Page 116 - Australasian Paint & Panel magazine Nov-Dec 2021

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BEST PRACTICE AWARDS
PAINT&PANEL NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2021 WWW.PAINTANDPANEL.COM.AU
OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE
SAMPSONS CAR REPAIRS
THIS A GREAT LITTLE THIRD GENERATION BUSINESS IN TAMWORTH, NSW THAT HAS REALLY UPPED IT GAME AND BECOMES THE FIRST REGIONAL SHOP TO WIN THIS AWARD.
the shop and the parts delivery – I know we were on zoom but I genuinely think you could eat off the floor and any other surface in this shop.
The Lowbake prep bays and booths are only a few years old says Jodie but they look like they were installed yester- day. They are finished all in the Samp- son red and the branding goes through- out the shop.
They keep a colour record of every job that they do on the computer with job numbers and paint codes which makes it quick and efficient to find that colour again for repeat customers. They use iBodyshop to run everything efficiently and even use the clocking on and off function.
The panel shop is plain and simple, well lit and well equipped. Although they only repair around 10 cars per week we’re talking heavy hits here. There aren’t that many car park kisses in these parts but a lot of Kanagroo KOs. To fu- ture proof their staff needs they have two apprentices and they all take part in regular training that includes I-CAR and AkzoNobel training and believe in re- wards for team effort. They also under- take restorations. In addition to the 80% insurance work through the doors and the restorations they also have clients such as local dealerships and Tamworth town council.
They pride themselves on the quality of work and a high level of customer ser- vice – many repairers do. The fact that if insurers have a problem vehicle that needs rectification they come to them speaks volumes as does their 5.0 Google rating. It maybe be small but its opera- tionally beautiful.
T
HIS AWARD HAS, UNTIL LAST
year, been awarded to large shops. Yes, smaller shops are easier to run – less staff, less everything but they also have the challenges of working efficiently in a small space, having less staff to rely on and in
this case also being out in the country. Sampson Car Repairs was a strong con- tender for Best Country Shop NSW. The business was started by Luke Sampson’s grandfather back in 1962 and wife Jodie joined the business around 10 years ago.
ABOVE: Spotless workshop. RIGHT: The Sampson strongman is a local landmark.
The couple have been at the helm of Samp- sons for around five years now. Jodie has a background in marketing (hence the great website) and runs the business while Luke, a paint tech by trade, does the estimating and runs the workshop.
They make the most of being the only repairer in the CBD and the large Samp- son strong man painted on the exterior is a local landmark.
In the often crowded Metro market you really need to make an effort to stand out, you don’t really have those concerns in the countryside yet so many country repairers have invested in fu- ture-proofing their businesses and can give their Metro counterparts a real run for their money.
Jodie says she and Luke are OCD when it comes to being clean and tidy and she’s really not exaggerating.
The outside is smart, professional and freshly painted with plenty of customer parking. The paintshop is at the front of
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