Garage Owners Urged to Be More Selective About the Work They Attract
BTS Garage co-owner says filtering the right customers is key to sustainable growth
Independent garages shouldn’t be afraid to turn work away if it doesn’t suit their business. That’s the view of Lawson Thursfield, co-owner of BTS Garage in the West Midlands, who says targeting the right kind of customer has helped them reduce pressure in the workshop, support long-term growth, and improve staff wellbeing.
“Most garages are busy, but the question is, are you busy with the right vehicles and the right customers?” said Lawson. “It’s easy to fall into the trap of doing everything for everyone, but if you’re overloaded with low-value jobs or customers who don’t respect the process, you can’t operate efficiently and you can’t grow.”
Lawson and his wife, Helen, have run BTS Garage for more than 20 years and say their recent decision to invest in a new website was less about marketing and more about strategic filtering. After two previous websites that underperformed, they appointed Garage Services Online (GSO) to deliver a platform that reflected their values and supported their business goals.
The results have been immediate. Six months on, the number of online enquiries has increased tenfold. Servicing – the garage’s preferred bread-and-butter work – is up, and customer quality has improved too.
“A bad website is like an illuminated sign with no plug on it,” continued Lawson. “We’d had websites before that either didn’t work on mobile or were too complicated for customers to interact with. With GSO, it was a completely pain-free experience. Everyone knows exactly what they’re doing.”
BTS Garage is a Castrol ‘Proud to Use’ garage, and part of the DPF Doctor and Simply Diag networks, credentials that now feature on the website, alongside the services the garage actively wants to promote. They plan to ‘turn up the tap’ on MOTs, clutches, tyres and brakes next, using the website to target growth in these areas.
Helen added: “The website has given us a way to shape the business in line with where we’re going. It reflects how we work on the ground and makes it so easy for the customer to connect with us.”
BTS has recently added two new ramps, built a valet bay, and is growing its team of eight by bringing both a tyre fitter and a clutch fitter on board. All BTS’ technicians are now being upskilled with the goal of full EV Level 4 accreditation by the end of the year.
“Having the right systems in place – the GSO website, Garage Hive GMS, and Auto3iii eVHC solution – is like having two extra members of staff working 24/7,” said Lawson. “It’s how we keep up with customer expectations and stay efficient. If you’re standing still, you might as well be going backwards.”
Lawson’s message to fellow workshop owners is clear: “Be brave enough to say no to the wrong work. It can be scary, but if you want to grow, focus on the right customers and build your whole business around them.”