Surprise accolade after tsunami of challenges

In October, Martin Bohanna was picking up the pieces after a devastating ram raid.

Now he’s picking up the Mobil Dealer Service Station of the Year for 2023.

A ute was driven through the shop front at Waikanae’s Bohanna Motors, north of Wellington, causing $79,000 worth of damage, and in 90 seconds $800 of vape and tobacco products were gone.

“That raid was on top of two really hard years and pushed me to having a mental breakdown,” he says. Those two years included the massive challenges of Covid-19, followed by a marriage break-up –all with the stress and mental health challenges.

Winning an award wasn’t on Martin’s radar, he was just focussed on getting through the tough times. With the help of his parents and co-owners in the business, Brent and Helen Bohanna, he’s over the moon to have received this year’s award –as is Dad.

“It has taken 44 years to win the award,” Brent says.

“We have got close a couple of times and have been runner-up and we have won a couple of awards with the MTA over the years.”

Brent says Mobil did contact him several times encouraging him to attend the prize-giving ceremony but never let on they were in the running for the top award.

“They phoned and said the tickets and accommodation were booked but I said I couldn’t make it, I was too busy and now I know why they wanted me there,” Brent says.

Martin puts a lot of the credit for the award on his staff; they have been loyal, they have supported him through the tough times, and he counts them all as part of the family.

“It’s nice to have acknowledgment that what my staff are doing is appreciated, because we still serve all the time on the forecourt, and our fuel sales are beginning to dwindle down because of electric cars plus the price of fuel,” Martin says.

He now takes each day as it comes and says they are in the process of rebuilding the showroom following last year’s raid.

The award

The Mobil Dealer Service Station of the Year award is based on a lot of things, such as mystery shoppers, fuel turnover, health and safety specifications, customer experience, and Mobil loyalty programme numbers.

“It’s a huge range of things that are taken into account,” Martin.

He was grateful his service station was chosen.

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