Best traditions

For decades Empress Coaches of Hastings was the quintessential family-owned seaside operator serving traditional markets, but under the stewardship of current owner and proprietor Steve Dine and his son Josh, it has become much more focused on niche opportunities as they explain to Andy Izatt

I first interviewed Steve Dine in 1999 when Empress Coaches of Hastings was celebrating its 70th anniversary. Little did I know that, within a few weeks of that meeting, Steve would buy the business and days later his wife Jayne would give birth to their first child, Josh.

Eighteen years later,[wlm_nonmember][…]

[/wlm_nonmember][wlm_ismember] the world is a very different place, and that has impacted on Empress Coaches just as it has on everything else in life, but what hasn’t changed is Steve’s passion for coaching, an enthusiasm that is shared by Josh who now works in the business.

“I love Empress,” explained Steve. “When owner Tony Pattern retired at the start of 1998 and sold the firm, I managed it for the new owner, Jan Auer, but he had other interests and I think he realised very quickly that this wasn’t one that would just turn over money. It required regular investment and the coach industry is one that demands constant hard work and commitment. However, he could see how much I enjoyed running it.

“When Jan decided to sell in late 1999, I quickly jumped in. When Tony retired I hadn’t been in a position to raise the money, but I’d made no secret in the past that I would like to buy the firm. I knew it was a good company and my instinct told me I was doing the right thing.

“What I inherited was a very mixed fleet of just over a dozen vehicles. I think there were 11 different manufacturers represented, but I think I knew even then that the future for us didn’t lie with full-size coaches. As each year came and went, I would look at the mix of work and which vehicle sizes were most popular, and it was increasingly evident that it was the smaller ones.

“I still have all the firm’s running diaries dating back to 1971. I went through them when I was researching my 2009 book on Empress Coaches and there was a day in 1986 when all the bookings were for 29-seaters. Larger vehicles had to be used to cover the commitments, but it brought home to me that even then there were small groups wanting to book that size of vehicle.

“It didn’t stop me from buying amongst other things, a Mercedes-Benz O.303 which was a beautiful coach, or a Plaxton Panorama Elite Bedford VAL70. I passed my test in a VAL. They were fantastic vehicles, but we had to sell it because we lost the parking spot we used for full-size coaches. The lack of parking is a problem with operating in this part of the world that has persisted over the years.

“I think it was the recession in 2008 that finally convinced me that smaller vehicles were the way forward. By that time I only had one full-size coach, a former MoD 41-seat Wadham Stringer-bodied Dennis Javelin that I kept for private hire. It was a great vehicle to run – well-built with good legroom and it was fuel efficient as well – but once I sold it, it was interesting how we didn’t seem to receive any booking requests for something of that size.

“Rather than just being like other operators, it’s important to find gaps in the market. For us, over the past few years the most popular sizes have been between 22 and 28 seats. I have looked at buying a 33-seater, but there are plenty of others in this area that have from 33 seats upwards covered. There are so many different types of vehicle in the small and medium-size sector which makes it difficult to standardise, but I do try and give my customers what best fit their needs.

“With the recession in 2008 we downsized by a couple of vehicles. I think it left us with eight – the lowest number we’ve been under my stewardship. A lot of operators tried to maintain their fleet size at that time which must have been difficult, but we didn’t. I think the recession changed everything.

“What I notice is that everyone is working harder and is under more pressure now. That’s why, when we’re asked to quote, we try to respond as quickly as we can. People don’t want to be kept waiting and they’re more price conscious than ever.

“Being a small company that prides itself on customer service, we’ll always try and accommodate once customers have booked and their requirements change. After all, part of our job is steering them in the right direction. They think they might need one vehicle, but actually what they need is something slightly different. We can usually work our fleet so that we can keep the booking, because we have a range of seating capacities available. Taxis with their eight-seaters struggle to do that.

“I’ve never felt the need for dedicated computer programmes to manage our bookings. I can get an overview of what’s happening from our running diary and it’s easy enough to make changes using a rubber. There’s lot to be said for keeping the business and its systems small and manageable. It’s one of the reasons why we stay at our St Leonards, Hastings base. We could expand, but we like having a balance between home life and work.

“I find it fascinating when I go to business seminars and people talk about growing their companies and all the buzz words that go with it. I don’t think it has to be that way. It’s how you manage what you’re doing and the people you have around you to help you.

“This firm has survived a depression, a world war, two fuel crises and several recessions. The mix has usually been 60/40 in favour of contract work over private hire and if we had a good year, it would enable us to reinvest in the fleet. We know we have to remain relevant and in-tune with how markets evolve.”

Accessible work

“One of the sectors we did quite well in after buying the business was wheelchair accessible work, an area we already knew,” Steve continued. “It was mainly contracts for East Sussex County Council, but there was also some spinoff private hire, and because of that we bought additional vehicles. I could see that it was a growing opportunity, and at one point I considered making as much as a third of the fleet accessible.

“Sadly, some of the local community transport organisations were growing at the same time. There was one in particular, based here in Hastings, that went very quickly from two vehicles to something like a dozen and was mopping up commercial school runs using Section 19 vehicles.

“We’d always had a good relationship with the local authority, but I remember putting in a tender for an accessible school contract with the full expectation that we wouldn’t get it. I made sure that we met the criteria. I knew the vehicles we were proposing to use were good – fully equipped and new – and that the drivers were right because they had undertaken all the training courses. As expected we didn’t get the work, so I phoned the council and asked what the cheapest price was. What I was told was that we were actually slightly cheaper than the community transport provider which was given the work. It was clear where the market was heading, and I started to gradually pull back from it.

“Since then, that community transport provider has gone through a wobbly patch and the guy running it has disappeared. However, I have to say there are similar organisations in the Rye and Battle areas that are doing a really good job and provide a valuable service. They’re meeting a need and do make a difference to the local community.

“We only have two accessible vehicles now. Both are Mellor-bodied Mercedes-Benz Varios. One is used on an East Sussex County Council contract and has 14 seats and space for three wheelchairs. The other is working on private hire as a 20-seater, but is soon to leave us. The accessible market has really closed down.

“There is another accessible vehicle, our 21-seat CVE Omni, which we have owned since new in 1990. It’s still licensed, but only sees occasional use now. It’s very rare and must be the last of its type still in passenger service. I would like to see it go to a good home.”

Different opportunities

“There was a time around two years ago that I thought we would have to pull out of County Council contracted work altogether, whether it was accessible or mainstream,” said Steve. “There was a local taxi operator that decided it wanted to expand by taking on contracts, and I could tell from the start that it was not going to be good news because it was pricing everything at taxi rates. It had the effect of disjointing the local market, because what it was doing just wasn’t economic. The result was that in real terms, rates became so poor, there was no point trying to compete. We downsized by around four vehicles.

“Losing some work as a result actually turned out to be a good thing because it gave me more of an opportunity to refocus. I decided to look at offering a vintage vehicle to the wedding market so I bought our first 20-seat Bedford J2 dating from 1967 in October last year. The second, a 1971 example that had been the first new coach bought by Country Lion of Northampton, arrived the following month.

“I enjoy driving them. There’s only myself and two others who do it. John Holbrook is ex-London Transport and is very good and there’s also Bob Osborne who used to be the fleet engineer at Maidstone & District’s Hawkhurst depot. They know how to do it properly. Both vehicles have actually been very reliable. We spend a lot of money on them to make sure they’re kept in top condition.

“What we do with the Bedfords isn’t all wedding work, but the great thing about them is that they’re a similar size to our modern mini and midi coaches. If there’s a problem, modern cover can be provided. What’s more, our claret fleet livery is very appropriate for weddings and means all our frontline vehicles are suitable for those sorts of hires.

“We attend quite a lot of wedding fairs and events to promote what we’re doing and to be honest, it’s really enjoyable. It’s not a competitive, price sensitive market so we can get a good rate that justifies owning and maintaining the vehicles. Yes, they’re slow and noisy, but there is definitely something quite fun about them. They bring a smile to people’s faces when they’re out.

“When we first started in this line of work, I struggled to know how to price a high-end product like this. It took time to change the mindset and consciously justify what needs to be charged – and of course it’s essential that you deliver the service you promise.

“Having almost given up on the local authority school market, bizarrely this year we’ve gained three new routes from East Sussex County Council which we were not expecting. We’re delighted as the additional regular work is valuable in helping us to maintain the overall package. We’re back up to seven school runs a day. Nine on Friday afternoons because that’s when we take boarders from a local private school up to Thurrock and South Mimms services where they’re met by their parents or guardians. We bring them back on Sunday afternoons.”

Covering all bases

Said Steve: “Our general private hire bookings are quite diverse. It can be anything from bowls clubs to student groups. We work for the University of Brighton – sporting fixtures mostly. We used to do a lot of trips to Brighton & Hove Greyhound Stadium. They dried up with the recession, but they’re coming back now. Then there are airport transfers and the occasional job taking groups to Ashford or Ebbsfleet International stations so they can catch the Eurostar.

“A few years ago there used to be a lot of church clubs and Women’s Institutes hiring – groups like that – but that has all but dried up. Those trips used to involve an afternoon drive and having cream tea. It’s a pity they’ve stopped because it was nice work and the coach always came back clean. There was always a cream tea for the driver as well.

“Other work has taken its place, but nothing in particular that I would specifically identify. However, I would say that nowhere has market evolution been truer than with pensioners. The sort of activities they’re involved in now wouldn’t have been labelled as old people’s activities years ago.

“Once the 20-seat Mellor goes, there will be 12 vehicles in the fleet including the two Bedfords and accessible vehicles. We’ve got a 12-seat Renault Master, two 16-seat Renault Masters and a 16-seat Mercedes-Benz Sprinter-based Optare Soroco, a 22-seat Soroco and 28-seat Vario-based Optare Toro and Optare Nouvelle Vario. Highest capacity is our 29-seat Mercedes-Benz Medio Vario.

“A vehicle that does impress is our 12-seat Renault Master, which has a huge boot and is very fuel efficient. On that boarders contract, it can go to and from the destination four times using the same amount of fuel as the one coach we have with an automatic gearbox – a Sprinter. The hire groups we carry are often nine or 10 people and the Renault is ideal for those. It’s also particularly manoeuvrable down narrow country lanes.

“When we’re not buying vehicles, we’re looking. I do shop around and I always try and buy from a good home. What I usually aim for is something that’s around five years old with a view to keeping it for another five to seven years.

“I started buying 1066 registration plates in 2000. I’d bought a lovely Bedford YNT Plaxton from Fowler’s Travel of Holbeach Drove. It had stainless steel exhaust and looked really modern at the time, despite being 12-13 years old. Virtually the first job we used it on, there was criticism because it was a D-reg, so that’s when I acquired JAZ1066. It gave that local connection, and we started rebranding ourselves as being from the 1066 country. Over subsequent years, I’ve kept buying additional plates as they became available. It’s a bit of fun really. What’s important is we turn up in a clean and tidy vehicle with a smart, friendly driver.”

Reaching out

“Empress Coaches celebrated its 80th anniversary in 2009,” said Steve. “Prior to that, we’d painted all our vehicles in a common livery, but it was clear that somehow that wasn’t working. I’d have calls from customers saying they would like to book, but they didn’t want an accessible vehicle. Perhaps they might not be differentiating our private hire coaches from our accessible ones so we needed to do something.

“I got a local marketing expert to give me his thoughts and he suggested a simple solution. Accessible vehicles would be painted in a cream livery while the rest of the fleet would be painted in an updated scheme. That’s when we started using claret and it has worked well for us. I’ve mentioned its suitability at weddings, but I think it also gives us an image that is fairly timeless.

“The same person helped us with our website, but sadly he subsequently had to retire early through ill health. More recently, as a result of recommendation, we’ve been using MJS Media in Hastings and it has been very good. The website it created projects the right ambiance and there’s a separate site for the Bedfords reflecting the specific market they’re targeting at.”

Said Josh: “Dad and I run the Empress Coaches Facebook page and we’ve also recently joined Instagram. Both are generating a lot of positive feedback for us. People love the Bedford J2s, the modern coaches and they like our claret livery.

“We’re able to highlight what our vehicles look like inside, what they have been doing, and the interesting places they have been. ‘Meet the team’ is when we talk about current members of staff, but we also do ‘Empress Heros’ where we highlight former employees.

Said Steve: “When I posted about the arrival of our second Bedford J2, that generated more than 5,000 likes. It’s amazing how many people responded. I’ve totalled up all the Bedfords that have been owned by the firm over the years. It is 31 covering virtually all models over eight decades, but never a J2 until 2016. The first was our 100th vehicle.

“What’s great about Facebook is that I’m able to post little stories about the history of Empress Coaches and the people who have been associated with it. When you’re running a firm that’s 90 years old, there’s almost an unlimited supply of them.

“I’ve been asked why we call former members of staff ‘heros’, but to me, that’s what they are. If it wasn’t for the people who put in the time and made the effort to do the job properly, we wouldn’t have a business today. It’s very easy to forget that.

“Today there are six full-time drivers, two part-timers and another four who are casuals. Having the right requirement is always a difficult one to manage because it’s either feast or famine. There are days when it’s just schools work and we’re almost overstaffed. Then there could be a lot of private hire and it can be a challenge finding enough people. Having the right balance is never easy.

“We used to do some chauffeuring for the mayor in Hastings. Myself and two guys used to share it between us. It was good fun, but then they wanted us to provide a vehicle as well and there were the demands of those additional school contracts to be meet so I decided it was best we concentrate on what we do best.

“For a business like this, the person behind the wheel is the key element. We can do everything to the best of your ability in the office and the vehicles can be well presented and maintained, but ultimately everything hinges on how the day is delivered.

“We’re lucky in having good core staff who stay with us because they like the way we operate. Being an all-rounder is hard for a driver. Some are great behind the wheel while others are great with passengers, but it’s finding the right combination of both skills. Some of the people we’ve employed have been operators themselves so they fully understand how the job should be done. Over the years there have been some real characters and there’s some really good people here at the moment.

“A big concern in recent times is the growing number of drivers with automatic licences that have been upgraded. Often great people, but put them behind the wheel of a manual gearbox vehicle and they really don’t know what gear they’re in. All our vehicles, bar one, are manual.

“We did try training one guy by having an independent training provider working with him, but there are others where we have just had to say sorry, this isn’t going to work. It’s sad, but we think it’s vital that everyone we employ is able to use a gearbox properly. It’s particularly important when you’re a small business that does most of its own maintenance. We have our own mechanic and my cousin, Michael Sellens, helps in the garage as well as the office.

“In addition to Josh and myself in the office, there’s Nikki Fasey, who is here four days a week looking after administration. My wife Jayne provides hidden support behind the scenes by undertaking the bookkeeping, but when Empress presents at events such as wedding fares, we often go as a family because we all enjoy it. Our daughter Bethany is 13 now and she comes along as well. We’re a close-knit team.”

New thinking

Said Josh: “As Dad explained, it’s important to keep moving with the times and to keep in tune with what people want. That’s why, when we went to Coach & Bus UK, we were looking at onboard WiFi. It would be something different that we could offer. We’re always looking at new ways of adding value to the customer’s journey.

“I’ve been working at Empress since September last year, although Dad actually bought the business two days before I was born, so in a sense I’ve been here since the start. There are pictures of me sitting on coaches when I was a baby. I’ve grown up with the firm and loved every minute of being part of it.

“I’m of an age where I was required to go to college for two years after leaving school, but I just didn’t want to do that. It turned out that I could do a family business apprenticeship through the Let’s Do Business Group. Essentially it was a two-year course condensed down to a year. The great thing about it was, while the coursework was set, I was involved with everything that was going on in the business whether it was working in the office and talking to customers or helping drivers’ clean vehicles. I’ve already got my car license and plan to go for my PCV next year.

“Presentation is something that I feel really strongly about, whether it’s the turnout of the fleet or how staff are dressed. I’ve grown up looking at how others operate and I felt we could project ourselves differently. We have new uniforms that say ‘Empress Coaches’ rather than just ‘Empress’. It ensures everyone knows what we do whether we’re in our normal operating area or not.

“Something else we’re doing is phasing out business cards in favour of more substantial flyers that will still fit in a pocket, but allow us to say more about the company in a bolder way. At wedding fairs, we felt our business cards were getting lost in the bottom of goodie bags, but the flyers are more likely to be noticed and retained. We’ve done one for the modern coaches and a separate one for the Bedfords.”

Said Steve: “We’ve also had three period-style A3-size prints designed by Bradley Hutchings who is based in the New Forest. I drew the initial sketches and provided the photographs of the vehicles and local scenes, and he then interprets them. What he has created has just the right classic feel, and they’re one of the items available through our website gift shop. It all helps build the brand image.”

Continuing challenges

“There’s no shortage of challenges in this industry,” said Steve. “An important one for us locally has been getting MOT test slots. I had to get our local MP involved when they closed the local DVSA station before there was any ATFs (Authorised Testing Facility) open. It’s the poor people on the ground who have to cope with the consequences of decisions like that, and operators were having to go all over the place to get tests. I would have thought that if it had been possible to individually manage test stations, they could have been more viable.

“Our garage is only big enough to accommodate eight of the fleet so, as I’ve already mentioned, an ongoing concern is finding somewhere where we can safely park the other four. I own our premises, which is central to what we do. It’s a prime site just off the seafront in St Leonards and we have virtually no dead mileage, an important consideration because of the congested roads we now have to contend with in this area.

“London is only 70 miles from here, so what happens with the ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone) is a real consideration. We have bought emission abatement equipment for some of our vehicles in the past, but the conversions didn’t sit very well and in one case, the back- pressure created blew the radiator. We’ll consider all the options including possibly buying new.

“I was involved with Empress Coaches from an early age (see panel) and that, combined with writing the book, gave me an in-depth insight into the history of the firm. What struck me was that nothing changed for my predecessors. It just seemed incredible that almost at a press of a button when I finally took over, we have had to reinvent what we do every four to five years. That’s a reflection of just how much the world has changed.

“What I do love is the variety. I know every day is going to be different and that it will create new opportunities with different organisations and customers. There will be different ways of doing things, but at the same time there will always be longstanding customers who phone up and say ‘hello. I only book once a year, but…’ To me, they’re so valued. There are organisations that have been booking for nearly 60 years, which is amazing. It’s nice that there is that continuity and it gives us a deeper understanding of this company’s place within the community.

“What’s important is doing the best we can, remaining focused and always being prepared to adapt. Never say ‘I don’t want to do this’ or ‘I’m not prepared to do that.’ I’ve always said that if the day ever comes that I stop jumping through hoops, it’s probably time that I should stop doing this all together.

“I always say to Josh, it’s important to keep in touch with what could be coming up. We’re members of the CPT (Confederation of Passenger Transport) which is good because they’re always providing bulletins and updates. I also remind him that it’s important to read the trade press. Personally, I enjoy learning about other operators that are taking new approaches and looking for different angles.

“The business has definitely gone through some darker patches in the past and I have wondered sometimes whether it was worth the hassle. I could just go and drive for someone else, but that really wouldn’t be an option. What I say to Josh is always look for solutions. Be proactive because there’s a very good future for Empress Coaches.”[/wlm_ismember]