Garage visit 44 www.aftermarketonline.net OCTOBER 2024 In Scotland, a mobile vehicle repair business is transforming how residents of Aberdeen, ‘The Granite City’ have their cars serviced. Led by Canadian native Tom Giles, this ‘smart’ (small-to-mediumrepair-technique) enterprise delivers bodywork and alloy wheel repair services directly at customers’ homes or workplaces, moving away from the traditional bodyshop model. Just three years after launching the business, which is part of the Revive! nationwide franchise network, it is on course to generate close to half-amillion pounds in revenue this year. Despite its success, the journey has been challenging, said Tom and one of his technicians, Dean Paterson. Before launching the franchise, Tom had a successful 25-year career in the oil and gas sector. However, in April 2020, amid the pandemic, he faced the difficult task of making half of his team of 57 redundant. “I was working long hours and felt stuck on a constant hamster wheel,” Tom said. “My work-life balance was poor and I wasn’t enjoying it — especially after having to let go of so many people during such a challenging time.” When the opportunity for voluntary redundancies arose in the summer of 2020, Tom seized it and spent two anxious months awaiting confirmation. Once he received the green light, he set his sights on a career change that offered autonomy and a chance to positively impact his community. Flexibility Drawn to the idea of a mobile repair business with Revive!, Tom said he was attracted to its flexibility and the growing demand for convenience he had seen in England. He believed he could successfully take the business model north of the border. By March 2021, his vision of owning a franchise had become a reality, and he was already on the road. Tom said Revive! Aberdeen’s approach is built on three core principles: convenience, cost, and customer service. In today’s fast-paced world, customers appreciate the convenience of having their vehicles repaired at their own location. This service eliminates the need for time off work and arranging alternative transportation. The rise in remote work has also made this repair model more viable for Aberdonians. Meanwhile, economic pressures have heightened customers’ price sensitivity. Tom said his mobile business avoids the high overhead costs of traditional bodyshops, enabling him to offer prices up to 40% lower and often below the cost of an insurance excess. In terms of customer service, Tom said the motor trade industry Business vision propels ‘smart’ firm into fast lane Reviving Aberdeen’s cars — behind the scenes at a mobile vehicle repair franchise that’s heading into the commercial fast lane Business owner Tom Giles (far left)
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