s convenient for them, while fresh content ensures learning material is always up to date.

While the automotive industry continues its transformation, Castrol is once again evolving its business to remain at the forefront of minds, offering both products and services that benefit those in the automotive industry and beyond.

NEWS

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Join Castrol Service at no cost to you Aligning your workshop with the Castrol name and values creates a professional and reassuring image throughout the customer journey.

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Internal and external branding and signage packages

No annual fees, just your commitment to use and promote Castrol!

Call 0800 371910 (Option 4) to find out how we can help energise your workshop

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Service

DISCUSSION

BOSCH CAR SERVICE PARTNERS WITH ELITE GARAGES ACROSS SOUTHERN ENGLAND ELITE GARAGES IS THE LARGEST INDEPENDENT GARAGE GROUP TO JOIN THE NETWORK, WITH ALL 16 OF ITS BRANCHES JOINING UP Bosch Car Service has partnered with Elite Garages to extend its network to more than 350 locations across the United Kingdom and Ireland. Bosch Car Service is a network of independent garages that deliver high quality vehicle servicing, maintenance, and repairs for all makes and models.

Bosch Car Service offers a full range of services and ensures affordable quality that consumers can trust. All garages that are a part of the network commit to a strict Code of Practice that is recognised by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute.

Elite Garages is one of the south’s leading independent tyre, MOT and car service operators and it employs around 300 people. With this partnership, Elite benefit from Bosch Car Service’s global reputation. The network supports independent garages at all levels of their daily operation, from Bosch quality parts and cutting-edge workshop equipment to helping improve the efficiency of everyday processes.

Every detail is taken care of, right down to external signage, business stationery and marketing initiatives. Elite Garages ensures every customer receives an outstanding experience.

As well as 16 vehicle repair centres, Elite Garages operates nine petrol stations, 10 convenience stores, a major tyre wholesale business and a rental property business.

David Lomas, the head of Bosch Car Service at Bosch UK & Ireland, said: “Everyone at Bosch Car Service is looking forward to working with our new partners at Elite Garages.

Like all the partners in our network, Elite Garages provide expert advice, repairs and service and they have a long history of running a successful company. We have more than 350 Bosch Car Service locations across the UK and Ireland, and we’re excited to expand that to include Elite

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Garages’ network across southern and south east England.”

Richard Whittemore, managing director at Elite Garages, said: “We’re thrilled to announce our new partnership with Bosch Car Service, which provides a professional workshop concept, business support and a premium national brand.

We visited the Bosch Car Service stand at the UK Garage and Bodyshop event in 2022 and the concept sounded very interesting. We had several meetings, and it became clear that the BCS programme would be mutually beneficial for our businesses. We can build on our well-known family business in partnership with Bosch. As our company continues to grow, we knew it was the right time to partner with another well-established premium automotive brand.”

Kelsie Whittemore, Elite Garages Management, said: “We wanted to partner with a premium brand like Bosch who have the trust, confidence, training and equipment expertise to support our business. And we also wanted to have ability to use the Bosch corporate training programmes to support with staff recruitment and retention. The other key focus areas within Bosch are their expertise in Electric and Hybrid vehicles and also the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).”

The Bosch Car Service network began in 1921 and it now has more than 15,000 authorised workshops in 150 countries around the world.

In 2023, Bosch celebrated 125 years since it began operating in the United Kingdom. The founder of the company, Robert Bosch, opened a sales office in London in 1898 and the UK was the first country he entered as his company rapidly spread throughout the world after being established in Stuttgart, Germany.

DISCUSSION

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HALFORDS TELLS MOTORISTS: STOP WASTING CASH ON REPAIRS AT FRANCHISED DEALERS

MOST READ

BOSS SAYS: ‘IT’S CLEAR THAT CAR OWNERS ARE PAYING MORE THAN NECESSARY’

Photo: Bigstock

GAVIN BRAITHWAITE-SMITH Motorists are paying 50 percent more for repairs and servicing at franchised dealerships than they could be at independent garages or national chains.

While hardly surprising – especially to independent garage owners and the nation’s car mechanics – this is according to Halfords, which used mystery shoppers to compare its repair costs against the main dealers. Common repairs cost on average 43 percent more at dealerships, it says, pointing to the replacement of a timing belt. At Halfords, it costs £576, while a main dealer charges £1,279.

It found that Ford dealers are the most affordable, with prices around 14 percent more expensive than at

its network of Autocentres.

Halfords boss Graham Stapleton told The Sun: “When you look at what some dealerships are charging for basic repairs, it’s clear that many car owners are paying much more than necessary. Motorists can get their vehicles serviced and repaired at any garage that can follow the manufacturer’s requirements – with no impact on their warranty from the moment they drive the car off the forecourt.“ Britain’s motorists spend around £21 billion on car maintenance, servicing and repairs, with Halfords claiming that this is about £200 million more than it should be.

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DISCUSSION

Photo: Garage Services Online

WHY YOUR WEBSITE IS YOUR BRAND’S BIGGEST ADVOCATE WHETHER YOU’RE CONSCIOUS OF IT OR NOT, YOUR GARAGE HAS A BRAND. AND MAKING SURE IT REACHES THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN THE RIGHT WAY HAS CHANGED MASSIVELY SINCE THE WORLD WENT ONLINE. GETTING IT RIGHT REQUIRES SPECIALIST KNOWLEDGE. WE ASKED AFTERMARKET ONLINE EXPERT, GEORGE PHILLIPS FROM GARAGE SERVICES ONLINE, HOW GARAGES CAN USE A WEBSITE TO HARNESS THE FULL POWER OF THEIR BRAND 18 GARAGE WIRE AFTERMARKET

DISCUSSION

GEORGE PHILLIPS, GARAGE SERVICES ONLINE A lot of people confuse a brand with branding. Your brand is your business, the perception customers have of you, and your branding, such as your logo, is what you do to shape that perception.

Within your day-to-day business, you are building a brand all the time.

The hard work you do every day, from the way you make customers feel to the quality of the service you offer, conveys your brand. Therefore, it’s unique to you and is what sets you apart from your competitors.

The key is to ensure that any potential customer interacting with your business can get a sense of your brand, whether they have visited your garage yet or not.

The answer lies in your website. It shouldn’t be an online brochure; it needs to be a true reflection of your garage, exactly as it is on the ground. This mirror to

your business is one of the most powerful tools you can use to portray your garage brand. Essentially, it’s the digital personification of your business’ offering.

To the customer, your brand is the experience they have, how they interact with you and the opinion they subsequently form because of that, albeit subconsciously. It’s therefore imperative that your customers’ touchpoints with your business are just as good as what they receive in the garage.

The essence of your brand must extend to the online world because that’s where they’re most likely to see you for the first time. They’ll be viewing you from afar, and if your website doesn’t truly reflect your brand, it’s values and your differentiation, how will they decide whether to come to you or your competitor down the road?

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DISCUSSION

“WE’RE UNIQUE IN THE WAY WE APPROACH A WEBSITE BUILD, AND THE KEY IS REALLY DELVING INTO A GARAGE’S BRAND. BY SPENDING 45 MINUTES WITH US ON A DATA CAPTURE CALL, A GARAGE WILL REAP THE DIVIDENDS OF HAVING A WEBSITE THAT IS NOT ONLY A TRUE REPRESENTATION OF ITS BRAND BUT ATTRACTS THE WORK THE GARAGE HAS IDENTIFIED TO BE ITS MOST PROFITABLE” At Garage Services Online, the team is expert at transposing your customers’ real-world experience, into their online experience.

Individuality is an independent garage’s strength and is why most people prefer to use them.

Therefore, to truly represent your brand online, your website needs to be unique to your business and speak in your voice. This is why templated designs and generic content just don’t cut the mustard.

We’re unique in the way we approach a website build, and the key is really delving into a garage’s brand. By spending 45 minutes with us on a data capture call, a garage will reap the dividends of having a website that is not only a true representation of its brand but attracts the work the garage has identified to be its most profitable.

We do this by conveying a garage’s voice into the content, communicating the breadth of its offer, and combining it all with our online expertise. This is then cross matched with searches for garage repairs and services in a geographical area and ties the garage’s core propositions into its SEO. The brand is then aligned via its key messages to give a Google search the answer it’s looking for.

So, by being respectful to the integrity of your brand, we are essentially taking your voice and amplifying it across hundreds of pages and making it visible via many hundreds of optimised online selling opportunities.

The true power of a website is that it’s representing your garage brand, on its best day, 24/7. The main aim is to ensure there is no step change between a customer’s perception of your brand online or in person. This consistent brand recognition is what builds trust and gives the customer confidence that your garage is a professional and reputable business.

An important part of your brand recognition is your logo. It’s a visual asset to your brand and makes your business instantly recognisable whether it appears on your website, workwear, signage, or marketing materials.

At Garage Services Online, we can work with customers’ existing visual branding assets as well as creating them at the same time as the website build. What’s important is maintaining the consistency of the brand from the signage

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above the door, to the website, again creating that seamless join between the real world and digital world.

Creating a logo, which visually represents your brand promise and brand experience, is more than just having something designed in your favourite colours. As well as resonating with your brand, it should be a tool to highlight your individuality and professionalism.

One customer we onboarded recently, Vulcan Motor Engineering, is a perfect example of how to harness a garage brand and its specific values into a website and compliment it with a logo design that speaks to its unique location. During the data capture call, we discovered the garage is adjacent to an RAF base and named after the Vulcan bomber plane; one of which is housed at the base next door.

This was an important connection for the owner, so we created a logo that subtly reflected the plane’s wing shape in the ‘V’ of Vulcan. The customer was thrilled. And we were able to create something that not only sits well proportionally within the website, but that visually enhances the garage’s brand.

Further to that, we also supplied the garage with a comprehensive branding guideline document.

This ensures the brand’s visual assets are used consistently, whether that’s on livery, workwear, signage, invoices, marketing materials, email signoffs or social media accounts.

This is a final and important aspect of visual brand consistency; if you don’t have brand guidelines, a third party will do their best to make your logo look the same when they replicate it – and their idea of ‘okay’ could be very different to yours. You may end up with a polo shirt where the logo looks like it’s been washed on the wrong setting!

In summary, your brand is everything, it’s your business’ personality. Make sure your website is a worthy advocate of it because if not, you might have the best garage business there is – but no one will know.

GEORGE PHILLIPS IS DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AT GARAGE SERVICES ONLINE, ONE OF THE UK’S LEADING PROVIDERS OF INDEPENDENT GARAGE WEBSITES. VISIT GARAGESERVICES-ONLINE.CO.UK FOR MORE INFORMATION.

NEWS

FORD ECOBOOST TIMING BELT REPLACEMENT PUTS DEVON GARAGE ON THE MAP CUSTOMERS ARE CONVERGING ON PALMERS GARAGE IN EXMOUTH TO SAVE MONEY ON A COSTLY JOB

AUTHOR: GAVIN BRAITHWAITE-SMITH PHOTOS: PALMERS GARAGE The replacement of the timing belt on a Ford 1.0-litre EcoBoost is one of those nightmare jobs. For a workshop, it’s a complex and time-consuming ordeal, keeping a mechanic busy for a day. For the motorist, it’s a costly and often surprising expense, but a garage in Devon has turned it into a win-win situation for its workshop and customers, many of whom travel from across the UK. Google ‘Ford EcoBoost timing belt replacement’, and Palmers Garage in Exmouth is ranked sixth; at one point it was top of the search engine rankings.

The Exmouth garage was established in 2017 when a restructuring at Vospers led to the closure of the town’s Ford dealer. Sensing an opportunity, Nick Seabrook and his business partner Steve Skirrow reopened the site, retaining some of the staff and many of its customers. Six years on, business is booming, helped in no small part

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by the success of its Ford 1.0-litre EcoBoost timing belt replacement service, which is carried out by workshop manager James Atkinson.

Nick told us: “So far, we’ve carried out 50 timing belt replacements, with customers coming from all over the UK. Recently, one guy travelled down from Liverpool – a 520mile round trip. Some of our customers book themselves into a hotel for a night or two, so we’re also doing our bit for local tourism!”

Palmers Garage charges a fixed £995 for the timing belt replacement, a saving of between £600 and £1,000. The price includes the oil pump drive belt and water pump, plus an engine oil and filter change, all with genuine Ford parts.

The garage is currently doing two replacements every week, often on behalf of main dealers, with 98 percent of them finished within a day. “James could do more,” Nick told

NEWS us, “But we’re keen to utilise his skills elsewhere. It’s also a complex job that requires a high level of concentration, so it’s better for him if he’s not doing five replacements a week!”

Asked how the garage stumbled across this business opportunity, Nick said: “The garage is known locally as a Ford specialist, so a lot of our customers are Ford owners.

A customer asked us if we could a timing belt replacement for them, then a couple more calls came in. We put some ads on Facebook and then word of mouth took over. As well as Liverpool, we’ve had customers from Berkshire, Bristol, Cornwall, Northampton and Wales.”

A satisfied customer posted the following review on

Facebook: “After searching the internet to find a reliable, affordable company to service my EcoBoost’s cambelt, I came across Palmers Garage who offered this service at a very reasonable price when compared to a main dealer.

After phoning to enquire on availability, on all interactions, managers Steve and Nick were very welcoming and took the time to explain the service with honesty and transparency.”

Nick is also keen to point out that Palmers Garage offers so much more than timing belt replacements. James and the garage apprentice are doing their Level 2 hybrid and electric vehicle training, while Paul (another technician) will be doing Levels 3 and 4 next year.

GARAGEWIRE.CO.UK 23

DISCUSSION

SHOULD YOU MOT A CAR BEFORE OR AFTER A FULL SERVICE? DO YOU AGREE WITH THE MECHANIC FROM THE WEST MIDLANDS? GAVIN BRAITHWAITE-SMITH It’s a question often asked by motorists: should you MOT a car before or after a service? Well, an MOT tester from Walsall Wood Service has taken to TikTok to deliver, what he says, is the right answer.

Mechanic Craig says a customer should get their car tested BEFORE forking out for a full service.

The TikTok clip was made in response to a comment from Phill, which said: “My biggest annoyance is when I pay for a full service and MOT, and they do the MOT first and act all surprised that something was wrong...”

Craig says a ‘caring garage’ will do the MOT first. He continues: “Why do we MOT the car first? In today’s society, life is expensive, and not everybody can afford to pay for a mass of MOT failures and a service as well. So should a car fail an MOT, the customer is given the option to carry out the repairs and skip the service for now, or postpone the service, so that they can save money on that initial visit.

“By doing the service first they’ve already completed a big chunk of that bill that you’re gonna get, and they’re now giving you an even bigger one to tell you all the things it’s about to fail its MOT on. Unlike a service, an MOT is a legal requirement for you to drive that vehicle on the road, so you’re now absolutely stuck; you’ve just paid £300, and you still can’t drive your car on the road because it’s about to fail the MOT. “Always a good idea when doing an MOT and a service to MOT the car first so that you can give the customer the best value for money and the opportunity to save money where they can.”

Photo: Bigstock

24 GARAGE WIRE AFTERMARKET

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DISCUSSION

SERVICESURE PROVIDES BIG BRAND SUPPORT FOR INDEPENDENT GARAGES BEING PART OF GSF CAR PARTS GIVES WORKSHOPS THE NATIONAL STRENGTH TO DELIVER A LOCAL SERVICE It’s 20 years since The Parts Alliance, now known as GSF Car Parts, established the Servicesure Autocentre network.

Today, it’s the fastest-growing chain of garages in the UK, with more than 650 Autocentres across the country – a number that’s growing all the time. It’s not hard to see why; the programme was created with input from independent garage owners who are at the forefront of the industry, listening to the needs and demands of customers, seeing first-hand the challenges faced by technicians, and understanding the pressures that can make a difference between failure and success.

Crucially, all Servicesure Autocentre members retain their independence, so remain free to deliver the local service their customers have grown accustomed to, while enjoying the benefits of being backed by GSF Car Parts, a company with a £330m turnover and 2,500 employees. The national motor factor’s network of 180 branches means a garage has access to the right parts, at the right prices, when it needs them. And following key announcements at the Supercharged for Success conference at the end of 2023, the company is expected to open even more branches,

26 GARAGE WIRE AFTERMARKET

while investing more in staff training and communications.

It’s why there’s never been a better time to join the Servicesure Autocentre network.

The programme is designed to identify service and repair opportunities to help an independent garage grow, while offering an array of business support services aimed at saving a garage owner time and money. Garages also enjoy the benefits of Servicesure’s National Warranty on parts and labour, which provides reassurance to the end users.

If a GSF part fails because it’s faulty or incorrectly fitted, the customer can have a replacement fitted for free. One garage in Wales called upon the warranty when a customer’s car broke down on the way home from France. PSS Autocentre’s manager, John Willcox, said: “The customer had a clutch kit failure for their Volkswagen when they were travelling home from France, so we found a Servicesure garage close to the docks at Dover and put a call in to the Servicesure team to see if they could help. All it took was one phone call from us and the Servicesure team sorted it, so it’s a phenomenal example of the national warranty working well. We always explain the national warranty to our

DISCUSSION

customers and it’s a fantastic benefit because it gives people the confidence to come to an independent garage. When I think about how much it would have cost us to recover that vehicle from Dover ourselves, it clearly shows just how valuable it is to be a Servicesure member.”

From a branding perspective, Servicesure offers support that could otherwise be out of reach for an independent garage. All members get branded clothing for technicians and front-ofhouse staff, a full marketing support service, website creation and hosting, sponsorship opportunities and brand awareness via Servicesure’s social media channels. First impressions count, so Servicesure ensures consistent branding across all forms of media, from workshop signage to website, and reception area literature to customised workwear. And because Servicesure invests in national marketing, new and existing customers will have pre-existing knowledge of the brand and its values. ‘Big enough to cope, small enough to care’ would be a cliché, but there’s a reason why Servicesure operates under the banner of ‘Local Service, National Strength’.

Servicesure also puts its weight behind several subbrands tailored to the needs and interests of motorists in

2024. These include Batterysure, Brakesure, Clutch Expert, Oilsure, Visionsure and, with one eye on the 2035 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars, EVSure. Each one is instantly recognisable and tailored to the most common tasks carried out across the UK’s independent garage network, day in, day out. When Servicesure launches a nationwide marketing campaign focused on one of these sub-brands, it’s the members who benefit; customers will be searching online for their nearest garage. It’s also worth remembering that only Servicesure members are invited to enter the annual Autocentre of the Year Awards, which celebrate the best independent garages in the UK. Good branding goes beyond a nice logo, which is why Servicesure provides the substance to sit behind the style.

A trusted warranty, investment in electric car training and a prestigious awards ceremony are just some of the benefits of aligning a small independent garage to a big brand. If your garage could benefit from improved branding and the backing of one of the UK’s leading motor factor businesses with branches nationwide, visit servicesureautocentres. com/become-a-servicesure-garage.

GARAGEWIRE.CO.UK 27

DISCUSSION

OSRAM ASKS: IS YOUR GARAGE ‘ON BRAND’?

LIGHTING SPECIALIST OSRAM DISCUSSES HOW WORKSHOPS CAN BENEFIT FROM COMPREHENSIVE AND ATTRACTIVE BRANDING While a workshop’s main purpose is not to look pretty, it’s to fix vehicles, there’s an argument for ensuring it looks the best that it can be, and therefore, there should be an emphasis on branding, and point of sale (POS) material and literature made available.

While it’s not the priority, it may help and inform customers if there are appropriate brochures and POS available to them, as this will encourage more sales and help educate them concerning the different factors they need to consider and the many components that are present on their vehicle. For example, OSRAM has a counter display specifically for its NIGHT BREAKER 200 range (part number 510733), which presents the entire range in a space efficient and attractive way, that will catch a customer’s eye and show them the various bulbs that are on offer to them.

There is also a benefit for the workshop, as counter displays for instance, not only improve sales, but provides a way to store products in the reception area, which saves space.

OSRAM’s campaign and communications professional, Kristin Tränka, said: “We have found that workshops that have branding, such as display units, literature on product offerings and the like, can have a positive impact on sales, as well increase the aesthetic appearance of the workshop, as it projects greater professionalism.

“We have worked, and continue to work, with workshops that are eager to display our brand, as it’s a name that many customers recognise and associate with premium quality products.

“We believe that it’s important to give workshops and technicians as many tools to succeed as possible, which is why we have so much information available on our website, including a handy bulb finder, free for all to use as well as a download centre full of useful information, including a wall poster that demonstrates the recommended products for each lighting area (part number OSRCAT102R).

“We also have a multitude of marketing material and branding opportunities available for our customers, so if you’d like to increase the branding in your workshop, our area sales managers would be happy to help and discuss what would work best for your workshop.”

For more information on the full OSRAM range visit osram.co.uk/am.

28 GARAGE WIRE AFTERMARKET

DISCUSSION

GARAGEWIRE.CO.UK 29

OPINION

ARE YOU HIDING YOUR BRAND’S LIGHT UNDER A BUSHEL? FROM SMALL INDEPENDENT GARAGE OWNERS TO LARGE PARTS DISTRIBUTORS, THE AUTOMOTIVE AFTERMARKET BUSINESS YOU OWN OR WORK IN HAS A BRAND THAT NEEDS TO COMPETE TO BE SEEN. AND IF IT ISN’T VISIBLE TO YOUR CUSTOMERS, HOW WILL THEY DECIDE WHETHER THEY KNOW, LIKE AND TRUST YOU, LET ALONE BUY FROM YOU? GARAGE WIRE ASKED JANE WRIGHT, MANAGING DIRECTOR AND PR, COMMS AND BUSINESS STRATEGY SPECIALIST AT THE WRIGHT CONSULTANCY, WHAT IT TAKES TO ENSURE YOUR BRAND IS SEEN AND HEARD Let’s face it, businesses have a heap of strategies to think about. Business strategy, sales strategy, marketing strategy; the list goes on. They all need to align, and knowing what fits where isn’t always easy, especially when you’re looking at something as close to you as your own business.

It can all get a bit muddy. And to add to that, people have different ideas about what comes first, what goes where, and if you even need to think about it at all.

I love a simple analogy.

Imagine your business as an umbrella.

The stem is the business’ core, it’s business strategy; why it exists, what it does, how it does it, and who for.

This feeds into, and is attached to, the umbrella’s cover – its brand.

The cover design is how the business brand is visible to its audience; its personality, how it looks, makes people feel, and how it demonstrates its purpose. Each cover is unique because the design is determined by many things, such as the key messages that stem from the mission, vision, and values within the business strategy. These are interwoven across the cover and then attached to each umbrella spoke.

The spokes that support the umbrella cover are tools within the overall marketing and sales strategy.

The ground underneath the umbrella

30 GARAGE WIRE AFTERMARKET

is where the business is rooted. Its growth largely depends on how much is consistently and evenly dripped from each spoke.

The integrity of the umbrella relies on its structure, each part supporting the other and working together. A business and its brand are no different.

Knowing that your brand is such an integral part of your business, means now is the time to have a good look at it – before you start waving that umbrella around.

Did it evolve of its own free will? Or was it created with purpose?

Your brand must reflect your mission, vision and values, but this isn’t as simple to pin down as you might first think. It’s crucial they succinctly define what your business does, who for and why. How do you change your customer’s world?

Absolutely no ambiguous corporate waffle allowed.

This element of your business strategy isn’t always easy. It’s tempting to skip to the ‘fun’ marketing part with a business plan in one hand and some sales messages in the other. But without it, your brand strategy will be a best guess and your key messages will have no foundation.

Do the work. You can then establish a clear set of brand values that seep through every part of the business, from its organisational culture to strategic business

OPINION

GARAGEWIRE.CO.UK 31

OPINION

decisions, to the creation and delivery of products and services. If there’s a mismatch between what your brand says and what you do, trust will be broken and your brand image, along with its reputation, will suffer.

Armed with a strong business strategy and a clearly defined brand, you’re ready to communicate with your audience. Only now can you create a PR and comms strategy that will build the ‘know, like and trust’ factor with your customers and stakeholders.

For them to know you, you must be visible.

For them to like you, you must be relatable.

And for them to trust you, you must consistently show up with a genuine and proven answer to their problem.

Without these, how will anyone know you exist or make an informed decision to buy from your business?

Being visible and standing out amongst your competitors in the aftermarket sector requires a PR and comms strategy. It should contain a toolkit of the many ways you can communicate with your audience.

Whether that toolkit includes press releases, email campaigns, speaking opportunities, authoritative comment and feature articles, social media, events, podcasts, case studies, printed materials, or

32 GARAGE WIRE AFTERMARKET

newsletters, is something that can only be determined after assessing your specific objectives.

But one thing is absolute: every communication must always contain a relevant mix of the business’ key messages. These key messages embody everything you’ve defined within your mission, vision and values and need to be interwoven into every tool used within the PR and comms strategy.

As a result, your well-defined business brand, consistently communicated through various PR and comms channels, will garner trust, credibility, and authority. This in turn will support your sales strategy, which is more likely to find itself pushing on an open door. In effect, the spokes on the umbrella will be supporting your business just as intended.

So, get ready to tell your story. Be visible and shine a light on your business because it’s not a luxury; it’s a necessity for your brand to survive and thrive.

JANE WRIGHT IS MANAGING DIRECTOR AT THE WRIGHT CONSULTANCY WHICH PROVIDES STRAIGHT-TALKING PR, COMMS AND BUSINESS STRATEGY FOR B2B, TRADE AND TECHNICAL ORGANISATIONS. SHE SPECIALISES IN THE AUTOMOTIVE AFTERMARKET. CONTACT HER AT LINKEDIN.COM/IN/JANE-WRIGHT-52439634.

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