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The Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation

OESAA member Brembo inspires workshop confidence and practice improvements following visit

Date: Thursday 27 May 2021

The owner of Avia Autos has hailed Original Equipment Supplier Aftermarket Association (OESAA) member, Brembo, for its professionalism and influence during a visit to her workshop.

Hayley Pells and her team welcomed Brembo Aftermarket Area Manager, Siti Abdullah, to her workshop, who provided comprehensive business, marketing and technical advice and demonstrations throughout her stay.

Hayley, whose award-winning Avia Autos workshop is an OESAA Garage Forum member, heralded Siti’s trip as “rewarding” and “thought-provoking” and, following her recommendations, has implemented a series of workshop practice improvements and bolstered her assortment of consumables and hand tools.

‘Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) go the extra mile’
As part of the visit, Hayley and her team conducted a front brake disc and pad replacement on a Renault Mégane.

Step-by-step, such as checking the connected parts to exclude any external issues that might cause brake issues in the future, stressing the importance of measuring components to ensure a ‘complete repair’ and using the appropriate tools to clean and replace the necessary parts, Siti observed and advised accordingly to ensure an accurate and professional job.

Siti said:

“Part of our discussion was the lengths that OEMs go to guarantee the quality of brakes, which is a safety-critical product; for example, infrared cameras are used to find structural flaws, OEMs are given tolerances and the performance of the surrounding parts, so the OE part will perform to the exact requirement of the vehicle – no guess work or reverse engineering.
“There is no compromise on performance or durability of OE, which provides customers with the highest safety levels and value-for-money.”

Hayley added:

“Having a job on the ramp and being able to start from scratch was a valuable continuing professional development experience. I was very impressed with the amount of technology involved in the disc and pad kit; Siti’s depth of product knowledge was impressive, no-less expected from someone entrenched in an OEM business, and I enjoyed learning about the production process.
“I was also pleased to see that the fitting kit was included, as presenting a ‘hidden cost’ when the original retaining clips cannot be repurposed can be an awkward conversation with the motorist.”

Start of a long-term relationship with Brembo
Siti shared details of the Brembo Expert programme with the Avia Autos team and how workshops could increase knowledge. Learning can be logged and assessed, and, as a result, it can be communicated to motorists, which Hayley described as an “excellent marketing tool”.

Hayley said she is excited at prospect of developing the working relationship with Brembo, as she continues her campaign in championing the use of OE products at workshop level.

Such as her eagerness, Hayley is close to completing her Brembo Expert training and has already starting to think about a digital marketing strategy to continue the “story-telling” style that has proven effective and complements Avia Autos’ passion for fitting OE – the core message of her business.

Hayley also revealed how Siti’s guidance has given her a “significant” confidence boost:

“I feel more confident in my use of language when it comes to diagnosing and discussing specific brake issues with customers – I can articulate what the root cause of problems are or what they’re attributed to.
“As motorists seek to keep their cars for longer, it is important my team and I ready to correctly advise on long-term vehicular health – braking being one of the principal areas of concern.
“Upselling is fast becoming a relic, and I am glad to see the back of that style of sales strategy in the industry. ‘Right-selling’ will protect motorist engagement and, regardless of powertrain, all vehicles will still be required to steer, stop and stick to the road. If technicians are unsure of which area of technology to invest time for training, they should always have time for brakes.”