Local News Story

I hope the following story about Bootle-based local business Battery Specialist (NW) could be of interest as a good news feature about a successful company doing well serving Merseyside and the surrounding area.

CUSTOMER SERVICE IS OUR GOAL! Battery Specialist (NW) Ltd Although the name Rooney might normally be associated with a swivel in the box and the ball nestling in the bottom corner of the net, on the Derby Road Ken Rooney and strike partner Andy Wilkinson can be found putting in the hours and making a success of their own team at Battery Specialist NW. The Rooney/Wilkinson duo are shortly to celebrate the 15th anniversary of their battery business and the completion of their first full year in a purpose-built facility just across the road from their original site in Bootle. “Now that we are in and settled, we can look back and smile,” said Ken, “but the hoops we had to jump through to build the new site were a complete nightmare! “With all the news headlines about banks, you’d think that it would be the bank that would make life difficult, but nothing could be further from the truth. “RBS and our account manager, Sue McNally were very helpful and without the support of a reliable battery supplier, we wouldn’t even have considered to move, so we are also very grateful to our primary supplier Manbat. “As well as supplying great quality batteries with brands such as Lucas and Varta, Manbat has helped with the stunning signage that the new unit is now emblazoned with.” Ken and Andy are a couple of wise heads when it comes to batteries, with some 50 years in the battery business between them, so they’ve certainly seen some changes over the years. “Before we moved into the new unit most of our turnover came from supplying batteries to the trade. We used to be running backwards and forwards all day long delivering batteries to a host of businesses across Merseyside, but there has been a definite change since we moved to this site. “Although we still deliver batteries to local businesses, some up to 25 miles away, far more of our sales are now made to motorists who come to us and stay while we fit a new battery for them. “The ability to provide a while-you-wait fitting service was in the forefront of our minds when planning for the new site because we knew that would appeal to people, but you’ve got to give them somewhere comfortable to wait while they are having their battery fitted and we just couldn’t do that from our old site. “However, so successful has our new customer waiting area been that during the world cup last year we had one lady who didn’t want to leave until the match that was on our customer television had finished, and that was despite the fact the car was ready to go long before!” Alan takes up the story: “Business is all about giving customers a complete service. Everyone uses batteries, but no one these days wants the hassle to fit them and then still have the problem of disposing of the original battery safely and without damage to the environment.” As Andy explains, the customer service ethos of Battery Specialist NW extends to every part of the business: “We are able to quickly adapt to changes in the market and respond to the needs of our customers, which is why we launched our website - www.battery2u.co.uk - at the end of 2009. “People are so comfortable shopping on the Internet that it was obvious that we should make shopping for batteries as easy as it is for any other product. Now customers can order and pay for their batteries securely online and have them delivered the next day. “This level of convenience is particularly popular with people looking for specialist batteries for leisure, marine, golf and mobility applications, who no longer have to waste their time and go to the expense of travelling miles to and fro to collect a replacement battery.” So the message from Battery Specialist NW is clear, for all of your battery needs, there’s only one team in town! ENDS