Three-time Motor Trader Award Winner Reveals Strategy for Success

J Day Engineering have been winners of the Motor Trader Independent Garage of the Year Award for the last three consecutive years. So we asked them to share their customer-focused strategy that arguably makes it one of the best garages in the UK.  

What’s more, they cite customer service as the key ingredient, but that in itself requires a strategic and multi-layered approach.  

Focused on the Customer

“Taking a vehicle for repair is usually a distress purchase,” said owner, James Day. “So, making life as easy as possible for customers is the number one priority. It requires a strategy involving every customer touch point.  

“The majority of actions involved in the customer journey – from initially finding a good garage, to being offered multiple ways to get in touch, through to online booking – all happen online and centre around a website. It’s 2025, none of us should be surprised by that.”  

However, making it all work seamlessly, says James, requires robust planning and execution.  

The most recent Motor Trader award entry process involved J Day Engineering completing an in-depth report. In addition, it included a substantial insight into the garage’s online strategy.

“The website is the core of our online strategy,” he continued. “Ultimately, every way we communicate feeds into it in one way or another. Without it, we wouldn’t have the business we do – nor the awards.  

“We run a garage with a fantastic reputation, one I’m incredibly proud to put my name to. It’s imperative that every interaction with J Day Engineering on the ground, is accurately replicated online.   

“A website is the custodian of your brand, on view 24 hours a day for everyone to see. It must be top notch.”

Building a Partnership

The Somerset business appointed GSO to build a bespoke website after it became disillusioned with its previous provider.   

James said: “We had a clearly defined set of criteria for the online strategy, all of which centred around customer service.  

“We decided to switch to GSO for a cost-effective subscription-based website. They worked their magic, and we’ve never looked back. The site performs brilliantly and contributes to a very sizeable proportion of the business.  

“We haven’t just found a website provider. GSO is an online partner that not only shares our values, but one that continues to come up with new ways to make life even easier for our customers.”  

J Day Engineering’s website now features customer-focused extras. These include a search facility for local electric vehicle charging points and links to payment options. However, the most successful has been the introduction of a WhatsApp chat facility. It has sparked a huge spike in enquiries. 

“What’s interesting, is that after an initial WhatsApp enquiry via the website, customers like to keep the same chat open to communicate with us about the progress of their vehicle,” James concluded.  

“This also makes life easier for our service desk. They can log the customer’s preferred method of communication into our Techman garage management system for future reference.   

“It’s little things like this that customers love – and what keeps the ramps booked to capacity.” 

If you’d like to learn more about partnering with us and how we can help you achieve the best for your business, then get in touch and let’s chat!