German Autocentre Reports Record Months

Date: Monday 11 December 2023

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A family-run independent garage in South Yorkshire says it’s busier than ever and is showing no sign of slowing down during what would normally be the time for a downturn in enquiries.

German Autocentre, which was set up three years ago in Sheffield as a cost-effective alternative to the main dealers in the area, is currently servicing around 210 customers per week.

Brett Ellis, customer service manager, said: “The enquiries just never stop. We really focus on customer service so get a lot of word-of-mouth referrals from our loyal customer base. The majority however, come from our website and online activity.

“We specialise in the repair, servicing and diagnostics of Audi, BMW, Porsche, Volkswagen and Mercedes and of the 200 plus vehicles we see every week, I’d say 40 percent of them are from new customers. They go online to get the telephone number or book directly.

“The website is set up to reflect the professionalism of the garage as it is on the ground. This is important as even word-of-mouth referrals go online to check us out first.”

In the last 12 months, German Autocentre has appeared in over 1.2 million organic Google searches. On average, its website receives 450 organic visits every week.

Brett continued: “It’s important to maintain a healthy flow of incoming work enquiries to keep 16 ramps and 18 technicians busy. But what’s more crucial is it that it affords us the opportunity to pick and choose what jobs we do, and the type of customer we want to work for.”

Jim Lang from Garage Services Online, who run German Autocentre’s website, said: “Brett and Garry really maximise their online presence and are a great example of how garages can be incredibly busy – and profitable.

“Brett is very switched on in terms of working closely with us. He gives us his requirements and we align the website with his business plans. As such, their website is one of our top performing sites.”

Owner, Garry Maddison added: “By using Jim’s team and getting the website and SEO spot on, we were able to stop all the radio and Google advertising. It saves us a fortune every month.

“With that saving, we have the capacity to reinvest in our staff, training, and equipment. We also used it to buy a VIP box at Sheffield Arena which is available to all our staff, their families, and a lot of customers too.

“Garage Services Online is brilliant in every way. I have a good understanding of websites so needed a company we could partner with to get the right results.

“I can’t think of anything else they could do to literally put it on a plate for garage owners.

“They make websites easy, cost-effective, and really know their stuff. I always 100 percent recommend them.”

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