Manufacturer relationships

Consistency with your partners is essential when operating a business and this is a big positive for Unity.

Mathers said: “Subaru and Isuzu have been incredibly consistent with their mindset and ethos. “We adopt all of their new procedures, policies, digital media, web rules, and not surprisingly we’re always in the top three for volume.

“We’re one of their most profitable dealers. Rather than fighting against it, we embrace everything they give us because you can’t change things you can’t change.”

The strength of the yen is one of those issues Mathers can’t change. But rather than creating cash offers or low rate finance, the business has developed ways of engaging with customers long term.

Every single person who buys a car, new or used, from Unity will get 50 years of free breakdown recovery.

Mathers said: “There are no tricks, there are no catches and it’s not seen as a brand discount or anything else, it’s very simple. You keep that car for 50 years and we’ll still cover it. All you have to do is have your annual service and an MoT with us, that’s it. We’re trying to be different, because I don’t want to discount cars, I want to sell them for as much money as I possibly can.”

Unity Automotive uses the net promoter system (NPS) throughout its business. Rather than just use it just for service, it’s used at every stage of the business - for test drives, parts invoice and lost customers. If a customer buys from a different franchise it asks them why.
Mathers said: “We are incredibly proud of our feedback and recommending to a friend or a colleague is so vital in getting what NPS is all about, it’s vital to our business.”

Future growth

The next generation of Unity dealer principals are being nurtured and Mathers has guaranteed those positions.

As the business looks to grow to five Subaru dealerships before the end of 2013, Unity will have talent in place to lead those dealerships with Mathers’ processes.

Unity is an acquisitive business looking to expand, but Mathers is conscious of not wanting to grow too quickly, but he will be taking loyal members of staff with him on the journey.

He said: “We’ll start to grow a bit faster and as we pick up speed the guys in the top positions will mean everyone under them gets to shift up one place because I’m incredibly loyal to the people who are already loyal to me.

“I wouldn’t go out to the market and find myself a new dealer principal when I’ve spent 10 years mentoring people under me who understand how I tick and they know how I like to do things because I do have some particular quirks. I like everything just so.

Everything has to be perpendicular. I’m an attention to detail freak, I really like the detail side of the business.”

The group’s long-term future is with Subaru and Isuzu, but additional growth could come from SsangYong, which was added to the business in Peterborough.
Mathers said: “SsangYong’s business could grow quite significantly over the next three years.”

Making staff feel part of the business

Mathers fell in love with the concept of things like the John Lewis Partnership and having a business where everyone feels like they’re a part of it.

Every person at Unity Automotive has a chance to share in the profits of the business. It goes throughout the business based on selling and saving.

Mathers said: “If you can eke out the lifespan of a tool or piece of equipment, brilliant. If you can upsell that lifeshine to a customer, great. It’s about measuring things that have worked because when everyone’s looking at that £50 spent on an advert the rewards from it will be split 16 ways, so there’s always a global picture.”

Mathers believes staff engagement is also built through mutual respect. He said: “I would never ask anybody to do something that I wouldn’t do myself. And every time I come into the business I will make sure it’s spick and span. I clean the floor, I’ll empty the coffee machine. I will do those jobs. I will work the late hours, I’ll do the shows and I’ll do the shows that no-one else wants to do. I put myself at the front of the business. And I think people respect that if they’ve got a leader who they can believe in and they can trust.”

Mathers also makes sure the staff have fun with track days, go-karting and off-roading. As he puts it: “It’s a competitive environment, but this isn’t some high-pressure steam cooker of a dealership”.

Turning a passion into a business

Jon Mathers’ passion for racing has been incorporated into the business with his Pro R Subaru parts and specialist servicing operation.

Mathers said: “I’ll turn up on a Saturday when I’m not even scheduled to be there and just tinker around and be with the guys in the workshop because I genuinely like it.

“My life is intermingled and this isn’t a job to me. I get to play with great cars and drive them around and then drive them on track.
“And the racing is great, it’s been great for the business, it’s been great for our aftersales, it’s been great for our aftermarket because it gives us the credibility.

“If we can build 621bhp engines that can run a whole season, we can certainly maintain your 2.0-litre units.”

The business gets a lot of specialist engine building work because of its reputation.

Unity Automotive formula for success

- Invest in domain specific web addresses to increase online traffic and improve search engine optimisation
- CRM system which manages all customer interaction ensuring a consistent message
- Service, parts and sales work in unison
- Service department replicates the sales environment with matching furniture and employee clothing
- Discover and Develop programme for all staff
- All staff share in profits from the group
- Create unique offers for customers rather than discount deals
- Engage with customers on a regularly basis