JB: You always had a focus on tyres at Ford Retail. Was this required in the US?

CH: Wherever you’ve got a dealership in the US, you are surrounded by dozens of Jiffy Lubes (franchised service centres). Every petrol station offers tyre pressure gauges and from my office in Anaheim, you would pass six or seven tyre centres off the freeway.

So, every dealer has a fixed view on never losing the tyre business. And I believed at Ford Retail that if you lost this business, you would lose everything else in aftersales.

Tyres are complex, but customers are aware of what they cost. So if you try to put a massive margin on tyres, you’re not going to win that business. If you sell a lot of tyres and make it convenient and a good price then it’s good for the business.

 

JB: You’ve returned from the US, but work for the same company. It must have advantages, seeing things from both sides.

CH: Yes, I think it’s twofold. I bring the US experience, but I haven’t been away so long that I’ve lost touch with what goes on here, so I can put a perspective on it. And I’ve established a network of contacts in Group 1, leading edge contacts in areas like F&I and IT and the internet. I’ve experienced the American market and I’ve learned a number of things and I think it has probably made me see what the potentials are when you have optimism that is so high.

 

JB: How can you instil in the UK the attitude and enthusiasm you experienced in the US?

CH: My job is leadership of the operations; it’s something I’ve done before, going back to my Dutton Forshaw days, where I ran a multi-franchise operation. I’m focused at Group 1 on managing the relationships with the different franchises.

The fundamentals of the business are getting the right people moving in the right direction, getting them feeling valued and accountable for what they do. I think it’s a combination of 30 years in the UK. It’s not all about two years in America, but more than 30 years’ work in the UK.