The next entrant in the 2019 awards is both a stalwart of the Swale business community and the awards themselves, having previously entered the awards a number of times including picking up the win for “Customer Service and Commitment” in 2013.
A2 Tyre Supplies offers tyres and batteries to the general public and wholesale to businesses from their four different locations. With a head office in Sittingbourne the business has wholesale customers as far afield as Dorset. A2 Tyre Supplies also has mechanical centres carrying out MOTs and general repairs in both Sittingbourne and Sheppey.
44 is the magic number for A2 Tyre Supplies as the business has been trading for 44 years and they have now grown to employ 44 members of staff. The business is still owned and run by the Lorton family. Luke Stephens, Area Manager for A2 Tyres explained how the business worked hard to provide a great environment for his team: “Training of staff is very important and we recognise that. We will often have external companies come in to deliver training, on topics such as product knowledge, which is crucial as it enables our staff to talk confidently about the products and services that we offer. I know that some companies are fearful of training staff because they think that with more knowledge and training the individual may use this to their advantage and seek employment elsewhere. Our philosophy is that we will train our staff to the point where they could potentially leave but we treat them well enough so that they want to stay. This then shines through to the customer, they will feel valued and the chances are they will return.”
As a business, A2 Tyre Supplies puts a huge focus on supporting the local community. One such initiative undertaken is offering training to inmates from the local prisons to assist in getting them ready to return to society with the skills to get a job. They also provide tyres for free to Sittingbourne community first responders who assist the ambulance service.
As with all businesses, customer service is crucial. However, A2 Tyres feel that the level of service that they offer to their customers really sets them apart. Luke elaborated: “We have a can do attitude towards our customers and will go above and beyond to ensure our customers’ satisfaction. Examples of this will be lending customers our own cars if we do not have tyres in stock or in the event of a breakdown. Giving customers lifts to work or collecting them from work whilst their car is being repaired or worked on, we do this so that the customer is inconvenienced as little as possible.”
Finally, when asked why he felt that his business should win Swale Business of the Year, Luke responded: “We believe that we deserve to win the Swale Business of the Year award due to our massive growth in the last 4 years and it will be nice for our staff to see what a massive impact their efforts have had on our business. Also we feel that our unrivalled customer service deserves to be recognised. We also put a lot of emphasis on looking after our staff, something that a lot of big companies overlook nowadays.”
A2 Tyre Supplies
Unit 3/2 Tribune Drive
Trinity Trading Estate
Sittingbourne
ME10 2PG
01795 475200
www.a2tyres.co.uk