42 www.aftermarketonline.net JUNE 2024 Just over a year after becoming head of network and business development at Eurorepar Car Service, Chris Jones talks to Aftermarket about his team’s progress to date and support to put garages in the driving seat for their business journeys ahead What initiatives have been launched since your appointment and how is the business developing? I took over as head of network and business development in January 2023 and I haven’t lost any of the motivation I had on day one to move the network forward. When I stepped into the role, Eurorepar Car Service was already in a strong position in the UK market, but my team and I had ambitious targets, so we set about identifying areas where could drive growth. One of my ultimate objectives, of course, is to grow the network membership, and I’m pleased to report that that our garage roster has risen from 217 when I started to 271 (as of April 2024) – a 25% increase. A point I’d like to stress, however, is that we’re not just about growth for growth’s sake; we’re focused on building the network strategically and sustainably. This means improving our geographical coverage and nurturing relationships with the right kind of garages. For me, it’s vital to build a proposition that garages can trust and derive real value from. To give a few examples of how we’re doing that, we’ve introduced a variety of digital and marketing solutions to help make our members’ — and their customers’ — lives easier. In Q2 last year, we updated the Eurorepar website to make it more userfriendly and intuitive. This was swiftly followed in Q3 by our online booking tool, and then a quotation tool which 95% of our centres are now using. The upshot? A better customer journey, and ultimately more footfall into our centres. We’ve also worked hard to build a sense of community within the network. We send out regular network newsletters and SMS updates to keep everyone up to speed on the latest offers, guidance, and news. My team of area managers are always on the road visiting centres to find out what their challenges are and how we can help. Most industrial sectors have faced challenging markets in recent years, not least motor trade professionals. Do you see prospects improving and what can Eurorepar do to help? It’s no secret that the automotive sector has endured a challenging few years. The impact of the pandemic, quickly followed by supply issues and international conflict is still being felt by many — particularly further up the supply chain. However, I spend a lot of my week visiting garages in our network up and down the UK, and I have to say that I am seeing plenty of signs of positivity. Our members are telling me on a daily basis that they are busy. They are booked up with work and business is strong. Driving ambitions Business
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