July/August Issue 62 - Flipbook - Page 18
NEWS
MEMBERS’
Q&A
WITH
AUTO-TEC
Robert McKenzie is the Owner
and Director of Auto-Tec in Port
Glasgow. The business serves
Greenock, Gourock, Clydeside,
the islands, and as far as Ayrshire.
As well as a fleet of light and heavy
recovery vehicles they have a very
successful service department Auto-Tec were called to recover a
providing MOTs, servicing and stolen Corsa, nose down under the
repairs for all makes.
water of a reservoir. The job, which
involved using a dinghy, required
The business is also celebrating yours truly to reach into the water to
its 30th anniversary as a recovery smash a rear side window to get a
operator with a striking new livery. strap through. His eyes were inches
Designed and applied by Cube of from the surface when a polythene
Blantyre, the predominately red, bag floated up from inside the car.
black and white livery is now on four He nearly fainted – thinking it was
of the company’s vehicles. Auto- someone’s head.
Tec have made a considerable
investment in the latest vehicle
IF YOU COULD GO BACK,
diagnostic equipment since moving WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR
to larger premises in Port Glasgow
YOUNGER SELF?
in the 1990s.
With a wry smile on my face, I’d
HOW DID YOU FIRST GET INTO probably not have got married!
RECOVERY?
And I might not have entered the
recovery business, which would
I served an apprenticeship with have allowed me to have a social
franchise car dealer, then started life and not been on call 24 hours a
my own garage business from a day for many years.
single unit on an industrial estate.
WHAT DO YOU WISH OTHER
WHAT’S YOUR FIRST MEMORY
PEOPLE KNEW ABOUT THE
OF VEHICLE RECOVERY?
RECOVERY INDUSTRY?
It was down to a bad experience
with another recovery operator! I
had a small fleet for rent/hire, and
in 1991 one of the vehicles was out
on hire when its keys went missing.
I called a local recovery operator to
bring the vehicle back to the garage.
When I got my backside felt when
charged £80 for a simple job - that
day I went out and bought my own
recovery truck.
I have very strong views about how
some of the larger motoring clubs
treat recovery operators.
If you went to an accountant to
discuss setting up a recovery
business he or she might send
you to a psychiatrist. The financial
rewards from some larger clubs are
ludicrously low and do not reflect
the investment made by operators
and their dedication to delivering the
WHAT’S THE MOST
best possible service, regardless
FRIGHTENING RECOVERY JOB of whether it is a simple job or
YOU’VE UNDERTAKEN?
something complicated that can only
18
be carried out safely and efficiently
by people who really know what
they’re doing. What we are paid
needs to acknowledge what goes
into each individual job.
WHAT WAS THE FIRST
RECOVERY VEHICLE YOU
PURCHASED?
It was a 1986 Ford Transit spec-lift,
which proved its worth for seven
years.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO
WHEN YOU’RE NOT WORKING?
When I do have time to relax - which
is not often - I do enjoy relaxing on
my boat, which is berthed in Tarbert.
WHAT’S BEEN YOUR BIGGEST
CHALLENGE DURING THE
COVID-19 PANDEMIC?
Like us all, it has been a huge
learning experience and I have to
say as a long-standing member of
AVRO their member communication
on a regular basis throughout has
been superb, from a Health and
Safety perspective to Government
guidance advice and financial
information.
We will come out of this bigger and
stronger, I am sure.
Tel: 01475 742800
Email: autotecgroup@hotmail.com
Website: http://autotecscotland.
co.uk/services/recovery/
