It’s lunchtime at Fix Auto Cardiff and Diane, financial controller and PA to managing director Steve Peart for the past 13 years, offers up her apologies for lunch – ‘I hope you don’t mind but it’s Welsh hot pot today.’ My eyes light up. Diane continues, ‘I had planned on cottage pie but my kitchen wasn’t finished last night.’ I then learn that Diane’s homemade lunches are legend within the business and her change of plan had generated 36 responses the previous evening from staff on Fix’s website – this is what I call a close knit community.

This spirit is reinforced during my visit by the fact I embarrassingly have to ask if the shop stocks spare headlight bulbs for the bodyshop pool car. ‘I’ll get that sorted for you,’ Steve tells me and, not only do they stock them, but Jamie, the newest member of the team having only been with Fix for three weeks, takes care of things. ‘I used to work in a garage down the road but I just love it here,’ Jamie tells me. ‘Everyone is so helpful – if I have a problem I know someone will have the answer. It’s been a great move.’

Enthusiasm

And such enthusiasm is evident throughout Fix. I meet Dale, Steve’s son and assistant manager within the business; David Walters, business development manager and the receptionist team of Amanda, Angharad and Lyn, all of whom are extremely pleasant and welcoming. ‘Our total focus is on our customers,’ explains Steve, who started out working as a mining engineer prior to establishing his own mobile smart repair business. ‘You have KPIs and all the various measurement tools but one of the most important measurements for us is customer satisfaction. If we give our customers the best journey, during what could be a new and traumatic experience, the more likely we are to secure their future business,’ explains Steve.

And Steve’s staff are pivotal to the ‘customer journey’. Fix Auto Cardiff employs Fix Auto’s in-house training systems including the Performance in Estimating programme, which Steve claims has been his most powerful business tool to date – ‘Throughout Fix Auto, those who adopt the principles have managed to reduce customer costs and increase centre profits.’ Steve also uses external training opportunities as well as supplier supported education. ‘During the school holidays we also invite those interested in a career in automotive to come and work with us for a week. It is a great way for them to get a feel for the industry and help them decide on a career path.’

Combination

The combination of the ‘customer journey’ and staff loyalty is highlighted by a presentation folder in reception that documents customer thank you notes and cards. ‘If you deliver great customer service, you have a better chance of winning that future business,’ said Steve. ‘It takes a lot these days for people to take pen to paper and praise you for a good service and I want our staff and customers to be made aware of the great work the team provide.’

Steve makes a valid point when it comes to customers. ‘We never lose sight of the fact we need to treat the customer and not the car,’ said Steve. ‘We employ ‘people’s people’ who care for the person – the vehicle is really secondary and simply what we do – repair vehicles.’ Fix Auto Cardiff’s customer satisfaction runs very high but Steve is constantly looking for ways to improve and regularly monitors feedback and revisits the ‘customer journey’ to ensure he sees it through customers eyes.

Steve’s background in customer care is deep rooted from his early days in mobile repair which he began in 1998. From these humble beginnings, the business grew quickly to encompass six mobile units. It soon became apparent Steve needed a central hub for his business and found his first 2,000 sq ft smart repair premises 12 years ago – one mile from his current site.

This initial 2,000 sq ft premises was soon outgrown and with a move to 6,500 sq ft unit, Steve’s initial thinking was ‘we’re never going to fill this.’ Within the space of 18 months and expansion to 18,000 sq ft it was again time to move to the current 23,000 sq ft shop – home to Fix Auto Cardiff for the past two and half years. In 2010 he also opened up a 12,000 sq ft shop as Fix Auto Swansea and has plans for a further shop before the end of the year.

Perfect

The Fix affiliation is what Steve describes as the ‘perfect fit’ for his business as it allows him to maintain a level of independence whilst benefitting from a national brand. ‘When we were migrating Smart repair into a traditional bodyshop environment, I recognised that a national repair network was winning business relatively comfortably,’ said Steve. ‘We needed a platform to help establish our business.’

‘Like many bodyshops, we were providing a good quality service to our customers but we were not getting recognised in the insurer market. We had created a well known local brand trading as TST Cardiff, but I felt we needed to be part of something collective to help us develop our business – at that stage I had no idea what that was.’

Steve continues, ‘I had never heard of Fix Auto but, following meetings with them in 2005 and some further research, I knew this would be a good fit for us. We would be part of a national brand (even though it was still in its infancy then) which could help us develop and measure our business. The brand was successful in Canada and USA – why wouldn’t it be successful in the UK?’

Steve admits it hasn’t all been plain sailing and as the ninth original Fix site established six years ago, there has been testing times as well as a few eyebrows raised. ‘Some questioned our decision in signing up to a programme that, at the time, had had little impact in the UK. However, we wanted to be one of the leaders and make this model work for us. Over the last 18 months there has been significant progress in scale, consistency and offering to the customer within the Fix Auto network which has helped to secure new business, including the recent Allianz contract, making those questionable times a distant memory,’ said Steve.

Cliché

Now, with what Steve proudly labels as a ‘one-stop shop’, Fix Auto Cardiff is more than just a bodyshop. ‘I know it’s a cliché but we really do see ourselves as more than just a bodyshop. We want people to see us somewhere you take your car for a service, tyres, MOT etc not just for body and paint repairs,’ said Steve. ‘I want to change the mindset of our customers and used a very successful radio campaign to get the message across that Fix Cardiff can take care of all your motoring needs.’ Vehicle service is available on a fixed price menu and each vehicle that comes through the shop is given a free 25 point service check and advised on any irregularities.

Steve’s experience of Smart repair has been a major asset to his current approach to business. ‘A speedy, value for money service along with great customer care is what will win and keep you customers today,’ explains Steve. ‘With the industry’s focus now on fast repair, some of this being mobile, repairers have had a wake-up call that some of us needed. We can all do it and it makes our business more profitable.’

Fix Auto Cardiff is currently running a double shift system, encompassing 21 hours a day, five days a week which triages business into mainstream and fast track processes. ‘We are into month two of the programme and it’s been a great success,’ said Steve. ‘It has taken some organising and we had to get the ‘buy in’ from the shop floor, which was a challenge, but on the whole it has been a very smooth process. It was always our intention to extend the working day but we had to develop our business first to ensure we had a consistent level of work.’

Satellite

With Fix Cardiff now acting as a hub for two regional satellite centres – Fix Auto Swansea and Fix Auto Newport – the business goes from strength-to-strength. Combine this with Steve’s focus to develop a strong association with vehicle manufacturer partners and it’s clear Fix Auto Cardiff is not resting on its laurels. ‘We already have approvals from a number of vehicle manufacturers including VAG, Honda, Lexus, Nissan, Fiat and Kia and our location, surrounded by dealerships, lends itself to that, but we really do feel we can add value directly to a vehicle manufacturer’s aftersales operation,’ said Steve. ‘Our strength is in our customer service and we feel we can ensure repeat custom – we know what customers want and need – that could be a huge benefit to any partner.’

And with Dave Walters developing local business opportunities, leading social network progress and exploring ‘environmentally friendly’ opportunities, Fix Cardiff has plenty to look forward to.