TMO Talks To Rebecca Pullan, Managing Director
Founded in 1997, Carmaster Garage is a family-owned business based in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. The business offers a comprehensive range of services, spanning routine servicing and MOTs repairs, to calibrating Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). The Motor Ombudsman spoke to Rebecca to find out more.
TMO: What drew you to work in the motor industry, and what are your career highlights to date?
RP: I met Dave, my husband, who always felt that he could run a better workshop than his then current employment. Naturally, I believed in him. At that point, I knew nothing about the motor industry, but it needed to work. We had a young family, and failure was not an option.
We are a great team with barely any crossover skills. His natural ability to mend cars led him to amazing personal success with more than a couple of finalist positions in ‘Technician of the Year’ competitions run by Bright Sparks and Aftermarket Magazine, but he did not have the same success with paperwork or managing people.
My skills were fortunately in this area, and off I ran making myself a full-time job and learning and reading about the motor industry. This became a lifetime of love for me, and has been a wonderful and fulfilling vocation ever since. The main career highlight for me is my everyday reality now. The workshop runs beautifully without us both being full-time anymore. The weeks of 100+ hours from our household are gone, and we are very fortunate to have the most fantastic team, who we cherish.
TMO: How does your garage stand out from the competition in the Harrogate area and beyond?
RP: We are the largest independent garage in the Harrogate area, and we certainly do the most training with the team. The technical skillset within our workshop is second to none, not just locally, but far beyond. We have hundreds of years’ worth of knowledge and experience, but believe in continual personal development and training. This includes recent fire training for all our staff. Many really enjoyed letting off the fire extinguishers!
More recently, we have invested time and money into mental health qualifications. This is something I am very proud of. Life can be tough, and we all need to care for one another. If any of our team need help in any area of their lives, we are there for them. In terms of equipment, we supply our staff with a fabulous, high-quality uniform, including heated jackets. Technicians are also provided with tools if they do not want to buy either tools or a box. I find it extraordinary that apprentices are expected to buy tools to make garage owners money! Our team are also provided with a free breakfast and refreshments in the staff area.
TMO: What does a typical day look like at Carmaster Garage in your role as Managing Director?
RP: As I mentioned earlier, I am now part-time, but a workday means one of two things. If I need to do paperwork, I will be in my home office, I have three big screens and a beautiful view of the Yorkshire countryside. Everything can be done from home nowadays, and without any compromise. If I go into the garage, I really enjoy catching up with the team. One-to-ones in the local coffee shop are a weekly thing, and I learn a lot from doing that! Checking systems and processes is now the closest I get to the day-to-day running of the workshop. All of the team are better at this job than me, and that’s how I like it! A top tip from me: employ people who are better than you, and make sure they know that you’re aware of that. Appreciate them.
TMO: Do you enjoy working with other family members, and striving towards common goals?
RP: Yes and no. Working with your husband puts a massive strain on the relationship and can make every conversation feel like work, whatever time of the day or night. However, knowing you have that 100% reliability whatever happens is a major plus. Things are not really like this nowadays, as we have very clear areas, and respect where each other has the knowledge to make decisions.
Dave is solely technical, and he doesn’t involve himself in any of the other aspects of the business. He trusts my decisions and direction I have taken the business. As Carmaster has grown, the balance has massively improved for us. Not working in each other’s pockets and having clear, separate job roles, were all nice steps forward. The decision for me to move out of the office and work from home, albeit initially driven by Covid, has also been a great choice for us. I no longer have a desk at the workshop, and that is fine by me.
TMO: Have you seen customer habits and spend change in response to the cost-of-living crisis?
RP: My lovely manager, Graham, said that the front of house (FOH) were having the same conversations with our customers about repair bills, and that they were struggling to afford them. We do offer an interest-free option for our customers, as your readers will know we all pay for this, but I think the cost is well worth factoring in to your business model to alleviate the cost of living crisis.
TMO: Are you seeing more electric vehicles coming in for servicing and repairs, and have you conducted more staff training in this area?
RP: Yes. We have numerous staff trained in electric vehicles, and we are ready for the change, but I wonder, will the change fully come? I am not sure electric will be the future, but I certainly know EVs will be here for a while.
TMO: Who is your main target audience, and where is your main client base situated?
RP: We aim to provide a cost-effective solution for customers who would normally use a main dealer for servicing and repairs. Our main client base is local, and many of our customers are longstanding and loyal.
TMO: How do you look to minimise your impact on the environment, and what green measures do you have in place?
RP: We try to be as socially responsible as possible and minimise our impact on the environment. For example, we buy ‘Who Gives A Crap’ loo roll and have changed all of our light bulbs to LED. We have green and black bins, with the green ones being for recycling. Our outside staffroom has heaters which work on a timer to ensure that energy is not wasted. In addition, we choose suppliers whilst being mindful of the miles they travel. More recently, we have also bought an electric car. We strive to do as little damage to the environment as possible.
TMO: What have been the main challenges that you have faced in 2023?
RP: The last year came with some positive challenges for us. As the business continues to grow, we are taking on more staff. In addition, one of our long-standing technicians made the decision to retire, so two positions became open for qualified technicians in our workshop. We had to find and employ the right people for the job, and get the right ‘fit’ for our team. In partial response to this staffing situation, we took the decision to close on a Saturday. This has actually been a blessing in disguise! Offering a Monday to Friday job has certainly helped us fill those positions.
TMO: Are there any changes or new innovations that we can expect to see from your business in 2024?
RP: We are still investing in the latest ADAS technology, and hope to see these repairs coming in via the public soon. Most of these have historically come from our bodywork colleagues.
TMO: What is your outlook for the service and repair sector for 2024?
RP: The increase in electric vehicles is going to cause a slight lull in servicing, which is obviously not too good in the short-term. However, with so many new vehicles on the road, we can look forward to some new problems to solve, and if you are ready, it could be a great time to be in the industry.
TMO: What were the main reasons for Carmaster Garage becoming accredited to The Motor Ombudsman’s Motor Industry Code of Practice for Service and Repair?
RP: It is so very important to ensure we all maintain our standards. We have always been affiliated with a dispute resolution service. All workshops need dispute reconciliation and quality assurance, not to mention the massive resources within The Motor Ombudsman’s offer with HR and health and safety advice.
TMO: What do you like to do in your leisure time beyond Carmaster Garage?
RP: Ohhh, I play Bridge and absolutely love it! I am actually a qualified Tournament Director, which is no mean feat. It is a three-day course followed by a written exam and role play.
TMO: Thank you for your time Rebecca, and it has been very interesting to learn more about Carmaster Garage.
Images courtesy of Carmaster Garage.
Interview conducted in February 2024.
