Frank Spiteri has operated the Bosch Car Service (aka Rincap Automotive) at Milperra NSW since 2013. He discusses his time as part of the BCS family, as well as his personal journey to taking on the famed Kokoda Track.
How has your workshop changed since becoming a BCS?
FS: Our appearance has dramatically altered the basic public perception of us in a very positive way. I think people look at the Bosch logo and automatically relate to a trusted brand. Add in the Bosch Service Excellence business training, that I initially completed all modules within a 12-month period, and it has tidied up all the rough edges and taught us to be more professional and better business managers.
How many staff do you currently have?
FS: We currently have eight staff, myself, Deirdre Spiteri (owners), Bryce Spiteri (senior diagnostic technician and manager-in-charge), Aaron Browning (senior technician and assistant manager helping Bryce), Steve Sabolcki (senior technician), Dylan Rylton (senior technician), Rashid Mahmoud (3rd year apprentice), Deborah Dover (office manager, receptionist, assistant). We have also employed two Filipino technicians. We have tried for nearly three years to employ basic technicians with zero success.
What Bosch training did your staff complete? What Bosch training will they be completing in the future?
FS: Bryce has completed almost all the diagnostic training, I think he has one module left to do, Aaron Browning has
also completed some diagnostic training. With COVID, obviously we were limited to complete training. We are now planning for 2023 to get our technicians to attend more training and perhaps Bryce and/or Deborah to complete Bosch Service Excellence business training. (Referring to Frank’s Kokoda Trip).
SEE ALSO: A mechanic’s guide to the Bosch Car Service
How did you prepare for your Kokoda trip in terms of business for it to continue smoothly whilst you were away?
FS: We had a family business meeting in February this year and it was decided then for me to try and step away on various days to allow Bryce to assimilate into a more prominent managerial position, in other words to take on all of the day-to-day responsibilities of running the business and workshop as a whole. And in part the world is a very small place now, where I can be contacted almost any time by phone, so it eases the tension and pressure on Bryce to be able to contact me if he has to discuss something or wants advice on something etc. That being said, I had zero reception while on the Kokoda Trail, so he had to manage on his own. Sometimes we need to be thrown to the wolves to progress.
Personally, how did you prepare for the trip and how long did it take?
FS: In late 2019 I was bordering in weight around 136kg. I had struggled with obesity for more than 30 years. I decided to have a gastric bypass which was done in late 2019. I also made the decision to make it worthwhile and started training – walking around the suburb where I live. I remember the first walk I did, I made it about 700m before having to stop, vomiting and almost crawling back home. Persistence had me extend the walks every week, where leading up to Kokoda I was comfortably walking 15 – 21km carrying a 9kg backpack. There was also some strength training that I did on a cable machine at home. By the time I did the Kokoda Trail I was weighing 84kg.
Was there anything else you would like to mention?
FS: Being part of Bosch Car Service network has helped us progress to the top workshop in our area, so much so that we have other workshops in Sydney sending cars to us to diagnose and repair – not many workshops can brag about something like that!