Dorking Service Centre Tel: 01306 747050

Despite the severe weather conditions. Sid Swaine Managing Director paid tribute to those that made it to work, most of whom were on time - amazing!

Of particular note were the efforts of Steve Brockwell, who will have looked after most of our customers at some point. Steve had to turn back home as the A24 was blocked by immobile vehicles, most would have probably phoned in, not Steve. Armed with waterproofs and a bicycle he road the 15 miles to work, three hours in total and was here to support the team and our customers by 8.30am. What outstanding commitment – well done and thank you Steve.

By Thursday the roads cleared a little, we had a full team once again and I convey my thanks and gratitude to all the staff that came to work when the easy option would have been to stay at home! I also thank those colleagues that tried but through no fault of their own were unable to get in.

So how did the snow affect DSC?

We like most had much snow to clear; we were unable to park vehicles already in our workshop until we cleared some parking bays. Then we had to clear the snow off customers' cars before taking them into the workshop. The snow melts once inside, its not very pleasant working under a dripping car, and becomes dangerous walking on a very slippery floor!

Whilst some of our customers built snowmen, we prepared the site to receive those that had broken down and I am delighted that we were here, able and ready to help. By Thursday we started to return to a modicum of normality when disaster struck - we ran out of milk……….24hrs later all was well!

What about parts supply – you guessed it, the suppliers didn’t want to drive in the treacherous conditions – so we had customers’ cars to repair but no parts!!!!

By Wednesday we were able to begin reinstating customers’ cars making them mobile once again.

These conditions have caused severe disruption to many businesses, the cost probably will not be known for some time, without a dedicated team of staff and loyal customers we would not be in business. I take this opportunity of saying a big thank you to everybody for their understanding and continued loyalty during these testing conditions.

Click on the images below to see how we ensured that we were open on time and ready for our customers:

MD Sid Swaine receives award from Howard PriceDorking Service Centre Ltd on South Street in Dorking, a member of the Bosch Car Service network, is celebrating this week after gaining recognition of their superior quality performance

The firm has achieved a perfect score in their recent, independently conducted assessment of the garage's quality control systems and customer-handling practices. Participation in this rigorous assessment is one of the many mandatory measures required of the garage as a part of their membership of the Bosch car Service programme.

On Monday 2nd February the worst snow for 18 years arrived and caused chaos across the London and the South East but despite this, the team that has made Dorking Service Centre Independent Garage of the year for two consecutive years ensured that we were open at 8.00am as normal.
With cars like the Volvo XC70 4x4 (in the foreground) and the Mercedes CLK Convertible in the showroom we can supply the right car for all seasons!Just a little bit of snow to clear !

We are proud to announce that we are again this year’s winner of one of the most prestigious awards in the UK motor industry – the ‘Independent Garage of the Year’ award – for the second year running!

Beating off stiff competition from garages across the UK to win the title in the Motor Trader Industry Awards 2008; the second year in a row that we have won the accolade, putting us in the perfect position to attempt a hat trick in 2009.

The UK’s ‘Independent Garage of the Year 2007’ – Dorking Service Centre on South Street – has put an iconic London black cab on the road to transport its customers in style.

Dorking Service Centre is part of the Bosch Car Service network – the UK’s leading group of independent garages with over 400 members.

The highly distinctive Fairway cab has been fully refurbished and carries eye-catching all-over advertising for the company. It’s being used to take customers to their homes, workplace or even to the railway station after they’ve dropped off their cars for servicing or repair and to collect them again when the work is completed.

“With this London black cab we’ve brought a classic piece of British culture to the streets of Dorking and it’s certainly making heads turn,” says Sid Swaine, Managing Director of Dorking Service Centre.

“It’s quite a novelty to see one of these cabs in the leafy suburbs of Surrey and our customers really appreciate the comfort and convenience of travelling in it, saying it makes them feel special.

“An added bonus is that it gives us free advertising whether outside the railway station picking up a customer, collecting them from their place of business, or simply parked outside our own premises. We’ll also put it on display at local fetes, school events and other public events.”

Putting the cab on the road is typical of the innovative approach that Dorking Service Centre takes to customer care and which won it the title ‘Independent Garage of the Year’. Since opening in February 2004 the company has introduced numerous imaginative ideas to make it easier for customers to get their cars serviced or repaired and to reward them for their loyalty.

As a result it has attended to more than 7,000 vehicles in just three and a half years and given back to customers more than £20,000 in loyalty discounts since January 2007. It has targeted local businesses, schools and other organisations offering free vehicle collection and return so that the customers suffer little or no disruption to their working day, and it sends all customers a Christmas card with vouchers they can redeem during the year to help meet their car servicing costs.

“Now that EU rules allow car owners to get their cars serviced at a place of their choosing without compromising their warranty, they can come to us and save money, compared to a franchised dealer,” says Sid. “The Bosch sign over the door means they can be sure of quality work and value-for-money prices.”