Melons!

So there I was on my way home from my last job of the day, coming down Pepper Hill on the A2 Eastbound, in my Mobi-tyre van when I saw a car pulled over on the hardshoulder with the driver clearly struggling to take his wheel.  I pulled over and offered to help.  I asked him if he had a good spare and if so i would be more than happy to change it over for him.  So I get all my kit out ready to swapo the wheels when I noticed....Melons!

His boot was full of them as was the back seat. Anyway, I finsihed changing the wheel, He was very very grateful.  I packed all my gear away and then I noticed a pile of 20 or so melons on the grass verge!  I offered to help him put them back in the boot. They must have weighed 7 or 8 kilos each! He was every so thankful... so much so he offered on to me. Well thats the most unusual tip I have ever had.  That was Friday, we've had melon for deserts three nights no and there still half of it left!

New Year - New Van

Late last year I decided that it was time I had a new van.  My LDV Maxus had run its course and it was time to move on.  The Maxus is Mobi-tyre's preferred vehicle only because it is value for money and gets us going.  Anyhow, I ordered a new Citroen Relay extra long wheelbase from V2L.

After two months of waiting the van finally arrived a couple of weeks back.  Its simply huge!  I spent 4 days lining the walls, putting down the floor and the Mobi-tyre signature treadplate floor.  The partition was installed that keeps my tyre storage, generator and compressor area separate from the work area.  On day 5 the tyre machine and balancer were fitted and on day 6 I was out on the road fitting tyres!

Most of my tools are in the van now, but given my OCD nature finishing the placement of every tool, cable and airline will be a three month work in progress!

Ooh look how tidy that is!

Today the van has been signwritten in the Mobi-tyre livery.  It will be the first van in the fleet to have original reflective livery for roadside work. 

Call that number!

You won't miss me with all those reflective stripes!

YUK!

On Thursday the light bar at the rear gets wired in.  With my top of the range bluetooth handsfree kit, Smartnav Sat Nav system and state of the art mobile laser tracking system, I truly believe I have the best equiped mobile tyre fitting van around!

So if you want to take a look at my van AND you need some tyres, call 0800 059 6099 or visit the Mobi-tyre website.

Meeting the most wonderful people

By way of introduction, I'm Rajeev Gupte and I'm the Mobi-tyre franchise owner for the Dartford and Bromley area of Kent.  I wasn’t always a businessman and tyre fitter.  I had a 25 year long corporate career prior to this.  What I love most about what I do is meeting the most wonderful people every day, who happen to be my customers!

I never know where I am going to be from one day to the next, even from one hour to the next on busy days! For example, a couple of months back I replaced four tyres for a customer who happened to be the driver for the High Commissioner of Tonga.  Now Tongans have... how shall we say... healthy appetites for not so healthy food!  The stories he told me about when the King of Tonga visited last year and his aide making them drive to the nearest KFC were unbelievable.   This driver was also a Toastmaster... people do the most amazing things.

I also met a chap who operates a concierge service.  What’s that you ask!  Well whatever you want... he can get it.  If you want tickets for a sold out concert, or a repair man for your electric garage door in Chelsea, he’s your man.  I spent a fascinating hour talking to him and was nearly late for my next appointment!

I once went inside a ladies house for her to pay the invoice for a battery I replaced.  Her house was wall-to-wall filled with books! No surprises for guessing that she was an eBay book seller.

Watch out for my next blog when I talk about my adventures in the snow!

Rajeev