Category Archives: Uncategorized

The Wheel Specialist Glasgow North Wheel Repair Reviews.

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Admin| Leave a comment

The Wheel Specialist Glasgow North has been servicing the public and trade throughout North Glasgow, Cumbernauld and the Central Region, for all of their wheel refurbishment needs.

Offering top quality wheel refurbishment and second to none customer service.

Hear it straight from the people who know best, the customers, below are just a few of the many glowing reviews The Wheel Specialist Glasgow North have received.

 

“Scott and his team did an outstanding job on my 20″ Carrera S wheels. I was very careful choosing a supplier and went to visit Scott to chat through the options, understand the process and see the various wheels “in the flesh”. He was very responsive and helpful, assisting me to choose the best finish to go with my pride and joy.  The quality of the job was superb, and talk about attention to detail… even the balancing weights were painted in the new colour.  Very professional job and great service.”
Regards
Sean

“Thanks Scott, for the excellent job you did on my Mercedes CLS.I came to you with a vibration problem which was not a balance issue and you took the time and trouble to help me out even though it gained you nothing .After I decided to replace the offending wheel, the job you did on all four wheels was superb. I could not be happier with the service or the price….you even took the time and trouble to drive me to and from the railway station!

I have used other companies for refurbishment in the past….I will only use one in the future.”

 Thanks again, Robert Dickson.

Posted in Alloy Wheel Care, Alloy Wheel Refurbishment, Jobs, Testimonials - What Our Customers Say About Us, Uncategorized

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Durham Wheel Refurbishment Specialist Support Local Charities

Posted on March 8, 2013 by Admin| Leave a comment

Daniel Cleasby of The Wheel Specialist Durham have kindly donated a Full Refurbishment Voucher to raise funds for the Comic Relief and Bright Red charities.

A local business woman and Fitness Instructor Helen Louise McCrea is holding a Red Nose Day Charity Bootcamp and Bake Off event on Saturday 16th March 2013.

The special event will raise much need funds for two very deserving charities. Bright Red is a charity established to improve the lives and treatment of people in the north who are dealing with blood cancer. Through care, research and education they are strive to beat illnesses such as leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma, myelodysplasia and myeloproliferative diseases. Comic Relief / Red Nose Day are celebrating their 25th year on BBC TV check out their webpage for more news and information.

The Wheel Specialist Durham specialise in refurbishing, restoring and repair alloy wheels, working with the public and trade throughout County Durham. “It is very important that local businesses support local charities, we are good friends with Helen and are happy to help and support the event. We have donated a voucher that will entitle the lucky winner to a full refurbishment of their alloy wheels, maybe ‘Bright Red’ will be the customised finish they choose!” says Daniel.

 If you would to take part in the event or make a donation for their Raffle please contact Helen via their Facebook Event page

Posted in Alloy Wheel Diamond Cutting, Alloy Wheel Refurbishment, Franchise Events, Uncategorized

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Can You Afford to NOT Answer the Phone?

Posted on February 4, 2013 by Admin| Leave a comment

Can You Afford to NOT Answer the Phone?

In today’s modern consumer environment customers want information NOW, they will not wait. The fundamental act of answering the phone in theory is very simple, however how many times have you called a business and it has not been answered?

You cannot express how important it is to answer your phone. Customers have the luxury of choice; if they cannot get through to you because no one is answering the phone then they will go elsewhere. Customers are impatient; they WILL NOT keep calling until you answer.

We understand that it can get very hectic in the workshop but if the phone rings, someone needs to answer it. The phone should ideally be answered in at most three rings, don’t leave it too long or customers will hang up.

Put yourself in the customer’s shoes, would you keep calling until someone answers the phone? If a customer cannot get through after two attempts, which has happened on numerous occasions with head office, then that customer will be lost. Simple as that, a customer will not wait around to keep calling you because you cannot answer the phone.

Do you really think that the customer thinks that it is because you are busy?

NO – They think:

  • You are closed
  • You are a one man band
  • You are unprofessional
  • You have gone out of business

Why go to all the trouble of attracting customers if you are not going to answer the phone?

Tips:

  • Have a number of cordless mobile phones so you don’t need to run in to your office when the phone rings.
  • Keep a phone in your pocket.
  • Turn the ringer volume up to its highest setting.
  • Give each of your members of staff a phone, and train them how to answer it. This way if you can’t answer it they can.
  • Don’t leave phones lying about, this way you lose them and they run out of battery.
  • If you miss the call dial ‘1471’ so that you can call the person back.
  •  Install an answering machine with a correct and branded message but return the call, ideally within 30 minutes.
  • Out of hours divert your phone to your mobile – it really does make a difference to the customer.

Don’t let your customers slip away please answer the phone before they become someone else’s customer!

 

Posted in Alloy Wheel Care, Alloy Wheel Refurbishment, Car Customisation, Head Office News, Social Networking, The Wheel Specialist Franchise Opportunity, Uncategorized

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Looking for a new business opportunity?

Posted on January 23, 2013 by Admin| Leave a comment

New Year – New Career!  Is franchising the answer?

Are you looking to take control of your future in 2013?

We are all aware that looking for a new job can be a long and difficult process; maybe you aren’t even sure what you want to do?

Do you dream of a better future? Being your own boss? Or being in control of your own destiny?

Have you considered franchising?

Franchising gives you the opportunity to own your business but with the benefits of working with an established brand, learn from the experts and have a team supporting you all the way!

Do you have a passion for cars?

The Wheel Specialist Franchise Opportunity may be just what you are looking for.

Key Facts about The Wheel Specialist Franchise Opportunity:

  •  Market Leaders – The Wheel Specialist Franchise network offer a unique same day service of top quality alloy wheel refurbishment.
  • The only nationwide wheel refurbishment brand operating from fixed premises.
  • Vast target market covering both the public and trade sectors.
  • Large and exclusive territories giving you the opportunity to achieve optimum growth.
  • Benefit from an excellent return on investment.
  • The Wheel Specialist Franchise gives access to a website that generates leads whilst you sleep!
  • Full training is provided in all aspects of running a successful business; this gives you the opportunity to learn a brand new trade.
  • Unlimited success – you are the key to your own success however we are there to guide and support you all the way.

If you are interested and want to know more please visit www.thewheelspecialist-franchise.co.uk or call our support team on 01564 784 991 – We would love to hear from you.

Posted in Alloy Wheel Care, Alloy Wheel Diamond Cutting, Alloy Wheel Refurbishment, Car Customisation, Franchise Events, Head Office News, Recruitment at TWS, Social Networking, The Wheel Specialist Franchise Opportunity, Uncategorized

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An Interview with Ginny Murphy

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Admin| Leave a comment

The wheels keep on turning

AN INTERVIEW WITH GINNY MURPHY, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE WHEEL SPECIALIST, ABOUT THEIR FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY

Who is The Wheel Specialist?

The Wheel Specialist is the UK’s premier alloy wheel refurbishment expert and is the only national brand with a nationwide presence operating from fixed premises.

After more than 40 years at the forefront of paint application and powder coating, recognising the unprecedented national demand for alloy wheel refurbishment, the Wheel Specialist began to offer the franchised business opportunity. It now boasts 17 branches across the length and breadth of the UK, with more planned openings in the first quarter of 2013.

The Wheel Specialist has been delivering this unique franchise opportunity for the past six years, offering a proven business model that can provide a rapid speed to market.

What does The Wheel Specialist offer?

The market for alloy wheel refurbishment continues to grow annually with statistics showing there are now over 120 million alloy wheels on our roads.  Our franchisees benefit from our bespoke CRM system which allows them instant access to that market. The system allows customers to generate an instant automated quote online 24/7, which are then automatically allocated to the nearest branch for follow up. In the past year our CRM system has issued in excess of £15 million worth of quotes.

The system is driven by an extensive online marketing campaign which allows us to harness the benefits of all the various online media sites to ensure SEO. Earlier this year the success of our online marketing was recognised when we were selected as finalists for the Franchise Marketing Awards 2012, an achievement we are extremely proud of.

All franchisees benefit from an initial bespoke training course dealing with all different aspects of the business ranging from technical to sales and marketing. Once you are up and running, we continue to assist you with our experienced and devoted franchise support team there to guide you as required.

Why are we different to work with?

The Wheel Specialist operates as an ethical franchisor and you will benefit from having your own totally exclusive territory. We have a close working relationship with all our franchisees and do not tie you in to buy expensive products – we have in fact a number of preferred suppliers that are sourced to give our franchise network preferential rates.

We are pioneers are what we do. Our franchise model is borne from a long-established business that is proven to work which allows us to constantly review and refine our processes and procedures for continued success, advised by our industry leading research and development team.

The Wheel Specialist is the only such franchise to operate from fixed premises. This allows the franchisee increased earning potential that is unable to be matched by a mobile unit. It also enables us to offer a same day service whilst maintaining consistently high standards, something which is echoed in the glowing testimonials we receive on a daily basis.

What does the future hold for The Wheel Specialist?

Our aim is to grow our network at a controlled rate for the benefit of our existing franchisees and we continue to research new ideas as we do. Despite the present economic climate we are seeing growing interest in our opportunity as brand awareness increases. We opened five new branches in 2012 and will exceed this figure in 2013, with three planned openings in the first quarter, Durham/Sunderland being the first on 14th January with Chester and Wolverhampton not far behind.

Our Aberdeen branch, which recently completed its first full year of trading, has returned the best start-up year figures ever seen within our network.

We are also experiencing more enquiries from people looking at our franchise as an alternative investment opportunity.

For more information call: 0845 017 6464 or visit www.thewheelspecialist-franchise.co.uk

 

Posted in Alloy Wheel Care, Alloy Wheel Diamond Cutting, Alloy Wheel Refurbishment, Car Customisation, Franchise Events, Head Office News, New Openings, Social Networking, The Wheel Specialist Franchise Opportunity, Uncategorized

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Bournemouth set to be the 16th Wheel Specialist in the UK

Posted on October 8, 2012 by Admin| Leave a comment

Bournemouth and the surrounding areas are soon to be the newest location for The Wheel Specialist.

Servicing the refurbishment and customisation needs for all of Bournemouth’s auto trade and public, tired and shabby alloy wheels should soon be a thing of the past.

Peter and Tina and their team are located in Ferndown in their bespoke unit, containing all the specialised equipment required to work The Wheel Specialist magic on your alloy wheels. Whether they are worn, corroded and kerbed or you just fancy a whole new customised look then you can be certain that you will receive the highest quality service and customer care from the team in Bournemouth.

From the comfortable showroom you can discuss your requirements and view a selection of finishes available, you can assured of receiving the best technical advice for you and your wheels that only over 30 years of experience and dealing with a National brand can bring.

Most finishes are available in a same day turn around, so all the hard work is done for you. Simply drive in and drop off and a few hours later collect your fully refurbished wheels.

So for all your alloy wheel repair, refurbishment and customisation requirements in Bournemouth, Weymouth, Ringwood, Dorchester, Wimbourne Ferndown and the surrounding areas call Peter on 01202 875553 or visit www.thewheelspecialist.co.uk for more information.

Posted in Alloy Wheel Care, Alloy Wheel Diamond Cutting, Alloy Wheel Refurbishment, Car Customisation, Head Office News, New Openings, The Wheel Specialist Franchise Opportunity, Uncategorized

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The Wheel Specialist marches North!

Posted on July 24, 2012 by Admin| Leave a comment

As the word continues to spread far and wide about the great reputation of The Wheel Specialist, it is delighted to announce that Kenny Wood is to open its sixteenth branch in Inverness. Kenny brings over 25 years of experience working in the parts and service division of the motor trade within Inverness and the surrounding areas to the business, and will be the fifth Wheel Specialist site in Scotland.

Being used to working in a very customer service driven environment will help Kenny to promote the whole TWS experience to the people of the North of Scotland. Its incredibly high standards have helped the business grow into a national brand with nationwide presence, something which is echoed in the glowing testimonials constantly received by its growing number of delighted customers.

‘’Our reputation and individual branch performance are critical to the continued success of The Wheel Specialist brand nationwide and our processes ensure consistency of quality which is reflected in the testimonials we receive on a daily basis’’ commented Ginny Murphy, who along with her husband Neill are co-founders of TWS.

After over 40 years at the forefront of paint application and powder coating, recognising the demand for people looking to spruce up tired looking alloy wheels or for those looking for a custom look to enhance their vehicle, they started an alloy wheel service over 20 years ago. After unprecedented demand, The Wheel Specialist started to offer the franchised business opportunity in 2007 and currently boast 16 branches with more planned openings later in the year.

Customers can call in to the new site located at 26 Shore Street, Inverness IV1 1NG for an instant quote or log on to www.thewheelspecialist.co.uk for an online quote. TWS offer a range of colours, finishes and diamond cutting that can make alloy wheels look as good as new. Once a customer decides on what look they want they receive a same day service in the majority of cases and drive away with fully reconditioned wheels.

Kenny offers a unique service to the motor trade with main dealers now able to offer a custom finish for new and used vehicles and satisfy the growing demand for wheels that can make a factory standard model look that little bit different.

For more information contact Kenny Wood on 01463 226222.

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The Wheel Specialist support The Pilgrim Bandits

Posted on July 6, 2012 by Admin| Leave a comment

The Wheel Specialist are proud to announce their chosen charity for this year is The PilgrimBandits.
Not only do The Pilgrim Bandits perform excellent charitable works but a member of the TWS network already actively supports them.
Steve Phillips from TWS Cardiff has already committed to doing “Jump for the Fallen” in memory of every British Soldier lost in Afghanistan. This is a fund raising event to attempt break the world record for tandem jumps in one day. This takes place on September 21st 2012.
Ginny Murphy added “Now that The Pilgrim Bandits is the TWS nominated charity, Steve from The Wheel Specialist Cardiff has pledged his time and commitment to also do the Telemark Challenge which commences on March 16th 2013. This is a particularly gruelling challenge in one of the most in hospitable places on earth. To enable Steve to do this we are aiming for a minimum of raising over £4000.00. Please help us help the Pilgrim Bandits by supporting TWS raise these funds to help the Pilgrim Bandits continue with the fantastic works they do.”
The Pilgrim Bandits Mission Statement: • to raise funds for the support of UK military amputee personnel by means of local events, national & international sponsored challenges. • Help with the rehabilitation of amputee service men & women through adventure training programmes. To develop a network of support and assistance across all the services to demonstrate that there is “life without limbs”. To assist by means of grants, the research & further development of future prosthetic limbs
When asked about the charity they said “We started up around 5 years ago made up of ex Special Forces members and mates playing the odd round of golf. Some of these members were used to being called Pilgrims from their Regiment days, the added name Bandits came when four of the members playing in a competition at the New Forest Golf Club won everything and the home members asked them to leave as there handicaps were false and they were golfing bandits, hence the name “Pilgrim Bandits”.

However, now we are made up from invited guests and challengers that have raised sponsorship and completed one of our challenges. The charities we’ve helped to date include Julia Perks Foundation, Teenage Cancer Trust, Special Air Service Regiment Association, and Help for Heroes. In 2010 we became recognized by the Charity Commission as a Charity in our own right.
Being a charity will allow us to support many of our amputees and local veterans, plus smaller forces projects. We also hope to be able to fund research and development into Prosthetics for our wounded
We raise our funds through our challenges our aim being is to take members of the public into an unknown environment and Challenge themselves, find out what they are made of? While still retaining the main quality needed a sense of humour. Whatever the Challenge brings for each Challenger the one thing they may each take away with them, is the fact that they will be tested.

The monies raised from these and all our fundraising is then channelled back into taking injured members on adventure and confidence building expeditions, they maybe injured but that is no reason to stop trying to achieve and many injured servicemen once the confidence is regained then go onto achieve far more than they may have achieved before being injured.
The Sahara Challenge our Winter Challenge in Finland and now our UK Centurion Challenge have become as well known as the regiments we served in for being hard but achievable. The main criteria for each are that a given distance has to be covered within a given time.
The Sahara Challenge is 160Km/100 miles completed within 5 days. The winter challenge 60km in 5 days on snow shoes. The Centurion is a distance of 100 or 50 km around Salisbury Plain within 24 hrs, with all challenges we have tried to stay as close to Military ideals as possible and to what our forces experience.
We don’t do Sympathy”

Posted in Franchise Events, Head Office News, The Wheel Specialist Franchise Opportunity, Uncategorized

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So what are people really saying about The Wheel Specialist?

Posted on June 7, 2012 by Admin| 2 Comments

So what are people really saying about The Wheel Specialist?

It’s all well and good that we here at TWS tell you just how wonderful we are but what does the public really think?
Read an excerpt from posts from a well known forum taken in June 2012

Sunday
Thought you guys might like to see some pics of my refurbished alloy wheels. Initially intended just to get them redone in the original silver to fix some minor kerbing by the previous owner, but decided to have them powdercoated in a “chrome” finish by the Wheel Specialist. Was a bit nervous in case they came out too bling, but am really pleased with the results. They have come out looking more like highly polished alloy, which was what I was wanting, rather than mirror finish chrome, which might have been a bit much. In my (slightly crazed?) mind, it gives the car a bit of a “Hot Wheels” look, which I think is kinda cool. All I need now is some redwall tires!

Sunday
I like them! Were they done in Edinburgh?

Sunday
Nice was thinking of this type of finish on mine

Sunday
Yes, at the Wheel Specialist in South Gyle Industrial Estate, Edinburgh. I think it’s a nationwide franchise, though.

Sunday
Real nice …and I for one can also recommend “The Wheel Specialist” ( a UK wide crowd that does top quality refurbishment)’Hot wheels’ look, lol

Posted in Alloy Wheel Care, Alloy Wheel Refurbishment, Social Networking, Technical Questions, Uncategorized

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Online Marketing for Franchisees Interview with Ginny Murphy – The Wheel Specialist

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Admin| Leave a comment

The Wheel Specialist were finalists in the Franchise Marketing Awards 2012. Here Ginny Murphy MD of The Wheel Specialist talks about their successful online marketing plan.

How did local franchisees benefit from the online marketing campaign?

Our franchisees benefited in many ways not only in their local brand awareness but in direct sales. Some areas brought immediate results whilst others longer term. In terms of local brand awareness – the trade and public within the franchisees territory were made more aware of the brand of The Wheel Specialist through our online campaign; their businesses achieved a higher local profile this was analysed through our Google analysis and data analysis from our CRM system. Through our analysis of data we were able to discover that there was an increase in sales and this showed to have originated from the online campaign.
Here is an email that was sent to Head Office from a franchisee following our Facebook launch and our regular updates we do on the individual franchisee pages on the website:

Dear Ginny
Great to see that the testimonials and Facebook page have helped me win business from my biggest competitor, goes to show it’s not all about price as I’ve quoted 50% more…Thanks guys. Regards Alex

What advice would you give franchisees to market their franchise?

Use what is out there and being used by your market sector. We use Facebook and Twitter, the main pages are run by Head Office but each franchisee has their own individual Facebook page. Send in testimonials and news that Head Office can use for their blogs and social media as well as update regularly on your own site. Use your free listing directories and also specialist sites that are industry specific. You might not think that certain local free listing directories are well known but they all help with your organic SEO. Being consistent with your franchise network Brand and Messaging is essential as this strengthens your presence and the customer confidence in your business.

What was the most effective element of the plan? Best ROI?

In this instance I believe it is the combination of all the online marketing techniques we used that gave the excellent results we are continuing to achieve. Long gone are the days of placing an ad in a couple of magazines – it is a multi media approach that is most effective and adapting your existing systems to integrate these. I believe the best ROI was the automated soft email campaign set up to follow online quotes on our website coupled with the regular updates and the individual franchisee web pages.

Were franchisees involved with implementing the marketing plan?

Absolutely, many of the areas involved their input and still do – but they see the results so continue to do so.

What advice would you give franchisees for developing a marketing plan?

Start by looking at your customers – what are they using Facebook, Twitter etc then look at your local general directories and industry specific. These things are free but do take time but Head Office should provide templates for you to work from. Set aside a specific amount of time each week for updates and sending information into Head Office for them to use. Always get email data from your customers and leads and use a soft sell email campaign. Provide them with helpful information not the hard sell; customers are far more informed now with all this information at their finger tips so be the specialist in your area not the heavy salesman. Plan your campaigns with realistic time scales – you are running a business as well after all and of course run it past Head Office for their guidance and support.

Are new franchisees encouraged to do their own marketing? Are they offered support in this regard from the franchisor?

Starting your new franchise is a very busy and exciting time. During training we work with the franchisee to develop their own ongoing marketing plan using all the templates and marketing materials provided on our extranet and the bespoke systems within the network. With The Wheel Specialist the actual start up campaigns and PR are all set up by Head Office so the franchisee can hit the deck running and therefore during the initial start up period have time settle in to all areas of their new business. We try and make it as easy as possible so all the initial hard work has been done.

Posted in Head Office News, Technical Questions, The Wheel Specialist Franchise Opportunity, Uncategorized

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