Before Christmas, our editor, Tom Henman, jumped on a train and took a trip up north. His first stop was to York, where he’d organised a visit to YMF Car Parts. An IFA member since 1994 and open for business 25 years earlier than that, YMF is an established and well-known name in the automotive aftermarket. With a rich history and four directors with answers to questions, it was a lengthy discussion; therefore, this is the first of a two-part interview.
Sit back, grab a coffee and relax – this is a good one! I arranged the interview with YMF Car Parts Director, Matthew Pope, who I’d built a rapport with following a collaboration with Yorkshire-based remanufacturer and a familiar name to Professional Motor Factor readers, Autoelectro.
I assumed the interview would be one-on- one – how wrong I was! Not only was I thrust in front of Matthew, but I was greeted by fellow directors, James Fletcher and Tom O’Brien – unfortunately, Commercial and Joint Managing Director, Lee Jones, was unavailable on the day, but he did provide written answers to questions submitted beforehand.
With a lot of voices, it could have been a chaotic interview, but the senior management team were in sync. They’d discussed the questions and allocated a person to each topic. That preparation, harmony and ability to bounce off each other worked – and, as I discovered during our two-hour meeting, is how the directors co-ordinate the business.
Expansion
YMF was founded by husband and wife team, Bill and Mary O’Brien. The original premises were the result of a renovation of an old, modest butcher’s shop in Layerthorpe, York.
Currently, YMF has sites in York, Malton (opened in 2000), Selby (2011), Scarborough (2013), Poppleton (2018) and Harrogate (2021).
The branch in Harrogate was the first time YMF had strayed from an area where customers may not have been aware of the brand because it hadn’t delivered there – but the shuttle links and number of garages in the area made it a good fit. What’s more, YMF is confident of its ability to deliver outstanding service.
The Harrogate branch was also born during the COVID-19 era – just to throw an extra curveball into the mix! It’s a period that affected businesses in different ways; obviously, some were forced to shut, while others were able to remain open as key workers.
Tom reflected on both the Harrogate opening and the COVID period: “We signed the lease in January and opened in March 2021.
“Rewind a few months, though, we wouldn’t have thought just a few months later we would be opening a new store! Trade had slowed down during the first few months of lockdown, but, thankfully, it surged in July. We really kicked on from there. By the end of the year, we were ready.”
Impact of COVID
Ironically, COVID-19 delayed the opening of the Harrogate branch by approximately a week. Staff were trained, signage was raised but James, who spearheaded the launch, contracted COVID-19 just as the store was due to raise its curtains.
Tom said: “It was the right thing to do (postpone the branch opening). We’re proud of the decision we took as well; we pride ourselves in looking after our customers and, in particular, our staff. Launching our sixth branch was a big deal, but we stopped and said: “We’re not opening because it’s not ethical.”
“The entire COVID-19 period taught us many valuable lessons; in fact, some of the actions we took are now permanent measures. There are some members of staff that work from home, for example; helpfully, we can measure their individual results when either working from home or in the office, such as the number of calls or sales.”
James added: “We had to rally together and figure out what was the best plan of action, not only for our business, but, most importantly, for our staff. At the time of the first lockdown, we had around 150 members of staff on the books, so it was a logistical challenge.
“We used the furlough scheme, which helped us enormously, but we were also able to keep some employees working. We were able to keep one person in each branch, along with a van driver, and keep the service going! There were so many people that relied on us. That was the critical thing: we just wanted to keep going, continue offering a service and we gained customers as a result. Some of our competitors closed; they wouldn’t service customers and we took advantage.
“That plan, structure and ability to stay open, albeit in a limited capacity, meant that we were able to gradually bring our staff back to work when demand and government guidelines allowed us. It enabled us to grow and, ultimately, to Harrogate.”
Tom also observed a trend during the lockdown period: car cleaning products “skyrocketed”, so much so that YMF struggled to keep up with demand!
“Recessions are a weird thing”
There’s no escaping the reality that, for the majority of people, money worries are a real concern at the moment. The cost of living, threat of the longest recession in history and inflation are all worrying trends; therefore, senior executives within businesses are having to answer some potentially tricky questions from staff about job security, wages and conditions.
I put that theory to the directors sat in front of me – James jumped in: “I’d say they’re (the aforementioned topics) on everyone’s mind, but whether people are vocal about them is a different matter. People react and respond in different ways. From our side, we will always try and support our staff, be there for them, and act if we can.”
Matthew added: “A car doesn’t break down because people haven’t got any money! Cars break down – and always will! I’ve been with YMF for 30 years, so we’ve been in this position two or three times before. When it’s good, we do well; when it’s bad, we do well. With the latter – and we’re seeing it now – instead of buying a new car, motorists will hold onto their vehicle and get it repaired. Recessions are a weird thing!”
I also asked about service intervals – has YMF noticed customers holding off on their service due to the cost of living crisis?
Matthew answered: “There was a day recently where our service pack sales went through the roof! If motorists don’t get their car serviced when they’re supposed to, sadly, it will cost them more in the long-term.
“We’ve seen examples of a car that, not just needs a spring, but a strut top mount too. If that customer had their spring checked and replaced two or three months earlier, when they were supposed to, they probably would’ve avoided the extra cost.
“MOTs are another area of concern – if a customer’s vehicle passes but they’re advised to replace the brake pads and discs, will they replace straight away, knowing that’s a considerable expense?”
Serving the public – yea or nay?
I’ve spoken to many factors over recent months, and what I am learning as I go along is that the more people I speak to, the more disparity in opinion there is – and I like it! It keeps these kind of articles fresh and interesting.
I asked whether selling to the public was a sensible idea; after-all, I’d asked the same question recently and received a glowing endorsement.
Matthew responded: “There will always be members of the public who prefer to service and repair their own vehicle or who simply prefer to purchase their own parts, but over the last few years this has become less common.
“Vehicles have become so technologically advanced that it is very difficult to work on them without the correct tools and diagnostic equipment; therefore, we would always recommend motorists take their vehicle to a professional garage.”
The YMF way
Moving onto the subject of recruitment, which is another area of discussion in the trade. It quickly became clear that there is a ‘YMF way’ of doing things. It was also curious to learn the speed in which new recruits, either from an automotive or nonautomotive background, absorbed the way in which YMF works.
James said: “Hiring local people from competitors or those with an automotive background certainly has its advantages: they’ll have industry, product and customer knowledge, but it’s likely they’ll join us with traits that they’ve learnt through their previous employer. It’s possible that attribute may not suit our way of working; it’s not a criticism either, but we need all of our employees to follow the same philosophy. That’s how we create a united front.
“Whereas, someone that’s raw to the industry, no experience, it’s a more straightforward process in terms of educating them about our way of working and expectations.
“We look for hard-working and genuine people with an excellent work ethic. We want commitment, enthusiasm and a willingness to learn. Progression is always something we encourage too; if staff go above and beyond, there’ll always be opportunities to better themselves.”
I couldn’t help but ask if that philosophy always receives a positive response – James replied: “We’ve got people that have been here for 30 or even 40 years, and I think that’s down to the core, family values that were implemented when the business was set-up and are apparent today.”
Learning on the job
Every YMF employee, whether on the books for 30 minutes or 30 years, is offered training to enable them to do their job to the best of their ability. Generally, introductory sessions will be delivered by branch managers, then trainers from manufacturers or suppliers will be invited to inform staff of product development, new technologies or useful tips and tricks that can be applied over the counter or phone.
James conceded that, for a new and inexperienced member of staff, it can be overwhelming being thrust into the dayto- day environment: “After going through the various systems but not the job as such, branch managers will spend a couple of weeks bringing the new recruits up-to-speed.
“After that, I will pay a visit and spend a few days with them. I need to understand where they’re at, so I can create a plan and find ways in which I can support their development.
“We don’t have a set book for training either, but one exercise that has proved successful but can be challenging is a one-on- one sales call scenario. I’ll do a sales job, they’ll listen, and I’ll then explain the process, why I said what I did – then we’ll swap. I will still take the call, but they’ll do the work. It can be hard to juggle what a customer is asking for on the phone, then search and find that part number on the system.
“We’re not using paper catalogues or books anymore! Everything is online; we use chassis numbers and look for the right filters, then cross reference that number, then we’ve got seven or eight different brands. We’ve then got to locate that filter within our branch network – if it’s not in the local branch, is it in Poppleton? What time will that van arrive? There’s a lot of information and pressure on the guys to deliver a prompt and accurate service.”
The candidness and preparation of the directors provided me with the ammunition to compose this write-up – so much so that I need the March edition to finish off the story! In terms of topics, we’ll cover the likes of part availability, relationships with garages, the health of the industry – including the need for apprentices – and upcoming technologies. I hope you’ll join us for part two!
