Four-day week for Blackpool car firm team

Staff at a Blackpool motor dealership are set to go to a four-day week.
Gary Smith Bruce, Workshop Controller at Chorley GroupGary Smith Bruce, Workshop Controller at Chorley Group
Gary Smith Bruce, Workshop Controller at Chorley Group

After a three-month trial, the Chorley Group’s aftersales department at the dealership is leading the way when it comes to shift patterns and have changed to a four-day working week.

It is understood this is the first dealer group to 
implement such radical changes and address the 
work-life balance, while improving the service for customers.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Pauline Turner, managing director, said: “I believe we are the first dealer group to do this.

Preston started a three-month trial at the beginning of June.

“Although staff were initially apprehensive, after one month they requested we made it permanent.”

The new shift patterns mean staff work an extra two hours a day – equating to an additional 46.5 days less a year – and benefit from a three-day break.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Pauline said: “This change offers a range of benefits to both the business, the staff and the customers.

“The longer opening hours mean it is more convenient for customers to book in their vehicles.

“For staff, they spend less time travelling to and from work and the reduced number of days mean they have more family time at home.”

Pauline said they changes also mean that technicians can be more productive, provide a quicker turnaround of vehicles for customers, better holiday cover and less congestion on site.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The change in shift patterns also enables the master technicians to be able to spend more time coaching the two Level 3 apprentices at the Preston dealership.

The shift changes will now be rolled out at Wigan with a view to rolling it out to the other dealerships in Blackpool, Burnley, and Chorley by the end of the year.