PMM went up to Leeds recently to visit AJ Fleetcare, an award-winning garage which is proving that sometimes the family way is the best way.
After meeting at Mechanex last year for the first time, AJ Fleetcare extended an invitation to the PMM team to take a break from the desk work and travel up to Leeds to see them for a chinwag. So, we did just that. Husband and wife team Alan and Jeanette Landale will be familiar to many readers from the various shows and awards ceremonies they’ve participated in over the years. What was a pleasant surprise, however, was that the family feeling extended beyond the power couple and even beyond the family itself. We sat down with Alan, Jeanette and daughter Lyndsey to find out what keeps them pleasing customers after so many years.
Q. Do you offer MOTs?
A. I’ve considered it. We currently bring them to the MOT centre down the road. We had the opportunity recently to buy a Class 7 MOT bay from another garage down south as they were moving premises. The price kept coming down, it’s not easy to shift an MOT bay. The deal was I could have it but I had to come and dismantle it myself. It was a mammoth task, we had to bring down a welder, make a steel trolley and transport it out of the garage. It was a hell of a job. Finally, anyway, we got it back here and the installer came out and basically dashed all our hopes… the site is just too small, it turns out. I mean, if I was just a small bit taller I could touch the ceiling in here.
No one charges the full £54.85 for an MOT anyway so what’s the use in offering them. They’re not profitable. When we started we were charging about 15 pounds an hour. About eight years ago we made a concerted effort to turn the business around, including nominating ourselves for awards and whatnot, and now our labour rate is £100 plus VAT. That’s high compared to the area, which is between 60 and 75.
Q. Did you always have an idea of what success looked like?
A. I didn’t to be honest. I remember when my old place came up for sale, along with the company name, in 2002. It was about ten grand, and I remember telling my mum, “this is a great opportunity for me. I’ll never have a fortune, but I’ll always have access to money”. As time went by we just got better and better and soon we were the best garage in the area and kind of entered a comfort zone. When you’re too long in the comfort zone, you stagnate. We were ticking along, with no real ambition for anything else.
I give the credit to my son, Matthew. He joined us when he was about 16. Then, about 10 years ago he came to me and said he’s bored of following the same pattern of work week in, week out. He said we needed to update things, get the latest training. Well, the penny dropped and immediately we booked on an EV training course.
We wanted to get ahead of the curve with EVs and build up a reputation before they became popular. Now we’re finding how problematic they can be. They have a lot of issues and the repair costs are very high.
Q. Do you work on the batteries?
A. There are some where you can’t replace the battery. I had a BMW 5 series come in and the customer had sourced a second-hand battery pack. I fitted it and then it couldn’t be programmed. The dealer wouldn’t entertain it because it’s not new.
It’s funny how it works when you become a specialist in different areas, your trade customers start ringing you asking for help like you’re an encyclopedia. I think, well hang about I’ve spent thousands of pounds over the years on training, why should I just give it away for free? Tell your customer if they want to book in direct with me they can.
Q. How important is customer education?
A. Jeanette: We do a customer questionnaire which gives us an indication on how they drive their car. We’ll also do a follow up with them to see how things are getting on. They’re often quite shocked that we are so engaged but it’s important that they understand what work we’re doing.
Q. Do you accept customer supplied parts?
A. Alan: Occasionally. I’ll be honest behind the scenes, occasionally you slightly bend the rules. I had a customer come in last week with some tyre pressure monitors that he wanted fitted, that he’d got from a friend. I just said, look, fine I’ll do it this time because I can’t be bothered with the hassle. I fit them and, of course, they won’t reprogramme. Basically, the cheaper sensors aren’t supported by the diagnostics tool when you come to reprogramme them. So I phoned the customer and said unfortunately, those sensors are no good. It ended up costing two or three times as much. I swallowed the cost on the refit and just charged him for the valves. Then he came in and complained, despite having authorised the work beforehand. So what can you do? Refuse customer parts – they’re an indication that the customer themselves is going to be a problem customer.
You have to be selective and just say no, sometimes. Don’t be frightened.
Q. Tell me about the awards you’ve won
A. Well, we’ve been involved with the Motor Ombudsman for the last four or five years. We got Runner Up for the North Region a few years back. But last year we won the biggie. They phoned us up and said, “Congratulations you’ve won top garage in the North Region.” Then they added, “but we’ve got more good news, you’ve won the National Award too!” We were just ecstatic, we didn’t know what to say. We went down to the ceremony in the Houses of Parliament and we were just walking around in shock!
Q. Did it feel good to be recognised for your work?
A. We’ve done a lot of different awards over time, including Top Garage, which we won in 2022 and have been a finalist for the last five years running. It’s tough, you go through three rounds, two rounds of questions and you need to pass each level. With the Motor Ombudsman award, however, you have to be nominated and voted for by your customers. So that means a hell of a lot to us, for them to recognise us like that.
Q. What is it like running a family garage?
A. Everyone who comes here, employees and customers, it’s like we’re one big family really. John is an honorary member of the family. And now our daughter Lindsey is switching over from front of house to becoming more hands on.
Lindsey: Since my dad had a fall in March, that’s when I got more hands on in the workshop. Before then I could do aircon services and very basic stuff, vehicle health checks. I can’t do anything. If Dad said fit those brake pads on that car, I wouldn’t know what to do. But I’m pushing myself to learn more complex tasks. Generally people go into the mechanical side and then branch off, I’m doing it the other way around. Dad was showing me wiring diagrams and at first I was completely confused. But by the end of the day I was thinking, actually, I think I get it. He goes, “that took me a full course that Lindsey”. But he tested me and I got it all right. But even I stay on the front desk, it’s a massive help to know what different jobs involve. I can reassure the customer better.
Q. So Lindsey, what were you doing before working here?
A. I’ve done all sorts actually. Straight out of university I was caring for my grandma. Then I became a lifeguard and I was actually working as a courier when asked mum and dad whether they needed me for anything. They moved into this place and a few months later gave me a call and said, actually we do need you. I dropped everything and came immediately. I’ve always had the garage at the back of my mind to be honest. I’ve been in waiting. I did used to resist, thinking we’d all be arguing all the time.
Jeanette: I also refused to come at first. I had my own job and was looking after the kids. Alan asked if I’d come and do the accounts. I said no, I want my independence. So eventually we agreed on one hour a week.
Alan: it’s a bit like fishing – you reel them in slowly.
Jeanette: The more I was doing the invoices and receipts, the more I was dealing with the customers and eventually I just started enjoying it too much. Plus it kept the kids busy cleaning the tools after school!
Alan: But the thing with Jeanette is she goes way overboard with the customers, doing their insurance quotes for them, sorting out their gas and electric bills, sorting out their life paperwork!
Jeanette: I’ve got a customer coming in at the end of this month and I know his insurance renewal is due. I’ll sit him down with a cup of coffee and we’ll go through it together. I do take regular customers under my wings. Sometimes you’ll have customers who are having financial difficulties so we’ll work with them to sort out a payment plan or fix what needs to be fixed now and do the rest later.
Q. You don’t argue much?
A. Jeanette: No. Occasionally though we’ll get customers who want to bypass me and book work in with Alan, not realising that we’re already at full capacity.
Alan: I like to be under pressure. I can multitask that way and keeps the day moving and gives you a feeling of job satisfaction at the end of the day. I’ll tell you what I don’t like, however, and that’s customers applying pressure. Most of the work we do is specialist work, if someone comes in at 8 and says I want it back by 12, I’m not having that. Go away and come back when it’s convenient to leave it with us for the full day. We’re not a fast-fit garage and I like to have control over my day. The work will get done, but it will get done when it fits into my day.
Q. Who controls the radio?
A. Jeanette: We don’t have one!
Alan: Believe it or not, I can’t work for one instant without the radio on. We used to listen to heart, but now more often we get a mix up on YouTube and listen to that. I just type in ‘80s music’ and away we go. But for the past year or so we’ve had no music at all. Because there’s no separation between the office and the workshop, so to keep it quiet for phone calls and things like that.
