Gemini’s smart new facility in Tingalpa houses a cheerful crew under the leadership of centre manager Graham McKoy.
The familiar green livery cheers up an older building with a nicely landscaped exterior. Inside the reception area is smart and modern .
It’s not a large workshop and not even the ideal shape but it well equipped and extremely well organised with robust processes for every step of the repair and customer interaction. The Gemini green on the shop beams is a nice touch to brighten up the workshop.
The facility’s team comprises of three tradesmen spray painters and an apprentice, four panel beaters, one strip/fitter and a strip/fitter mechanic, a detailer, two parts specialists, two client service officers and two estimators.
This Gemini has a mix of repairs from heavy damage to light and is currently sending out 50-55 cars per week, but hopes to increase this number.
This is another business where process is king and bottlenecks have been eliminated. The team uses a variety of simple but
effective methods. Visual mapping with a pen is the simplest way to identify authorised repairs and mark pre-existing damage, which is an obvious opportunity to upsell to the customer.
The parts staff have a simple visual job sheet which has a picture of the car including its number plate with the parts that are needed. This helps accuracy in the ordering process.
The paint shop uses Junair booths which have an efficient cycle time of 25 minutes . Gemini has its eye firmly on the bottom line, there is a repair rather than replace focus, all the necessary equipment is on the shop floor but it might not be the most expensive on the market – and does it actually need to be?
Repair methods include Thatcham, I-Car and some limited access to N-Tar.
There are, of course, many advantages to being in a national group, such as standard processes. Gemini has just rolled out its own health and safety program and staff are sent on a two day course to ensure thorough comprehension.
Gemini encourages workshop staff to understand the whole repair process and work in the office to deal with customers if they would like to.
In this shop apprentice Nathan Grieve has a Cert III in business and has the choice of being a tradesman or going into management. All the facility managers are undertaking Cert IV in business.
The estimators are also encouraged to develop their skills to investigate repair methods.
It’s safe to say that the Gemini group has not been universally popular in Australia, however with a business plan to have 50 shops by 2016, they are well and truly an established part of the landscape.
Experience gained by the group in the UK where margins are slimmer is clearly being put to good use over here.
Powell’s comments
New kids on the block with bags full of overseas experience and procedures. Now sit back and watch the sparks fly.