BM Tech Automotive is an independent workshop totally dedicated to the service and repair of BMW motor vehicles.

Our staff have only ever worked on BMWs and choose to work on no other vehicle. We are all totally dedicated to the product, and with an abundance of experience and expertise from our team of technicians, we can guarantee you the highest level of service and quality workmanship.

We have all the latest equipment, information and knowledge, combined with the most modern facilities, to ensure your BMW remains the ultimate driving machine.
 

A Brief History...

The Director is Joe Brogno from Blackburn South, Victoria.

Joe began his apprenticeship and career on BMWs when he was 16 years of age, working at a local BMW dealership. After many years of service with that company, Joe achieved the status of Senior Registered Technician. Being in that position for two years, Joe dealt with many customers in the service reception area. He discovered many flaws in the companies attitude to service and customer care. Frustrated with the lack of customer service and quality which the dealership offered, Joe left the company with the idea to start his own business to prove that offering quality service and workmanship at a fair price is all that people want.

BM Tech Automotive started business in 1987 from his father's back yard. Two years later, the business was becoming a little too busy, so he took the plunge and rented a factory in the Melbourne suburb of Box Hill. With a little bit of financial assistance from his parents, he purchased some basic equipment, started advertising and opened the doors on the 27th of November, 1989. On October 14 2003, BM Tech moved to their current location in Canterbury. From that day on, he has never looked back.

All office staff must complete the certificate in automotive business management one year course at the Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce (VACC).

The apprentices and mechanics regularly attend re-fresher courses and new technology courses throughout the year, and one evening each fortnight we hold a practical diagnostic workshop where we plant problems in vehicles and the staff are required to find and rectify the faults.

We recently sent our senior technician to the USA to learn about diagnostic procedures using the latest testing equipment.

Our book keeper and office manager both completed computer introduction and development courses, as well as accounting and word processor courses.

Outstanding customer service comes down to quality of work. We provide a service to BMW car owners by looking after their car service requirements. People do not like parting with their car, so what we do is try to minimise this inconvenience. The most important aspect in minimising the inconvenience is to ENSURE the work is carried out properly - first time, every time. Sounds simple? Actually, it is one of the most difficult things to do, especially in our industry. People expect the car to be serviced and repaired correctly the first time. If they have to come back another time or wait longer than they should, they become disenchanted and lose faith in the organisation. Having all the latest equipment, the cleanest workshop and a cappuccino machine in the waiting room is nice but it is not a ticket for quality work.

The way we deliver outstanding customer service is to concentrate not on the customer, but on the employee. The motor industry suffers from traditional bad, autocratic management principles, by treating staff poorly and paying low wages. If the staff are happy, the job will get done properly. We recruit extremely carefully and very skillfully and pay top salaries accordingly. We treat all staff equally. They are constantly trained and kept up to date on latest developments; they are encouraged to help one another, especially if someone is struggling with a job; we have regular meetings to find out problems, improve the organisation and discuss 'wish-lists'; they are allowed to have their mobile phones switched on; and most importantly, they are treated with equal respect. These are some of many reasons why our staff produces good work.

One reason why poor quality can eventuate is when someone has a 'sickie' and the other staff members have to work harder to fill the gap. Forcing people to work harder and faster is a recipe for poor quality. Our staff do not take sickies! Why? Because they are comfortable in coming to work each morning.

Quality is one reason for outstanding service, but of course it is not the only reason. Minimising the time a customer has to wait once they have arrived to pick up their car is another reason for our success. If we say that the car will be ready at 4:00 PM, then it will be, invoice on the counter et al.

There are many other things we do which make a difference. Sure, providing replacement vehicles and washing and vacuuming the car etc. are all good things, but it's the extra time we spend on ensuring that the car is right. Most places are under pressure to maximise productivity, here, we don't mind if the job takes a little longer. Of course we may lose a little profit, but at least the customer will come back next time (and may even tell a friend).

So there you have it. Some of our incredible reasons for success. I say this in a very sarcastic way because incredible it isn't. Common sense and logic it is. It is difficult to describe every single reason, but what I can tell you is that I come to work happy, because everyone else around me is happy. If I look after the workers - they'll look after the customers. That's our success in delivering outstanding customer service.

BM Tech is attracting a minimum of 40 new customers per month. At this rate we are always under pressure to constantly improve our position. Bigger premises, new tools, more hoists, better (safer) equipment are always on the agenda.

In October 2003, BM Tech moved to the company to a new site in Canterbury. For BM Tech, it was a daunting task. The entire site had to be completely guttered and renovated. The factory was converted into the most efficient and up to date workshop you would find anywhere in the world. With the latest layout design, combined with modern equipment, the workshop is also environmentally sensitive and safe for employees.

Productivity improved dramatically and so did workmanship. When you give employees the best working conditions you ultimately improve the quality of their work.

Because we are a small operation, it is difficult for us to find the time (and money) to survey our customers and monitor their responses. We use a method called 'the referral indicator'. That is, the more referrals we get, the better we are performing. We can gauge this by asking all our new customers where they found us. By analysing their answers, we can obtain very accurate statistics. Currently, referrals are at an all time high of 51% of all our new customers.

Quality control checks performed by someone other than the mechanic who worked on the car was one of the most successful initiatives we have ever introduced. This was introduced because many of our customers were coming back and complaining about matters relating to sloppiness and trivial incidences. It suddenly dawned on me that if a customer thinks that we cannot carry out small jobs properly, then how would they think about us carrying out more important jobs. Back in 1994, we started checking basic items such as: has the service book been stamped; are there any dirty hand prints on the car; were the owner's instructions fulfilled; is the lube sticker updated; is the time on the clock set right, just to name a few. To perform these checks, I promoted our senior mechanic to foreman and delegated him the responsibility for quality control. We found our new customer referrals almost instantly sky-rocketed, leaving me wondering how many customers we actually disgruntled before the new initiative. We have never looked back since.

The internet is playing a large role in the future development of our company. Our web site at www.bmtech.com.au has attracted much interest, and the exposure around the world has been overwhelming. We are now part of a worldwide BMW technicians email group which is an excellent source of problem solving and information gathering. Being part of this exclusive group has catapulted us to being one of the most advanced independent BMW specialists in Australia. E-commerce is another feature on the web site dedicated to stylish and sports accessories. This will enable customers to evaluate and purchase products easily. The On-Line Bookings is one of the most used features, enabling customers to book on-line after hours.

We regularly hold meetings and try to discuss many aspects in the daily operations of the business. During these meetings, every employee is present and are actively encouraged to participate by offering suggestions, asking questions and making them feel very much a part of the discussion. All the staff are fully aware that the customer must come first in all situations. They are constantly reminded of the main objective and goal of the organisation, that is, 'do not inconvenience the customer.' All employees have been told to help one another in times of difficulty, all for the sake of the customer.

If a problem has occurred, we a careful in not embarrassing the person responsible, but we do discuss with them what went wrong and how to stop it from happening again. The problem is noted and mentioned at the next meeting and tackled as a possible scenario case. When there has been good work, we often give out movie tickets or give them extra money in their pay packet. We call this the 'give a damn' bonus. When a customer calls to thank us or writes a nice letter, we normally announce it to all the staff at the one time and also mention the person who was responsible for the good work in front of all the others.

Teamwork and active employee participation are definitely the new, modern practices in today's organisations, a practice which we continually follow. Every staff member is given a responsibility of some kind. Whether it's organising a film night, a go-cart day or even arranging the Tattslotto money, each person at any time has to do something for everyone.

The role of the manager is more complex than ever before. Leadership plays a big part in the design and implementation of any new systems and procedures. Efficiency and productivity in the workplace are absolutely essential for growth and prosperity. The role of the leader in developing effective teams is an integral part of the process. We do not have a leader as such, but we do have leadership qualities in the form of a great team. Our team all work so well together and respect each other enormously. The operational and strategic decisions are made as a group and are implemented by the group. This is probably why BM Tech is flourishing as well as it is.

Recruiting is one of the most important parts of our business. Our selection process is very involved and very structured. Because we sell labour, the old adage 'you're only as good as your staff' has never been more true, this is why we have a strict policy of employing apprentices and then training them to become exceptional technicians. We train them properly from day one and never take advantage of them or treat them with disrespect, this way we are more likely to keep them employed with us for the future.