Why a good first impression puts PMB on the right track

By John Challen

Paul Marsh and Matt Betts learned a lot about retailing from their time working at Snows on the south coast. But, as well finding out what to do to make a success of a business, they also realised the potential pitfalls and the mistakes that are made along the way.
So, when the time came for the two to come together to form PMB Automotive Enthusiasts, the plan was clear. Take pride in the product, the business and the image that they portray.
“I think we both got a bit frustrated with the auto retail industry, or certainly some of the main retailers who seemed to be going away from what was important and instead focusing purely on how they can maximise the return on every deal,” says Paul. “That how things should be viewed, but not when you stop thinking about or looking at the simple smaller details. We would be stuck in meetings, taking about how we can be more profitable, when we should’ve been getting on doing the work to get that profit into the business.”
For Matt, leaving Snows and spending nearly a year away in an account manager role allowed him to gain valuable industry experience. “It was in the independent sector and I thought, if I love the job, great – but, if not, I would get to get to see who’s out there doing what at the moment,” he explains “I had quite a good breadth experience from main retailers and brands as diverse as Toyota, Mazda, Ferrari and MINI and I found myself looking after around 50 retailers from Plymouth to Chichester. During that time, I stayed in touch with Paul told him that I couldn’t believe what I was seeing and that some people just didn’t have a clue.”

People pleasers
One of the biggest issues that Matt and Paul saw was how customers were dealt with. “I’d be in the office hearing sales staff take calls and the absolute disdain they would have for customers when they called was eye-opening,” reveals Matt. “They wanted to sell the cars, but also seemed annoyed that a potential customer was ringing up and wanted to speak to someone about them! And then there was the levels of cleanliness, which, let’s just say, left a lot to be desired.”
Fast forward to June 2023 and Paul left Snows, setting up PMB a month later, initially run out of an office in his back garden. “We just took our main dealer philosophy of customer care and brought that to the independent sector,” he explains. “Basically, we just knew that if we carried across our standards and levels that we operated at to the cars that we were selling – and adopt the basics of customer service, would would have a good chance at success. And things just grew from there.”

Down to the details
One year after setting up the business, Matt and Paul moved into their own premises – an impressive one on first impressions, purely because they were determined to get the basics right. “The biggest contrast between a main dealer and an independent from a customer experience point of view is that the cars are normally outside at an independent,” says Paul. “Here, we’ve got them all inside to look at, which creates a much nicer experience. Also, smaller operations typically have a portacabin as an office – and there’s nothing wrong with that, because some of them are great. But a lot of them are really untidy, cold and not very welcoming. It’s not a good starting point if you are trying to sell a car, which is why we wanted a permeant building to represent our business.”
Personal appearance is also something that has been important for the duo. “I wouldn’t say we had a uniform, but we’re always going to be wearing something that shows we work here,” says Matt. “It will have our name on it, so people know who were are and who we represent. Appearance is really important for customers, but you have to do it right. I’ve worked at Ferrari, where you’re wearing three piece suits, and I think that is so outdated now and possibly too much. There’s a definite sweet spot of casual dress and it being obvious that you work for the business.”
A pair of Chesterfield sofas and a relaxing coffee area feature at PMB HQ, a clever acquisition by Paul and Matt. “One of them cost us nothing because we picked up on Facebook marketplace for free – and the other one was a a few hundred pounds,” says Paul. “Everyone comments on the sofas when they come in – and it’s such a simple thing to help create the right impression. If you’re going into a main dealer, you’re going to into a nice showroom and have a coffee – but you don’t often get that in the independent world. We wanted to break the mould and set a new standard.”

Proper preparation
When it comes to the cars, there’s also a high level of expectation and attention to detail. “We have a process that we agreed upon from day one: we won’t advertise a car until it’s ready and fully prepped,” reveals Paul. “So, basically, if somebody comes along to see a car, they can take it there and then. We want to be honest and transparent with people – and that means telling potential customers what we’ve done to the car since we acquired it – sort of like a health and safety report of the car’s time with us. We haven’t got a workshop or anything here, so we use either an specialist or main retailer for our prep. Through the contacts Matt and I have, we will know someone who works for pretty much most agents, so we can book them in and get the cars done at a sensible price. We pride ourselves on the highest standards, which gives the customers more confidence in us.”