Northshore BMW Bodyshop in Artarmon Sydney has won this award before when the shop was brand new. There’s been a number of improvements since then.
North Shore BMW Bodyshop's vision is to become a leader across the prestige repair industry and to provide quality repairs and exceptional quality customer service whilst ensuring a safe work environment.
General manager Glenn O’Donnell has been around the traps and also oversees another prestige dealer-owned shop in Narellan. This is an extremely impressive facility on many levels. It is superbly equipped with the top of the line Lowbake lighting, paintshop and aluminium bay and Cellette alignment equipment. You need sunglasses inside as the floors are so shiny.
We happened to have been here a few times over the years thanks to a couple of my colleague Lynette’s ‘whoopsies’ with her BMW and it is immaculate every time with the staff gliding around efficiently, with no hint of stress.
Northshore has recently completed the fit out of its third unit, previously used for storage which now houses two mechanical hoists and an additional two electrical vehicle bays.
When it comes to the wellbeing of their team, the fact that they’ve won the Safety Award (P87) is a clear indicator.
Everything is carried out with professionalism. There’s an environmental policy in place outlining their commitment to reducing waste and reusing/recycling products. There’s a dedicated marketing manager who sends out EDM's to customers that help guide them through the repair and insurance process. This information also contains current trends specific to the vehicle repairs across various social media platforms such as Linkedin, Facebook and Instagram.
Customer satisfaction is monitored via a mobile phone survey at the completion of repair, which consists of six questions relating to premises, staff, level of communication throughout the repair process and satisfaction with repair quality. Over the last 18 months they have achieved a 98% customer satisfaction rating.
There are three apprentices receiving the benefit of plenty of OEM training while they learn their trade. There are opportunities to grow within the business as evidenced by one of the panel technicians being appointed workshop controller. It is a diverse team ranging in age from 17 - 60 across a variety of culturally diverse backgrounds.
The team of 20 all work collaboratively to achieve business goals and objectives and there’s a low rate of absenteeism and staff turnover rates which is indicative of a healthy workplace culture. The manager Jeremy Wilks strives to maintain an environment that is rewarding and supportive without affecting the needs and productivity of the business. Out of the 20 people in the team, 14 have previously worked with O'Donnell and Bodyshop Manager, Jeremy Wilks over the last 30 years a sign that their leadership skills are valued.
Community-wise the business is involved in the Ronald McDonald House charity ball that is held annually. North Shore BMW Bodyshop donates significant funding annually to help reduce the stress and financial burden for families who are in need in order to provide medical care for their sick children. It also sponsors the local rugby club.
O’Donnell is highly involved with MTA NSW to ensure better outcomes for the industry and consumers in general.