45 www.aftermarketonline.net JUNE 2024 Garage visit Integrate your sales, stock management, accounting and reporting processes in one easy-to-use package. Business management software designed for the Automotive aftermarket Autopart Used by 7/10 Motor factors For further information or to request a demo, please visit www.mamsoft.co.uk/autopart or call us on 01226 352901 Game-changer! Garage reaps rewards of bold business move as targeting specialist work triples turnover ASomerset garage, which changed from a generalist garage to a German car specialist, has seen its turnover triple in just three years. Family-run Robert Cockings Motor Repairs (RCMR) was turning over £400,000 a year when Tom Cockings (pictured) took over from his father in 2020. Following the bold move to become a German car specialist garage, the business saw its turnover soar to more than £1 million by 2023. Further growth is predicted for 2024. While the decision to specialise proved pivotal to the garage’s success, Tom said it would not have been possible without a specialist website, the integration of a garage management system and a business coach. He said: “I really needed to push our specialism to get the work in, but I didn’t know how. I built a Wix website myself, and while it looked okay, it was effectively lost at sea with every other poor performing website. “I then found Jim at Garage Services Online which was a real game-changer. His team created something night and day better than most other websites. So much so, we now rank higher on Google than the nearest main dealer.” Tom said the website is the main lead generator. “When people call us, their opening line is usually, ‘we found you online’. “We’re also seeing a lot of online enquiries coming through between 7pm and 12pm, and of those, we convert about 70%. The other 30% is generally work we choose not to take on.” The website is now a big stress reliever, Tom said. “I don’t have to worry about replacing customers lost to natural attrition, or finding new customers who facilitate our growth. “It also works seamlessly with our garage management system (GMS) from Garage Hive; the two go hand-in-hand. The GMS integrates with the website so customers can book in online. “It’s like the website catches the perfect customer, passes them to the GMS, and the booking is automatically entered into the diary with no hassle.” The business has also evolved on the ground too. In the last three years, RCMR has gone from four to nine staff, expanded its workshop from 1,620ft2 to 10,000ft2, and now runs 13 ramps compared to the four it had when Tom took over in 2020. Garage Services Online MD Jim Lang said: “It’s been a privilege to watch Tom grow RCMR to where it is now. “And to hear him attribute his garage’s success, in part, to the website is testament to our team and the relationship they build with each customer.”
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