About us: We are one of the top three automotive retailers in the UK, proudly representing 32 manufacturer brands, selling a huge range of new and used vehicles from over 150 dealerships across the UK and Ireland.
We believe our people are our greatest asset, and we're committed to recognising the valuable contribution each person makes. That's why we continue to invest in a leading rewards and benefits package designed to support your career, wellbeing, and life outside of work.
Maidstone Mercedes-Benz
Contract Type: Permanent Full Time
Hours: 42 Hours weekly (Monday - Thursday 8am - 5pm & Friday 8am 4.30pm)
Salary: OTE up to £42,000 (uncapped) with basic of £32,000 - £36,000 per annum DOE
Maidstone Mercedes-Benz is recruiting for an experienced and dedicated Bodyshop Advisor/Estimator to join our Team on site.
Joining our friendly aftersales team, you will be a team player with exceptional communication skills to build rapport with colleagues and customers. You will report to our aftersales manager who will help impact your knowledge and experience along with the team, allowing you to develop your skills and establish a strong career within the industry. This is an opportunity not to be missed!
We are looking for an experienced and customer-focused Bodyshop Advisor/Estimator to join our busy Bodyshop team. This is a varied role combining traditional Service Advisor responsibilities with vehicle estimating, insurance claim management and bodyshop coordination.
The successful candidate will be the main point of contact for customers, ensuring an outstanding customer experience from initial enquiry through to vehicle handover.
Responsibilities:
Customer Service & Service Advisor Duties
- Managing customer bookings and scheduling repair work.
- Handling telephone, email and face-to-face customer enquiries.
- Welcoming customers and conducting vehicle inspections.
- Providing updates on repair progress and managing customer expectations.
- Ensuring a high standard of customer service at all times.
Estimating & Insurance Liaison
- Preparing accurate bodyshop repair estimates.
- Managing and processing PSL insurance claims.
- Liaising with insurance companies, engineers and customers regarding repairs and authorisations.
- Maintaining accurate records and documentation.
Bodyshop Coordination
- Coordinating customer visits and vehicle assessments.
- Working closely with technicians and the bodyshop team to ensure efficient workflow.
- Monitoring repair progress and ensuring completion within agreed timescales.
- Supporting the achievement of productivity and quality targets.
Parts Management
- Sourcing, organising and ordering non-franchise parts.
- Liaising with suppliers to obtain competitive pricing and ensure timely delivery.
- Monitoring parts availability to minimise repair delays.
What We're Looking For
- Previous experience in a Bodyshop Estimator, Service Advisor or similar automotive role.
- Strong customer service and communication skills.
- Experience dealing with insurance claims and repair estimates is highly desirable.
- Good organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks.
- Excellent attention to detail and administration skills.
- Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment.
- Knowledge of bodyshop repair processes and parts procurement would be advantageous.
If you're passionate about delivering exceptional customer service and have the experience to support a busy bodyshop operation, we'd love to hear from you.
If your skills and experience match what we are looking for, please apply today and a member of the Talent Acquisition Team will be in touch.
Core Benefits:
- Competitive salaries with structured pay scales and progression as you grow within the business
- Generous annual leave that increases with your length of service
- Enhanced family leave, including 6 months' full pay for maternity and adoption leave, and 2 weeks' full pay for paternity leave
- Access to Techscheme for discounted technology purchases with flexible payments
Health & Wellbeing:
- Eyecare vouchers to help cover vision care needs
- Smart Health – 24/7 access to GP services to support your mental and physical wellbeing
- Dental insurance for everyday dental care and unexpected treatments
- Optional critical illness cover for peace of mind during life's most challenging moments
Financial Wellbeing:
- MyView PayNow – access a portion of your pay as you earn, with features to stream, save, and track your money through a user-friendly app
- Free will writing services to help plan for the future
- Flexible life assurance options and partner life assurance for added protection
Leisure & Lifestyle:
- Discounted gym memberships to support an active lifestyle
- Travel insurance to help you explore with confidence
- Access to home and technology vouchers
- bYond card and a wide range of exclusive retail and lifestyle discounts
We strongly believe in nurturing and providing our people with specific manufacturer brand and management training to enhance career development opportunities. We have a great bunch of people, and we like to celebrate and encourage success at all levels.
Lookers and Charles Hurst are an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to a working environment that is free from discrimination, is inclusive, and empowers our people to bring their whole self to work and reach their full potential.
If your application is successful, we will conduct relevant employment checks prior to you commencing employment with us. These will include verifying your recent employment, address, credit history and a standard criminal record check. For roles that require you to drive, a driving licence check will also be carried out. Please note, all offers of employment are made subject to a 6 month probation period commencing from your start date.
We take our data protection responsibilities very seriously and are committed to upholding and respecting your privacy rights. Information about how we will process your data including the types of data we collect, the purposes for which we use it, who we may share it with and how long we keep it are set out in our privacy notice. It also includes information about your individual privacy rights. Please make sure you read our Privacy Notice so that you understand how we may collect and use your data.
