Midlands first for Towcraft, Rowley Regis.

Towcraft Ltd. based in Rowley Regis, has been appointed the first Witter Towbars and Westfalia Automotive Approved Service Centre in the Midlands and only the third company in the UK to receive the accreditation.

Part of the largest towbar manufacturing group in the world, Witter/Westfalia wants to offer the highest possible level of service to the consumer through the entire journey of purchasing and installing the company's products.

The Deeside based company has over 450 fitting outlets nationwide and the decision to select a number across the country to become Approved Service Centres is explained by E-Commerce and Demand Fulfilment Manager, Andrew Royles:

"As market leaders, we feel that it is important that our customers get the best possible experience when purchasing our products. From the moment they go online and place an order, to the point where they drive out of the service centre with the job completed, we want them to be completely satisfied with the levels of service and expertise that they have received."

"Safer towing legislation is high on the political agenda, with the subject currently being discussed in both Houses of Parliament and a desire from all involved in the industry to make the towing experience as safe as possible.

The level of sophistication in vehicles introduced in the last ten years has developed to such an extent that fitting a towbar and wiring should only be undertaken by a specialist who has the necessary, experience, skillset and equipment. The towbar and wiring is the safety critical item that joins the vehicle with the caravan/trailer and keeps your family safe".

"It was a natural progression", Royles continues "to look at the final link in the chain, which is of course the service centres. From design and manufacture, to the products leaving our premises, we have total control of proceedings. However, at the most critical point of the transaction i.e. the fitting, we had no input. Therefore, with the full cooperation of the fitting outlets, we have established the criteria by which they can be awarded the Approved Service Centre mantle. Ultimately it is in their own interests to meet the criteria, as it will mean increased sales for those selected outlets; when a customer is booking on line, wherever possible we will direct them to the nearest Approved Fitting Centre because we can be sure of the service they will receive."

Trevor Guest, Director of Towcraft, said: "We are delighted and very proud to have been selected as the one of the UK's first Witter/Westfalia Approved Service Centres. My father Derrick was one of the founders of the business 46 years ago and we have developed over the years to become one of the largest towbar fitting centres in the region. Historically we have been associated with Witter and Westfalia products and have long been at the forefront of the instigation of Quality Standards in the towbar fitting industry at a price that is fair to the customer. That remains our commitment to this day and we were happy, therefore, to discuss with Andrew the factors that they considered make for the best experience when a customer wants a towbar fitting and it was very satisfying to know that we ticked every box."

Andrew Royles concluded "Everyone is looking for increased business and this initiative can only help our mutual growth, as customers can drive away in the knowledge that they have selected the finest products in the market from Witter/Westfalia and be assured that they have had them fitted to the highest possible standard at Towcraft Ltd. We are delighted that Trevor and his colleagues have agreed to become an approved service centre and I know that, together with our Bristol and Deeside centres, they will be the benchmark that our other customers will aspire to and will have to meet to achieve approved centre status."