ChipsAway owner’s shining example earns him a Great British Franchisee Award
05-October-2022
As a soldier, Andrew Darby knew how to keep his body in shape - and he’s spent 21 years in Civvy Street keeping other people’s car bodies in shape so successfully that he’s just won a Great British Franchisee Award.
The owner of ChipsAway in Cambridge and Huntingdon has built up his business from a single mobile man-and-van operation to three, added new territories to his original franchise area, and opened a car care centre as well as an accident repair centre, creating jobs as well as greater profits.
Unusually, his business was hardly touched by the pandemic.
“We’re quite lucky because most of our work is carried out outside a customer’s house or place of work,” he says. “We don’t even need to contact them face-to-face to estimate/repair or take payment.
“We’ve all adapted due to Covid but as we’ve always been a fairly at-distance repairer, we haven’t had to change too much.
“We saw a bit of a dip in business as there were fewer cars on the road, but the biggest difference we’ve had from a technical point of view is that cars are becoming more and more intelligent, and the manufacturers are putting more and more in them.
“It isn’t a matter of just turning up and doing a bumper scuff now. That bumper might have some different sensors in it, so we need to be aware and repair around it.”
Andrew gives much of the credit for his award to the team he’s built around him.
“Without them, the business wouldn’t be what it is. They’re guys I can trust to do things correctly, operate things correctly, deal with customers correctly.
“I like to think I set a high standard and all the guys who’ve come in after me have maintained that in the way they do their job and deal with customers.
“We’re not just guys who go out and spray bumper scuffs anymore. Times are changing and so is technology, so I insist they’re all well-trained and up to speed on what cars are doing and how we can repair them.
“The guys have been with me for years and they are some of the best in the business.
“The British weather forces us inside quite a lot, so I identified there was a need to move into premises.
“We weren’t able to do certain repairs 15 years ago so moved into a small unit. Then people who’d damaged their cars more substantially and needed bigger repairs led us to open a bodyshop.
“The award means we’re doing things right, which we know, but it’s nice to hear other people tell you that.”
The Great British Franchisee Awards recognise franchisees’ exceptional performance and business experience, ability to drive business growth, staff retention, customer satisfaction, community involvement, inspired leadership, and franchise involvement.
The awards are run by whichfranchise, supported by Lloyds Bank, BDO, AMO Consulting and Chantry Group.