A growing number of women are opening garages or getting majorly involved in the way they are run. This is a good thing. As a recently appointed Women’s Business Ambassador in the South East I am keen to promote female business owners and entrepreneurs in the UK motor industry and to encourage more women to work in and set up garage and car dealership services in particular. This is the only way I can see this industry becoming genuinely more female friendly in future to all round business benefit.
Coming to the end of 2009 I can see that women drivers have a choice of taking their car to a female friendly garage or a leading car dealership in Southampton; you can see for yourself by searching for one near you at the FOXY Choice website.
Make yourself a cuppa and browse the different businesses near your postcode to compare services and amenities then email them and compare prices for your next car servicing. They have all signed the FOXY Promise© to ‘never overcharge, patronise or sell women services they don’t need or want’.
A recent recruit is CJ Motor Repairs, a truly female friendly garage in Southampton’s Millbrook Trading Estate and a member of the Women’s Business Club which is how we met. Run by Cherry and Jamie they employ a fully qualified technician, a female trainee in her second year and a male trainee in his second year. Jamie’s Mum runs the office and Cherry has worked in the motor trade for over 15 years. Sounds very foxy to me.
Like me Cherry is passionate about helping motorists prevent problems with their cars and save money. They run friendly car maintenance courses to teach people how to carry out the basic checks safely, how to spot problems so they can be addressed quickly and how to save money on fuel consumption and so on. Cherry tells me that it has only been women who have attended so far so men clearly know it all… We both chuckled after that one – whereas most women are honest about their knowledge levels many men seem to feel the need to pretend they know things that they think they should, even when they are rubbish at DIY and mechanical matters!
CJ Motor Repairs also provide a drop & shop garage service where they drop the ladies off in the town a few minutes away and then phone or text them when their car is ready and they then collect them. They provide a monthly payment scheme so women don’t have any big bills and they also help them find their next car.
Good luck Cherry and Jamie and may 2010 be a good year for your female friendly garage in Southampton…
