Issue 7 2019

Acquisition International - Issue 7 2019 19 Jun19261 “We are already recycling an enormous amount of our waste but would ideally like to be able to recycle 100%.” Fleetline is an innovative accident repair centre based in the heart of Croydon. Recently, the firm’s Operations Director, Rachel McGuinness found success in AI’s 2019 Leadership Elite Awards where she was recognised as the Female Operations Director of the Year 2019 - Vehicle Maintenance. Following this win, we caught up with Rachel who kindly provided us with a glimpse into the extraordinary services both herself and the firm deliver to their clients. ince their inception in 1981, Fleetline have consistently offered their clients a unique insight into the world of accident repairs, as well as providing a first-class customer service. Going into further detail, Rachel begins by informing us of the areas the solid team of almost 50 innovative individuals specialises in, noting how the firm are currently making changes to become a greener company. “Here at Fleetline, we hold a range of manufacturer approvals and hold a number of pieces of specialist equipment that enables us to carry out diagnostics, resets and ADAS on a number of vehicles. Currently, we are concentrating on making our company greener. We have recently purchased an Audi E-ton which is a fully electric car. The vehicle is available for use for customers, but also for our staff when they need to go on training courses.” Speaking of customers, Fleetline serves both clients who are referred to them by insurance and accident management companies, but also by retail clients who approach the firm directly. Regardless of the clients’ background or how they came into contact with the firm, the team at Fleetline treat each customer equally, as Rachel explains. “Overall, we treat all clients the same, fairly and with the best advice for their circumstances. We do advertise but thankfully we are very busy with minimal marketing. Also, we are currently focusing on building our social media presence.” Enabling the firm to deliver these personalised services and care, is the passionate, experienced and innovative team which forms the backbone of Fleetline. When discussing the internal culture, Rachel is keen to highlight the significant role the team play in the overall success of the firm. “In any business, the staff have to be the right people in the right place. In every instance this is true. Our front end staff have to be knowledgeable of claims processes, our workshop processes and be able to articulate to our customers in a way they understand what happens and throughout the journey of their repairs. Alongside all of this, we also have to ensure that we have highly trained technicians to work on the ever-evolving technology on vehicles which are coming through our workshops. As such, staff are basically everything to us!” Legendary Customer Service S Looking ahead to what the future holds for the firm, the team at Fleetline will continue to deliver an impeccable service to their clients. Bringing the interview to a close, Rachel signs off by revealing the plans which lie in the pipeline for the firm, especially their projects for reducing plastic use and becoming a greener business in the years to come. “Moving forwards, our focus through 2019 is to become a greener business. We are already recycling an enormous amount of our waste but would ideally like to be able to recycle 100%. Within our workshops we are looking at plastic replacements and re-usable item for example, our suppliers give us plastic paint pots which are one use and throw away as well as plastic stirrers. In addition to this, we are also looking into metal replacements which can be cleaned and re-used time after time. To replace the plastic in the short term will be more expensive, but long term it will be a good investment and most importantly, we shall be cutting our carbon footprint.” Contact: Rachel McGuinness Address: Unit 1 Lancefield House, 5 Commerce Way, Croydon, CR0 4XA, United Kingdom Telephone: 02086808888 Web Address: www.fleetline.co.uk