Shop Life

Shop View: Duncan European Automotive

Oct. 5, 2021

A recent renovation at this quaint shop focused on both the customer and employee experience.

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SHOP STATS: Duncan European Automotive Location: Londonderry, N.H. Owner: Ben Duncan Staff Size: 9
Shop Size: 4,500 square feet Average Monthly Car Count: 250 Annual Revenue: $2 million

From the Ground Up

Within the last year, Duncan European Automotive has undergone quite the transformation with a full slate of upgrades and renovations to the shop’s workspace, including the addition of epoxy floors—an investment that also became a branding opportunity. The shop’s now gleaming off-white work floors sport the shop’s logo at center stage.

“It’s part of the image that we like to convey of our business where it’s not just another garage that’s dark and dusty, and I think customers really respond to that,” says service manager Josh Mercer.

The new flooring helps the shop shine and the room feel brighter, and also makes the shop much easier to clean. The shop’s team actually regularly uses a Zamboni to keep the floor spotless.

“It’s just little upgrades like that that keep the place looking bright and new,” Mercer says.

Space to Kick Back

Through its renovations, the Duncan team also transformed its old office space into a comfy customer lounge, adding air conditioning, comfortable chairs, a coffee machine and a mini fridge to the mix. The shop offers free Wi-Fi, but the lounge now also offers customers plenty of charging stations for those who want to work remotely while they wait.

“It’s all an effort to improve the experience for both our employees and our customers, so that it’s just a nice, bright, positive atmosphere people want to be in” Mercer says.

Investing in the Employee Experience

For Duncan European Automotive team, it’s important that each employee feels empowered, appreciated, and knows that the company cares about their work conditions and resources. Throughout the rollout of those recent improvements, the employee experience was top of mind.

Each technician now has his or her own bay and as well as their own tools, making it possible for each to work at their own pace and in their own style, rather than force each tech into a prescribed workflow mold.

“That keeps them feeling confident that they’re going to be able to utilize the space properly to get the work done that they can be proud of,” Mercer says.

Curb Appeal

From the street, Duncan Automotive bears the look of a small, welcoming farmhouse—a quaint appearance the shop’s team has worked to cultivate through the years with a consistent investment in the shop’s landscaping.

“We want to show that we have an attention to detail with not just the way that we work on cars, but the way that we present ourselves to the community,” Mercer says.