The Garage 364

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NEWS The Blend 2024 Fifth annual independent garage conference and networking event The Blend 2024 takes place at the Eastside Rooms in Birmingham on Saturday, 28th September. The much-talked about one-day event promises to deliver invaluable insights, knowledge-sharing opportunities, and a chance to connect with peers from across the UK and Ireland. “The Blend 2024 marks a significant milestone as we celebrate our fifth consecutive year, so we’re incredibly excited to be gearing up to deliver yet another unforgettable conference,” said Ray Dilsons, Managing Director of Garage Hive, the award-winning garage management software behind the event. “Take advantage of the discounted tickets by booking them before the end of June.” This year’s conference features a dynamic format with a choice of four speakers per session, trade supplier stands showcasing the latest garage innovations, and an evening dinner complete with an awards ceremony and entertainment. “The Blend is renowned for its vibrant mix of independent garage owners, each with their own story and expertise to share,” said Ray. “It’s a unique opportunity to forge meaningful connections that drive success.” With over 300 delegates expected, including independent garages, invited suppliers, and industry press, interest is running high. Garage owners are strongly encouraged to secure their tickets now to ensure their place at this highly anticipated event. Andy Crook speaking at The Blend 2023 For further information and to book tickets, visit: www.theblend.events Once costs are covered, all proceeds from the not-for-profit event will be donated to automotive industry charity, Ben. The Blend 2023 attendees 26 THE GARAGE 26, News Blend Awards.indd 1 01/07/2024 16:23
Are you selling headlight alignment? NEWS Garage’s strategy to work less hours pays off Owner reveals how one phone call sparked a change in mindset for the whole business. Automotive accessory specialist, Ring Automotive, is urging technicians to educate customers on the importance of headlight alignment. Although the aftermarket is a fruitful industry, full of specialists that are enthusiastic about vehicles and how to repair them, something that the industry still struggles with is making the most out of situations that should be more profitable than they currently are. An anonymous survey carried out by Ring Automotive late last year, revealed that technicians are not making the most of the bulb business that enters the workshop, with more than three quarters (76%) of technicians not advising customers that bulbs should be replaced in pairs, or proactively following best practice advice and replacing them in pairs. Another discovery was that 50% of workshops do not charge for fitting bulbs, therefore losing out on potential profit each year. While changing a bulb is a regular job for a technician, the headlight must be properly aligned after the job has been completed, but are technicians simply telling customers they have replaced the bulb or are they adding value by saying the bulb in both headlamps have been replaced to ensure even light output and they have been aligned correctly to ensure they are not causing glare to other road users. This is an ideal opportunity for technicians to upsell services, when a car needs a new headlamp bulb, it should be replaced as part of pair, as it’s being part of a paired system, and then it should be aligned correctly. This service takes time, and so should be charged for accordingly as part of the overall fitting service. This is particularly relevant as there has been a lot of chatter recently about drivers being dazzled by other road users’ headlights, and many of these incidents could well be because they are not properly aligned. Aligning headlights after replacing the bulb not only ensures that the beam pattern is correct, it also means that those lights will not dazzle others and can provide an extra income revenue for workshops. Ring Automotive therefore encourages workshops to not only fit reputable and quality bulbs, but to also ensure headlights are aligned correctly to give maximum visibility on the road. Court Autos, a family-run Bosch garage in Shropshire, has revealed how changing its approach to the work it attracts through its website, has ultimately changed the garage’s whole mindset and the way it does business. Harry Alford, along with his brother and sister who also work in the business, are the third generation of Alfords to be at the helm after their grandad opened the doors nearly 40 years ago. He says prior to getting a website that ‘actually works’, the team were often starting their day at 4am or working late into the evening because they didn’t want to let customers down. He explained: “To continue grandad’s legacy, I knew we had to really push the business forward. Marketing was something we’d never invested in, apart from an old website years ago. It looked okay on the surface but might as well have been in another world; nobody could find it. “I found Garage Services Online and that one phone call about a new website sparked a change that not only reduced the number of hours we work, it changed our whole way of thinking. “Now, we have a clever website that attracts the work we specifically want. By changing the profile of jobs coming in, we’re running the business; it is not running us.” Whilst the garage offers servicing and repairs, accident recovery and vehicle sales, Harry really wanted to grow its bodyshop services. His asked the Garage Services Online team to create a website that would drive growth for the bodyshop side, as well as be found for its regular most profitable everyday jobs. Harry continued: “It wasn’t long before the website caught us the biggest fish: a £12k repair job for a motorhome that had been in a collision. We’d never had a job that big. “It signalled the start of the change. Just last week, we picked up ongoing servicing and repair work for a local company’s van fleet. We 100 percent would not have been on their radar if we didn’t have a website that reflected the professionalism of our business online as it is on the ground. “Basically, Garage Services Online has done us the most massive favour.” Jim Lang, managing director at Garage Services Online, said: “Court Autos’ website has seen a 63 percent increase in organic appearances on Google in the last six months alone. That has led to an 89 percent increase in organic click throughs. “But the work doesn’t stop there. We’re continuing to help Harry by adding more pages to attract work that gives a quick ROI on his investment in new tools. These tools are necessary to work on the changing car parc and it’s vital the website evolves and reflects that.” To find out how a website can change your garage business, visit: https://garage-services-online.co.uk THE GARAGE 27 27, News Courts Garage and RING 2.indd 1 01/07/2024 16:23
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