ADDING something new and different to a successful core business is looking set to pay off for the team at Central Auto Point in Corby.
Long-established as a centre for MOTs and servicing, repairs, body shop and spray booth, the Maylan Road garage is now adding diamond wheel lathe cutting. Moving into these areas requires a significant investment however, Business Development Manager Martin Brothwell is convinced that the move is necessary to maintain Central Auto Point’s position as one of the leading independent garages in the area.
He said: “We believe that offering diamond wheel cutting sets us apart – no-one else is offering that service around here – and is an important step for the business.
“Once customers know they can use us for those services, they can also take advantage of our excellent facilities for MOTs and repairs and servicing.”
The 10,000 square foot workshop has seven ramps and two MOT bays and the team of nine mechanics (including seven MOT testers) conduct around 20 MOTs a day. There’s also a fully equipped body shop and spray booth, which continues to thrive thanks to the good reputation of the technicians. Central Auto Point uses manufacturers’ diagnostic equipment which allows it to diagnose faults accurately and pinpoint problems.
View my Auto is another feature that is used by the garage and high end vehicle franchises. This explains to customers over the phone the complexities of their vehicle repairs which is not always an easy task! Providing them with a video of the exact problem allows them to view in their own time and understand the issue so that they can make an informed decision on the work that needs to be completed. The video is sent to either their smart phones or email, allowing the customer to approve repairs as the costs are shown within the video.
Martin added: “Customers with newer cars are sometimes scared to use independents, believing their warranty will be affected if they don’t get the work done at the dealers. When we explain that’s not the case and that we use original manufacturers’ parts, they’re quite happy (Block Exemption EC Regulation 1400/2002 explains this in more detail).
“A lot of our work comes from word of mouth, we have a great team who do a great job and people know they can rely on us. A lot of investment goes into training the team so that they can offer the level of expertise normally only associated with main dealerships. That, added to the fact that we are a family business with a focus on good customer service means customers get the best of both worlds.”
Central Auto Point is in Maylan Road, Corby, telephone 01536 261619.