Keith is one of the last of the traditionally trained Appys. Their average age he says, is now 57 and the new guys coming up through the learnerships are just not adequately trained to do the job. Their studies are too theoretical, too classroom based. The range of problems they are faced with is too small. Also, when a good guy does eventually come along, the scarcity of skills means he is soon head-hunted and wanting the money, leaves you.
Keith himself qualified as both a Diesel and Petrol Mechanic and right from the first job with Ford back in 1972, found himself confronted with virtually every kind of problem one could face. That was more than forty years ago now, and hence his experience is second to none.
What Keith likes most about his work is having his head under the bonnet. But at the same he knows that the customer’s personal needs are as important as his car needs (and he wishes he could find more staff who would think like this). Would he go back to the corporate world where he spent most of his career? Never. No regrets, but never.
Reflecting on the changes in that world Keith puts his finger on the button – they’ve moved to trying to measure everything, and incentive efficiency in particular, to the detriment of simple relationships. And so just as one behaviour or another is promoted, other things fall through the cracks and inevitably the customer is removed from being at the centre.
Like Mark from Berg Protection, Keith tries to get involved in community activities like the SPCA and Howick Hospice. And at the end of the day, it is this, a genuine interest in people, that has seen his business grow and grow in just a few short months.
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