Worcester Mobile Mechanic (WMM) was established in 1993 and, as its name suggests, was initially a mobile service. After a very short period, Dave Connellan, the founder, realised that he also needed a base from which to work and conduct more serious repairs. As a result, they moved to new industrial units in the old railway yard very near the centre of Worcester. They have two units, allowing Dave to install four bays, each with its own lift. WMM still carries out some mobile work but is predominantly now workshop based, providing a service to a growing number of customers.
The business has continued to expand and now offers air conditioning servicing and advanced diagnostics to enhance the overall service offering. WMM’s latest acquisition, the Pro-Cut brake lathe, has further enhanced its service capability, benefitting its business and customers. With Dave’s wife handling the administration activity, WMM employs three trained technicians, an apprentice, and a receptionist. The company has grown to such an extent that a fourth technician is being recruited, and the layout of one of the units altered to extend the volume capability to maintain growth.
Like many garages, WMM is always looking for ways to improve revenues. A separate revenue stream that adds value to the existing work is often an ideal way forward. Dave had found that, over the years, several customers had complained of brake judder, but he had never given it much thought. He then became aware of Pro-Cut’s on-car brake lathes and enquired. Dave asked about the costs and potential income and realised that it would only cost £42 a week on a 5-year lease, and he could quickly recoup that and more across his various service offerings.
After acquiring the Pro-Cut brake lathe, Dave worked out a pricing structure and instructed his technicians on how to use the machine. He also told them that whenever they took a booking for a service, they should up-sell the use of the Pro-Cut on-car brake lathe. The result has been very satisfying. The disc skimming service is charged out at £40-50 an axle, depending on the size of the vehicle, PLUS a set of brake pads, PLUS £40 for an hour’s labour. In the first three months of usage, this has provided £800 extra monthly income, and the rate is still rising.
Dave’s technicians have taken to the new equipment, and it is now second nature to up-sell its service. Dave said, “It definitely fixes brake judder and having used it, I can guarantee 100% that it will pay for itself”.
There has been a very positive response from customers. Skimming both discs on an axle takes no more than 30 minutes, so the labour element is also becoming far more profitable than many other operations in the workshop. To assist with the sale of the service, the customer is also given a guarantee, valid if they have their vehicle serviced at WMM. Many of his customers also like not buying new discs but making the old ones’ like new’ by skimming them with the lathe.
The Pro-Cut machine is straightforward to operate and very cheap to run. The technicians were given full training, and WMM used it immediately to generate revenue. It is a solid piece of equipment. Well-engineered, reliable and with hidden and delicate elements such as the gyroscope that give impressive results. It not only shaves up to 0.3mm layers off the disc (both sides at once) but can also detect intolerances in the axle and hub alignment usually connected with the bearing that may cause the wheel to run asymmetrically.
Contact us today to learn more about how a Pro-Cut on-car brake lathe can increase your revenue.