Hi All
I am asked how it is that a soft handed marketing chair jockey like me ended up setting up a car rustproofing business. Well let me tell you a story…..
I didn’t know a great deal about rustproofing when I took my Landrover to the self appointed expert who had been advertising in the mags for 20 years. I do however know rather a lot about customer service and brand efficacy.
So I took my Landrover to him, handed over hundereds of pounds in cash (he only does cash- I wonder why?). I then returned to London and turned up as agreed to pick it up the next day (at his ramshackle premises about 100 miles West of London at the time, since moved) and received a disinterested response that it wasn’t ready or indeed even started and that another customer’s vehicle needed to be finished first. He also suggested he needed to have a sleep at lunchtime!
I sat around for 5 hours joined by the other customer who was himself the victim of a delayed delivery. Together over a cup of tea ( bought ourselves – no customer care here) we discussed this behaviour and concluded it was no doubt because there was almost no UK competition.
That said the job looked good and I felt unhappy but okay before he broke the news that after his treatment no guarantee could be made as it was rusty already in places. It was made worse when some months later, when having a door glass replaced after a break in it was clear that no Waxoyl was present inside the door cavity. Two e-mails and a call later there had been no response from the provider. I then decided that enough was enough.
I committed there and then to set up a competitive business that would only operate to the highest standards and found a kindred spirit, an Australian who had worked directly in the automotive trade for 15 years.
Together we launched Rustmaster Ltd and created some real competition in the UK market.
To ensure that we had the best product, training and equipment we contacted Chris Mitchell, the man who had been responsible for Waxoyl’s sales and marketing drive in the 1970’s and from there found out about the fact that Waxoyl’s rights outside of the UK and been sold to a Swiss company, who unlike the UK owners, had continued to develop the product into the Waxoyl Professional trade only products.
After meetings with the top Waxoyl team in Switzerland, responsible for global distribution and training for their corrosion products across the world, we were given intensive training based upon this global experience – most significantly how their Waxoyl version was more costly than the UK product but much more effective if properly applied. We also received exclusive UK rights to these products.
Set up near St Albans to be handy for the M1/M25, the business is quality and service obsessed and by power of word of mouth and efficient digital advertising has been very successful. The competition’s reaction to us is proof that we are doing as intended and raising the stakes of what a 21st century professional automotive brand should be about, in the technology we use and way we respect people’s custom.
Mr self appointed expert has been found lurking in the busihes outside our premises and is always looking to knock Rustmaster because clearly we are winning business that was otherwise his. Perhaps he would be better to deal with the issues that caused us to set up Rustmaster in the first place – after all his slack arsed complacency created it!
So next time a company fails you don’t just moan, take action and make sure they take some pain. This doesn’t mean set up in competition (always) but at least let them and anyone else who may be interested know. Word of mouth matters.
In the meantime if look under your car and if it looks at all crispy or you never want your pride and joy to get that way visit www.rustmaster.co.uk and book it in. Mention You Wish and get £50 off when you do (not in conjunction with any other offer mind – business is business!!).
Until next time. May you chassis never crumble.
Nick
