The post: Group After Sales Manager, Shelbourne Motors
The post holder: David Armstrong
A passion for vehicles led David Armstrong into a career with Shelbourne Motors.
Here’s how he became a Sales Manager.
Give a brief outline of your career to date.
In 1996, I left school to work as a trainee vehicle technician/apprentice in a Portadown garage. I then moved to Irish Road Motors, again as a vehicle technician, where I worked on Southern Health Trust vehicles, including ambulances.
My next move was to Bombardier Aerospace as an aircraft fitter, but after three years on the factory floor I wanted to return to my passion for vehicles, and that’s when a position at Shelbourne Motors came up as a service advisor in their Renault showroom.
How did your career progress at Shelbourne Motors?
I joined Shelbourne Motors over 15 years ago, and since then my career has progressed from workshop controller and warranty administration, then followed by an opportunity to work as a marketing and communication co-ordinator for the group. This involved managing the customer database, after-sales campaigns and ensuring our customers were being contacted at the right time for service, MOTs and after-sales calls.
This role then expanded into the CRM department manager with three support staff, with the expansion of the team this allowed the CRM department to handle any inbound and outbound communications, from all areas like telephone, email, SMS and website enquires.
With Shelbourne’s growth the opportunity of a Group After Sales Manager role came available. I was successful in securing this role and I have now been working in this position for six years. The purpose of this role is to oversee after-sales operations for the business, ensuring our Shelbourne team deliver the highest level of satisfaction to internal and external customers, work towards after sales profitability and sales targets, and develop opportunities to enhance the performance of the department.
What was your favourite subject at school?
Art, believe it or not.
Did you go on to further/higher education, if so, what did you study?
My education was after school when I learnt light vehicle repair and got a City and Guilds Level 3 in the subject.
How did you get into your area of work?
Having left the motor industry for Bombardier Aerospace, I then wanted to go back to the trade, but not as a vehicle technician. My brother and I both applied to Shelbourne Motors and I secured a position in Renault and he went to Nissan. Coincidentally, we both started at the same time. Cars still excite me and I’ve driven all shapes and sizes of vehicles – the luxury of my job is that I get to try out demonstration models – from vans to top of the range, luxury cars.
Is this what you always wanted to do?
Honestly, I never saw myself in my current role, especially as I left school at 16 and started out as a motor mechanic. I didn’t have as much ambition or drive then as I do now, but I have been fortunate to build a career for a company which believes in me. Shelbourne Motors has provided me with the opportunities to grow and develop – professionally and personally.
Shelbourne Motors is a family business and Richard Ward, Paul Ward and Caroline Willis have been amazing mentors, helping me to develop and build my skillset.
Were there any particular essential qualifications or experience needed for your role?
Experience of working in different roles is essential in my current position at Shelbourne Motors. Having worked as a service advisor, and in workshop control and warranty administration, I have developed a meticulous eye for detail, ensuring that everything I do is to the highest possible standard. And this attention to detail has been imperative in my development.
My role involves analysing our policies and procedures and ensuring we do everything as productive and efficiently as possible and maintaining the highest standards possible to the benefit of our customers and the business.
What are the main personal skills your job requires?
People management. I have ten managers in the department with up to 60 staff, so it’s a large operation. There are lots of staff with lots of different personalities, so it’s important that I know them all. Personally, we can have a laugh and a joke, but equally I need to be able to handle certain situations in a professional manner and I feel I have that skillset to balance both. It’s important to be able to deliver a message on behalf of the business.
What does a typical day entail?
My day starts early as my four-year-old is normally in our bedroom asking what’s for breakfast, then once the household is all sorted, it’s off to work. After-sales is a busy operation as it has high volumes of customer activity so your day kicks off very quickly, but with the strong team around us this keeps the business running along smoothly throughout the day.
Once work is over it’s home to deal with two busy young boys who love playing rugby, football or running around the garden. Once the boys are shipped off to bed I finally get to spend some time with my wife Sarah.
What are the best and most challenging aspects of the job?
The everyday operation of running a business from an after-sales perspective can be challenging, but extremely rewarding. I love interacting with customers and ensuring we exceed their expectations.
Why is what you do important?
I genuinely love my job and working here at Shelbourne Motors. I treat the business as if it were my own. It’s the Ward family’s business, but I feel part of that, and it’s up to me to maximise the opportunities here. Making the business stronger through better customer service, stronger profits and growth are the priorities.
What advice would you give anyone looking to follow a similar career path?
Be prepared to prove yourself within your job role, do that wee bit more and be prepared to evolve and change for the business needs. If you want to progress in business sometimes you have to sit tight, be prepared to give it your all, work hard and put in the time and effort.
What is the one piece of advice you would give to yourself on your first day?
Understand the job role and focus on the job at hand, show enthusiasm and be driven to be the best that you can be.
Describe your ideal day off.
A day out and about with my wife and two boys with no laptop, iPad or mobile phones.
And finally, what’s the key to any successful job search?
Firstly, decide what you want to do. Read and understand the job description well, know what the working hours are and what is expected of you. Also, does it interest you and can you fulfil the requirements?
Interested in a job in sales?
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