I joined Dick Lovett in 2003 as a multi-skilled Bodyshop Technician. My role was to assist where the workloads were at the heaviest and ease the pressure on the Bodyshop as a whole. After being with the company for around six months, the position of Bodyshop Advisor became available. After some encouragement from colleagues on the workshop floor and some great support from my manager Phil Rapson, I stepped in as Customer Advisor as a temporary position. I’m thankful to say that after a further six months the Bodyshop Advisor position became my full-time position.
Fast forward around three years, I was granted the position of Bodyshop Assistant Manager in Swindon. This was certainly a very exciting next step on my career progression, and it felt like a very accelerated and supported move by Dick Lovett.
In 2008, the Bodyshop Manager position became vacant at Dick Lovett BMW Bristol, being very keen to develop my career I applied and was successful in securing the role.
At this time, the Bodyshop at Bristol was quite small with only 5 work bays and a similar number of Technicians. This was a true starting point and even at this small scale, the scope for improvement and expansion could be seen and was encouraged by the Aftersales Manger, and the then Head of Business, Russ Trotman. The team and I worked tirelessly and certainly showed the potential of the site, so come 2014 I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to work with the Senior Management team and our Architects to create Dick Lovett Bodyshop Bristol, a state-of-the-art facility which housed the BMW and MINI Preparation department, valet team, and a 25 strong Bodyshop team.
This was not the end of my journey within Dick Lovett. Most recently becoming the Manager of the Swindon Bodyshop, where I first joined some 20 years ago, and taking the site to the 3rd most profitable Bodyshop within the BMW network. My current role involves the development of the team around me, and the success of the department. What’s next for me, who knows? But something I can prove is that if you put the effort in you will be supported and given every opportunity you want to take!
My team are fantastic! I am truly blessed to have a great group of people that share my vision for a prosperous future. My favourite thing about my role is developing the team around me. In my previous role at Bristol, I had developed several members of the team to such roles as Workshop Controllers, Estimators, and Assistant Managers. Swindon is no different, with those that are hungry enough developing very quickly since joining the company.
There are so many highlights from working here, but the one that really stands out for me is taking one of the smallest BMW Bodyshops in the UK to the highest levels and coming runners up in 'Bodyshop of the Year', only narrowly being pipped to the post by a much larger rival.
There have also been a few challenges over the past few years - COVID has to have been one of the biggest. Many Bodyshops closed their doors for good and there was a huge surge in Bodyshop redundancies, but Dick Lovett was not the same. It supported each and every employee through this difficult time regardless of position. We are well supported. One thing you can be sure of is that if the world is crumbling around you, whether it is work related or not, Dick Lovett has your best interests in mind.
I have worked within the Bodyshop industry all my working life, and some would say that I perhaps have an unhealthy obsession with Bodyshop! But the sense of being involved into taking someone’s damaged pride and joy and returning it back to its former glory is one that gives great satisfaction.
I am looking forward to the future! I know I will get a return on everything I put in, the company is very forward thinking, and I know that if I can continue to prove the capabilities of the department and those around me, we will not stop improving.
