Oldfields Garage pulls out all the stops this Christmas

Friday 13th December 2024

Yesterday was a day to remember here at Oldfields Garage! We took on one of the most unusual and challenging jobs we’ve ever faced, and we’re proud to say it’s all sorted just in time.

From unexpected faults to an epic parts run that took us further than we’ve ever been, this was no ordinary day in the workshop. But thanks to our amazing team and the support of some fantastic partners, we pulled it off!

What was the job? Who was the customer? You’ll have to watch the video to find out…

The four-minute production, titled “Customer Needs It Fixing Before Christmas”, tells the story of a mystery vehicle arriving at Oldfields Garage in urgent need of repairs. The team faces a series of unusual faults, including a ‘chimney clog warning light,’ while garage owner Tim Benson embarks on a humorous quest through traffic jams, roadworks, and even a helicopter ride to source rare parts.

The big reveal at the end shows the customer to be none other than Santa Claus himself, delighted to have his vehicle fully repaired and ready for Christmas Eve deliveries.

“We had so much fun making this video,” said Tim Benson, Managing Director of Oldfields Garage. “It’s a light-hearted way to demonstrate the extraordinary lengths we go to for our customers, whether they’re local residents or the big man in red himself.”

The production featured the support of Herefordshire-based Tiger Helicopters, which provided the helicopter for Tim’s dramatic parts collection, and Hereford Young Farmers, who lent the sleigh and tractor seen in key scenes.

“We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who helped make this festive video a reality,” said Tim. “The support from our partners has been outstanding, and this was our way of showing our appreciation. From Tiger Helicopters and RCA Bowen with the sleigh to the many other contributors featured throughout the video, it was a true team effort. Their involvement made this project both possible and unforgettable, and we can’t thank them enough for their enthusiasm and backing throughout 2024.”

It’s certainly been a milestone year for us, having earned five prestigious awards in 2024, including the Outstanding Garage Achievement Award at the Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF) Pride of the Aftermarket Awards earlier this month.

Thank you to all of our customers for their support. From all the team here at Oldfields, have a very Merry Christmas!

Our Owen named UK’s youngest EV-qualified mechanic

Wednesday 17th July 2024

Our very own apprentice mechanic, Owen Lloyd has become the youngest vehicle technician in the UK independent sector to be awarded with an Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) Level 3 qualification in hybrid and electric vehicles at just 19 years of age.

Remarkably, Owen achieved the milestone before completing his Level 3 apprenticeship, which he’s currently finishing at Herefordshire, Ludlow and North Shropshire College while gaining hands-on experience at Oldfields Garage in Leominster.

“I want to stay up to date, and it seems electric vehicles (EVs) are going to be increasingly important,” said Owen. “Not many garages have EV qualifications around here, so it’s a big advantage having that box ticked, and it’s amazing to think that I’m the youngest in the country with this qualification.”

Owen has one final exam in August before completing his apprenticeship, when he plans to take on a full-time role here at Oldfields Garage.

Garage owner, Tim Benson said: “We’re extremely proud of Owen on this achievement. This is an exciting time for young people to join the industry, especially with the rapid advancements in vehicle technology. Owen’s success demonstrates the potential that apprentices have when given the opportunity to grow and feel valued within a business.”

With the increasing prevalence of hybrid and electric vehicles (EVs) on Herefordshire’s roads, we’re continuing to invest in the training and equipment needed to service and repair today’s increasingly advanced vehicles.

Tim added: “These credentials ensure that technicians at Oldfields Garage are equipped with the latest knowledge and skills to safely and effectively service and repair even the most advanced vehicles. By investing in EV training, we’re not just preparing for the future; we’re ensuring our customers receive the highest level of care and expertise, no matter what type of vehicle they drive.”

We now have the capability to MOT, service and repair any hybrid or EV.

Luke Garratt, UK Technical Services Manager at Delphi, where Owen completed his Level 3 qualification in hybrid and EVs, said: “Owen should be incredibly proud of his accomplishment. Completing the EV IMI Level 3 qualification at such a young age, and before even finishing his apprenticeship, is a testament to his dedication and hard work.”

2023, what a year it’s been!

Wednesday 27th December 2023

As we head towards 2024, I’m really not sure where to start with my review of 2023, because it’s been one of our best yet!

I’d like to say a huge thank you to our customers for entrusting us with their vehicles, year after year. Our team try really hard to provide the best experience possible and this is shown through our customer satisfaction NPS score again being 94 for the entire year from 664 customer surveys – a staggering number in NPS terms because it goes from -100 to 100. While 95.8% of our 664 customers are “Very Satisfied” with us overall, we don’t get everything right and we’ll all be working hard to continue to develop, improve where we can and most importantly maintain the high levels of service we aim for.

Our team have done brilliantly in terms of industry recognition again this year, as Oldfields were shortlisted for 3 national awards finals. Automechanika “Garage of the Year”, Independent Garage Association “Community Engagement” and for the second year running “Top Garage.” This year we WON Top Garage 2023. Reaching any final in a national competition is an amazing achievement for the team and for us to actually win the most prestigious award in the country for our category is fantastic recognition. We’ve just been told we’ve reached another shortlist for February next year, so we’ll be looking to continue this progress into 2024.

We’ve continued to develop our Team with Chris gaining EV & Hybrid Level 3, Sam becoming an MOT tester and Katie attending The Road to Technical Service Advisor training at Tech Topics. We’ve also introduced two team staples to our month, BBQ Friday and Chippy Friday – it’s been so well received, it happens even when I’m not there.

We continue to contribute to the local community sponsoring Leominster in Bloom again, supporting the Food Bank and St Michaels Hospice as our Christmas Donation in lieu of cards and we’ve continued to support Luctonians Rugby Club, this time by agreeing to be Main Sponsors of the Female Team, Luctonians Vixens for the next 3 year years as they entered their first competitive league season. I’ve really enjoyed going down to support them, they are a great bunch and are developing and improving quickly!

It’s not all been positive though, Andy who has been our main MOT tester for nearly 10 years retired, a little earlier than expected and primarily due to health concerns. I hope he is able to enjoy his retirement; spend time on his hobbies and with family when he can.

Personally, I’ve had a lot of opportunities this year. I’ve been able to support some brilliant charities with some amazing friends. Five of us hiked a Marathon in the Wye Valley for Macmillan, raising nearly £5500 and over 50 of us hiked a challenging route through the Peak District for BEN – The Automotive Charity raising over £12,000. I’ve also Run as Santa with my family and friends for St Michaels Hospice. Next year will be interesting because I’ve agreed to do another hike and I will also be able to complete an ambition of mine to run the London Marathon with my friend Gareth, receiving a place through BEN – The Automotive Charity. We’ve already started fundraising and are sitting at just over £7000 between us, just in case here’s a blatant plug for sponsorship > Tim’s London Marathon Sponsorship

I’ve been invited to speak at several Automotive Industry event’s through the year The Blend Conference, Schaeffler RepXpert Academy Live and Automechanika to name a few along with visiting and working with some brilliant companies and organisations in the Automotive Aftermarket to help provide a garage perspective on the industry. I was able to attend the F1 British Grand Prix in possibly the best seats on the circuit and a Palmersport Racing Day thanks to the LKQ Euro Car Parts and I had the opportunity to visit the HQ and some production facilities of Original Equipment supplier Schaeffler, finding out about their history, quality processes and production scale in Germany, along with Sinatec in the Netherlands to understand their concept for consumables and how this will work in the UK.

I want to finish by thanking our suppliers who have been integral to our business development and of course our amazing team, without them none of this would have been possible. Let’s look forward to 2024 and the opportunities it will bring – we’ll see you on the 2nd January!

Best wishes, Tim

#NotYourAverageGarage