Volvo GB

Great company to work for, great people,really enjoyed my time there however the 64miles each way commute started off at just over an hour to on average 2 hours 10 minutes each way once Easter was out the way and into the summer and just was not sustainable, So took the opportunity to move us forward as a family into our forever home.

Warehousing and logistics

Managing aftersales workshop teams for Nissan and Vauxhall. Proactively reviewing and allocating workloads. Nissan was in special measures before I arrived, and I was part of the management team that turned that around. Customer satisfaction scores for Nissan were around 60% and I have raised them to over 90%. I have cut lead times for bookings on Nissan from weeks to days. Increased productivity and better use of RTC and video health checks with red and amber upsell. Built up a relationship with Nissan Technical team at head office that did not exist previously. Integrated all internal work to our own workshop rather than spreading it to other dealerships within the group. This has allowed the sales department to give a realistic hand over date to the customers. Built up a strong relationship with both Nissan and Vauxhall sales departments. Increased workshop efficiency by encouraging workshop technicians to upskill and cross brands resulting in better flexibility in the workshop.

Responsible for shift team A. Took responsibility for shift team B at various times due to lack of staffing as well as acting service manager role. Shift pattern originally was a 3 on 4 off which gave great work/life balance and mitigated the commute and role reflected in job title. Kept the workshop open and operational during the whole of COVID lockdown and increased customer base as most other dealerships were closed.Duties include:- Lead and motivate the whole workshop team – both shifts and day staff.- Responsible for all workshop equipment, infrastructure and H&S, ISO 9002 and FORS.- Overseeing the investigation of technical issues and used as the ‘Go To’ person within the group and Brand.- Auditing service times, job costing and invoicing in the Service Department. Managing the Epyx 1 Link Platform.- Maximising service department profit ensuring professional sales techniques were used such as EVHC. - Providing high quality, up-to-date documentation for all service arrangements.- Work very closely with allocated Parts personnel ensuring parts are speculatively ordered in to reduce customer down time, Sales and especially Fleet Sales.- Oversee job card preparation from start to completion including technical reports to VW highlighting potential issues using wealth of experience and years of contacts.- Provide weekly forecasting for labour sales.- Ownership of the service department booking diary for Cordwallis Heathrow by managing the percentage of retail and warranty work available. Working closely with the manager of the offsite group booking centre.

Awarded Volkswagen Gold pin for Exemplary commitment to the brand in February 2009VWCV National winner of award for people that deliver 2013.VWCV National runner up award of excellence for customer service 2012 and 2013.VWCV National winner of Award of Excellence for Customer Service 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 (5years consecutively).VW Van Centre of the year runner up 2006.A really enjoyable era of my career, the awards and accolades from this time speak volumes. It was hard work and long hours but the rewards were excellent, I worked very closely with the brand becoming a technical hub for the south and the go to retailer.

I was one of eight from the retailer network chosen to work alongside two from VW technical and two technical trainers to complete and rewrite the passenger car Master Tech course to make it relevant to Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. I was already in a Aftersales Manager role but my 24 years Volkswagen experience was required by the brand at the time.

I took ownership of the warranty away from our group warranty department as I was not happy with the time allocated and performance of the van centre warranty processing. Over the period I did the warranty the warranty throughputs increased substantially and with no real help from the business, although at first I could cope with this additional task it eventually got to be to much,but the resource of a warranty administrator was continually denied by the CEO.For the duration of sixteen years the van centre warranty had outstanding results in its audits and outperformed the rest of the group.

Motability aftersales specialist

Joint site manager after MOT computerisation

We started mainly recovering our own customers vehicles and supporting our vast rental operation based in Chandlers Ford, We also worked in Partnership with Hampshire police covering the M3 and the areas of Basingstoke and Aldershot. In the mid eighties we piloted the VW Audi Assistance scheme and worked closely with Mondial Assistance and in the 90’s the RAC, In 2001 I decided to finish with the club work and We used the recovery vehicles as customer support for the group and I eventually parked the last lorry up in 2006.

Volkswagen.The role ended when I went over to manage our new van centre, Volkswagen allowed me to continue to attend technical update meetings but as this was a passenger car role in 2001 Volkswagen decided I could not continue as I was now solely VWCV and could not be both.

Volkswagen AudiThe Audi role ended when Audi separated from Volkswagen in 95 and i had to make a choice of Brand to work in.

Volkswagen Audi VWCV

Volkswagen Audi VWCV