Young Stahlhut won best new shop last year and obviously we were most impressed. He's not rested on his laurels and since we last visited has moved his parts storage to a bigger shed on the premises and converted the previous parts room to a covered quoting area.
The whole business continues to impress. Smart kerb appeal, the facade could be for an office. Walk into the reception area for a total wow factor. Stunning reception desk, lovely sitting area and a coffee machine any barrista would die for.
Stahlut has dropped a couple of staff since we last visited and his weekly repair average in terms of cars out of the door has also dropped. “We were a bit top heavy to start with staff-wise and we've doing a lot more non-drives now,” he said. The insurers are obviously sending the non-drives here because they are confident in the quality of the repairs, the majority of insurance work comes from Youi and IAG
Eagle Smash is just near the airport in Brisbane and Stalhut has taken advantage of the localtion by securing fleet contracts with some of the hire car companies. There's some serious talent in the paint department at Eagle, as evidenced by some of the custom paintwork that adorns the walls in reception. Eagle also looks after the Holden Red Bull Racing team for the Triple 8 series, painting their race cars and the odd show car. Eagle also undertakes custom work, paintless dent removal, air-conditioning and windscreen repairs.
The workshop itself is still a shrine to organisation and efficient proceesses. Clean and tidy, it's not glamorous but is extremely functional. As well as using iBodyshop, Shahult also lays Planning Plus over the top of this to totally maximise every moment of his technicians time. In fact ask him what the pluses in the industry are and he replies 'advancements in technology and steamlined processes.' Each area is clearly sign posted for what activity should take place there.
This is the kind of shop that people want to work in. It's good to work for someone who is organised and has a clear vision for the business. Stahult also invests in training his staff with I-CAR courses as well as any paint company training on offer. Eagle offers flexible working hours and monthly barbecues for staff.
With Stahlhut’s positive attitude and eye for detail we suspect insurance companies will be keeping an eye out on this young, driven repairer. He seems to have a lot of happy customers report who report their positive experiences. Checking out the Google reviews, with a score of 4.8, there is heaps of praise for friendly staff, professionalism and high standards of repair.