There are few businesses in Swale that can boast the same impressive longevity of A2 Tyre Supplies, which has now entered its 41st year of trading.
The company’s main business has always been basic vehicle maintenance, such as tyre and battery fitting; however the recent addition of their new mechanical centre means that they are also able to offer servicing and other vehicle maintenance such as fixing exhausts, suspension and clutches.
Director Kevin Lorton leads a team of 25 employees, which includes 16 vehicle technicians. He spoke about why A2 Tyre Supplies has remained such a mainstay of the Swale business community: “We have worked to keep the core of our service consistent, whilst at the same time finding ways to diversify so that we can offer our customers more. One element of this is our mechanical centre, and another is that we now have two mobile fitting vans for car and commercial tyres. We have a huge customer base, not only in the UK but on the continent too. We still get customers coming to us saying that they have been using us since 1975!”
Despite the business’ size, one of the key reasons for it’s longevity is that it is still a true family business. The fourth generation of the family is now working in the business, with the third generation taking charge as the second generation retires over the next few years!
Customer service is key to the success of any business, and A2 Tyres places a strong emphasis on this. They hold regular training days for staff to keep them informed of the products or services that are sold so that they can confidently talk about them. They have an external company that will regularly “mystery shop” over the phone and in their buildings, with this feedback used to train staff where necessary or just provide positive feedback on a job well done. Social media is also a crucial element of customer interaction, with the team responding to all comments whether they be good, bad or neutral. This has obviously paid off as they currently have a feedback rating of 4.9 out of 5 on Google and 4.8 out of 5 on Facebook.
Kevin discussed why he felt A2 Tyre Supplies were a strong contender for Swale Business of the Year “we pride ourselves on extremely high levels of customer service and ensuring that our customers are treated right. Our main objective is ensuring that every customer leaves us with a smile on their face having exceeded their expectations. We also like to help out in the community and regularly hold free events like for example our ‘Vehicle Safety Evening’, which is intended to train and educate owners on the basics of car maintenance and how to change a wheel safely.”
A2 Tyre Supplies Ltd
Unit 3/2 Tribune Drive
Trinity Trading Estate
Sittingbourne
Kent
01795 475200
www.a2tyres.co.uk