Formed in 1987 to serve the specialist needs of the company car driver, Kwik Fit has been the go-to for car fleets, with its centres covering all corners of the UK, as well as its long opening hours and highly-trained technicians.
Using Kwik Fit’s network of centres and Kwik Fit Mobile’s fleet of mobile tyre fitting vehicles, the company is responsible for maintaining more than two million vehicles per year.
Taking the helm as fleet director in April 2020, Dan Joyce, who began his journey with Kwik Fit as an apprentice technician 18 years ago, has been instrumental in enhancing the company’s Fleet SMR offering.
Through strategic investments in technology and customer service infrastructure, Joyce ensures that fleets under his supervision receive a consistently high level of service.
The fleet division offers a comprehensive range of services, including tyre repair and replacement, MOT testing, car servicing, batteries, aircon recharging, and brake repairs.
Beyond its extensive offerings, the company has garnered recognition from fleets for its unwavering commitment to driver safety.
Joyce tells Business Car, “Keeping our customers safe on the road and providing peace of mind motoring is our North Star.”
In its commitment to ensuring customer safety on the road, Kwik Fit has emerged as the leading MOT provider in the UK. While its origins centred around tyre services, MOTs now play a significant role, with the company offering this service at more than 500 of its 700 centres, conducting approximately 100,000 fleet MOTs annually.
Tyres are a cornerstone of Kwik Fit’s business, retailing over 4 million per year, with 1.2 million fitted to fleet cars. Supported by the largest tyre distributor in the UK, the company stocks a diverse range to fit virtually any vehicle make and model.
Kwik Fit oversees the entire tyre lifecycle, excluding manufacturing, with a sustainable fair trade proposition sourcing natural rubber from Indonesian plantations.
“We have a sustainable fair trade tyre production proposition where our parent group sources natural rubber from plantations in Indonesia and sells it to tyre manufacturers who make tyres using that rubber, then we wholesale, distribute, fit and recycle those tyres,” explains Joyce.
Recent emphasis on digital innovation has seen the launch of the ‘Fleet Bookings’ website, catering specifically to fleet customers. “This platform mirrors the retail experience on KwikFit.com but is tailored to fleet policies,” Joyce notes. “Fleet customers can conveniently book tyre services at centres or opt for a mobile fitting service, receiving regular tyre and health checks. This digital shift aligns with the increased focus on duty of care offered by fleets to their drivers.”
The correlation between tyre offerings and the safety of fleet drivers is crucial to Kwik Fit’s mission. Fleet customers benefit from the expertise of specialist tyre technicians operating dedicated mobile vans equipped with tyre-changing and balancing technology. “Booking a service is hassle-free,” explains Joyce, “with customers simply choosing a tyre and appointment time, and Kwik Fit’s team arrives at their home or workplace.”
While Kwik Fit has traditionally been recognised for its ‘fast fit’ service without appointments at its centres, the evolving complexity of tyres necessitates a digital approach, Joyce tells us. With an extensive online stock, customers can order specific tyres, ensuring the company continues to meet expectations for fast and efficient service.
“Most of our sites keep 900 different tyres in stock but there are so many different tyres in the market now that it’s usually a case of customers having to order their specific tyre from our online stock,” Joyce says.
Training the next generation of technicians
A transformative shift in the automotive landscape impacting Kwik Fit is the widespread adoption of EVs and the broader trend toward decarbonising fleets. In response to this evolution, Kwik Fit has proactively embraced various EV strategies, including the implementation of comprehensive training programs to ensure their network of technicians is well-equipped to maintain electric vehicles.
According to Joyce, EVs are reshaping maintenance norms and significantly differ from traditional ICE vehicles. “We’ve dedicated substantial efforts to enhance the expertise of over 700 technicians, enabling them to proficiently work on EVs and provide services comparable to those offered for conventional vehicles,” he says.
In recent years, Kwik Fit has concentrated its efforts on developing a robust training program and establishing a network of technicians geared to meet the growing demand for EV maintenance in the aftermarket. The integration of the IMI accredited scheme into their training initiative has led to a notable upskilling of technicians in terms of EV awareness and capability.
Joyce elaborates, stating, “Our comprehensive training courses cover every facet of our centre operations, ranging from wheel alignment to MOT testing. Designed to blend theory with practical application, our training equips our team with the knowledge and experience needed to uphold high standards in car maintenance.”
Significant allocation of time and resources for Kwik Fit is directed toward its apprenticeship scheme. Joyce emphasises, “The apprenticeship program is designed to equip trainees with the essential skills and knowledge to thrive in the automotive industry. We take pride in our unwavering commitment to training and developing our personnel, a practice crucial in ensuring we consistently deliver a superior service level to all our customers.”
Ultimately, Joyce notes, “It is our customers who determine our success, and their continued return to us is a testament to our achievements in meeting their expectations.”
Electrifying changes
In addition to ensuring proficient SMR services for EVs, the company has delved into understanding specific tyre requirements and behaviours associated with EVs, distinguishing them from those fitted on ICE vehicles.
According to Joyce, there are prevalent misconceptions surrounding EV tyres, and the company has actively debunked these myths through data collected from fitting over 100,000 tyres on EVs in the past five years. Initially, the data revealed a significant increase in tyre wear on EVs compared to ICE vehicles, given the inherent factors such as the weight of EVs, lighter tyre design for range conservation, and the higher torque resulting in more substantial tyre wear.
While it remains true that EV tyres wear down faster than those on ICE vehicles, Joyce notes a considerable narrowing of the gap. “Today, there is almost parity between tyre wear on an EV and an ICE. The performance of a tyre depends on various factors, with driving conditions being one of the most significant,” Joyce explains.
He provides an example of a tyre fitted to a city EV, which undergoes frequent braking and cornering, compared to a car primarily driven on the motorway by someone aiming to preserve range, likely driving in the slow lane. “Our extensive data now reveals that while EV tyres do wear slightly quicker, it’s not as pronounced as we initially predicted.”
Advancing technology
Kwik Fit also offers an ADAS calibration service at selected centres, where its equipment is capable of calibrating vehicles fitted with specific advanced driver assistance systems, also known as ADAS.
Joyce notes the increasing prevalence of ADAS across fleets as vehicle technology advances and emphasises the importance of staying ahead of this trend. He mentions, “Even standard city cars now incorporate several ADAS technologies. When we perform suspension work, steering, and wheel alignment, we must also have the right equipment to address ADAS systems, ensuring the safety of our customers on the road.”
Anticipating continued growth, Kwik Fit recently inaugurated a new office outside Glasgow, the home of the company’s fleet tyre management customer support centre. Kwik Fit has opened five new centres in the past 12 months, and while focusing on expansion, the company remains committed to sustainable practices, incorporating solar panels and EV charging stations in some centres to support the ongoing growth of electric vehicles. “Not only are we equipped to service and repair EVs, but we’re also supporting their continued growth.”
Expanding its mobile services, Kwik Fit is set to introduce additional vans and technicians this year to complement its already strong 180-van fleet for tyre fitting. Additionally, the company has introduced the ‘Kwik Fit Club’ subscription service for corporate and B2B customers, responding to the rising demand for subscription-based motoring services. Joyce explains that the service, initially piloted in 2021, addresses the needs of customers without existing SMR contracts, offering certainty over motoring costs.
Joyce explains that Kwik Fit’s corporate and B2B customers have increasingly highlighted the need for a solution to support vehicles financed or leased without maintenance contracts and grey fleets. “Kwik Fit Club has proved to be attractive to private drivers who want as much certainty as possible over their motoring costs. This is obviously also relevant to those businesses running fleet vehicles without maintenance contracts, so it makes perfect sense to extend Kwik Fit Club to those customers.”
Kwik Fit aims to be the preferred service provider for a diverse range of fleets, catering to company cars, end-user fleets, salary sacrifice programs, job-purpose vehicles, and more. Joyce outlines the company’s vision of growth, providing comprehensive solutions to all fleets, whether on-demand, digitally, or through contact centres.
Alongside the transition from ICE vehicles to EVs, companies are broadening their fleet options, with an increased focus on micro-mobility. Kwik Fit recently announced the acquisition of Fettle, an innovative bicycle servicing company, to support the increasing number of businesses using fleets of e-bikes and e-cargo bikes for ‘last mile’ delivery and service solutions.
Acknowledging the dynamic challenges in the automotive landscape, Joyce emphasises the importance of keeping pace with market and technological changes. As vehicles become more technologically advanced, Kwik Fit remains committed to delivering innovative solutions and addressing the evolving demands of the tyre industry, all while ensuring a skilled and adaptable workforce.
