Johnsons Coach and Bus may have been established for 109 years, but it’s not going to be standing still anytime soon. Richard, Business Development Manager and a fourth generation Johnson, is determined to keep driving the business forwards so that customers, new and old always get the quality of service they deserve. Angela Youngman talks to him about his emerging career – from canoe instructor to being a big player in the future success of the company
The Johnsons family is well known for regularly winning at the Coach Awards with Coach Operator of the Year, Best Day Excursion Programme, Large Coach Operator of the Year and Coach of the Year trophies all gracing the mantelpiece. 2017 was a particularly exciting year as it marked a unique family double when 80-year-old Joan was named Gold Award Winner in the Unsung Hero category for her 60-year contribution to the business, while her grandson Richard carried on the family tradition being awarded the Gold Award for Young Coach Industry Professional. The judges had singled him out for his passion, enthusiasm and the drive he had shown following his appointment as Assistant Manager at sister company Whittles Coaches. It was an award he never expected. [wlm_nonmember][…]
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“When I heard I had been nominated I couldn’t believe it,” said Richard. “I thought my friends and family were joking and told them to stop joking and let’s get to work. Then I realised they were deadly serious. When I won, it was wow – amazing. I was sitting at one of the tables at the back having a great time, then suddenly a photo of me taking customers to West Midlands Safari Park popped up on the screen. I was absolutely thrilled. It is fantastic.”
Unusual beginnings
Joining the coach business had not been Richard’s initial choice of career. After leaving school, he worked as an instructor teaching people to canoe and rock climb during the summer, and spent his winters working in the chalets. He enjoyed traveling. He recalled: “Then there came a junction in my life when I was not sure what my career direction would be, whether to develop as a freelance instructor or look at other things. Just at that moment, the company installed a coach wash, which had to be fitted out over the winter months and my dad said they needed extra muscle, so why not help out. I started grafting, learning and falling in love with the business. It hadn’t seemed very interesting when I was in school and going on the school bus every day. I was very much into extreme sports and the coach and bus industry didn’t seem exciting when you see drivers taking kids to school.”
As soon as he became involved in the coach business though, he discovered it offered much more than school runs. The family business was one held in esteem by major companies, and operated on a European wide basis. Established in 1909 by Richard’s great grandparents, Johnsons Coach and Bus has grown steadily over the years with each generation of the family becoming closely involved in its operation, which now encompasses a wide range of activities from park-&-ride and excursions to corporate travel.
“We had a contract to take people to the 2012 Olympics. When the coach wash had been installed, my dad suggested that I should get my coach drivers licence and take groups down there. That was my light bulb moment. I saw us as a family business able to compete with large companies like Shearings, Edwards Coaches and Stagecoach. I knew we could do a better job than them,” Richard said “It really opened my eyes to the things that Johnson’s was doing, that people had a high opinion of it and that there were over 40 vehicles going all over the country and internationally. I became a driver taking groups onto the Continent, to Spain and Italy, France and Belgium.”
He enjoyed the excitement and the adrenalin that working in a coach business provided. “One of my favourite routes as a driver was going to Bets-y-coed in Wales. When we got there, the passengers would get off and do whatever they wanted to do. I changed out of my uniform, put on my walking boots and went off up a mountain and enjoyed myself.”
Taking charge
Nearly three-years later, Richard sat down with the company directors – his father and uncle, and looked at ways to get further involved. He spent several months working in the garage learning how the coaches were prepared and maintained, before being asked to take on the challenge that eventually led him to being awarded Young Coach Industry Professional in 2017.
In January 2015, Johnsons Coach and Bus acquired Whittles Coaches, a small business based in Kidderminster operating nine vehicles providing door to door, tour and holiday services. The ethos of the two companies was very similar as Whittles also strived to offer value for money and consistently high quality coach travel. It had come through a recession and had a strong core team but lacked leadership. Johnsons wanted to maintain Whittles as a separate entity, but knew it needed considerable attention for it to develop successfully. Sending Richard to become a key part of the management team was an ideal solution. It would give him a complete introduction to the running of a small business and demonstrate the close link that now existed between the two businesses.
“They asked me to go to Whittles as an assistant manager,” he recalled. “I had not worked in management before so it was a big step. I had been a charge hand, mechanic and driver and was now running the Whittles fleet. I was there for two years and found it really interesting. Whittles needed to be regenerated. There had been a void at the top and the energy was missing. We needed to show that there was a Johnson at the helm because people recognised our name and needed to see that Whittles was part of our group with our values. My role was to be responsible as a manager in the industry, and impart my energy towards the business and reflect the interest we had in it.”
The role was certainly wide ranging. Over the next two years Richard was involved in everything, including marketing, sales, administration, management, driving, scheduling, compliance and cleaning. He was interviewed on the radio, and took part in publicity events including the London Marathon.
“My uncle and I ran the London Marathon carrying a full size wooden canoe dressed as Native Americans. I was at the front and he was at the back. We chose a canoe because the marathon is like a river of runners. We were going for the Guinness World Record for the fastest two man team, but our time of five hours 25 minutes didn’t quite beat the record,” Richard recalled.
“I wanted to do the London Marathon this year, but didn’t get through the application process. I will try again next year. I am doing the Yorkshire Marathon in aid of charity, and a few years ago my sister, dad and myself jumped out of an airplane to raise funds for charity.”
Back to school
While working at Whittles, Richard’s management training included studying on the Warwick Business School Leadership and Management Course. In doing so, he was following in the footsteps of other family members. His sister was in the final stages of her course, and his father and uncle had also completed it many years ago. This intensive course lasted 18 months and involved attending for a few days each month.
“I did struggle with the idea at first. The course was very hands on and you had to work things out or make a noose for yourself. It was a very steep learning curve and I am very glad that the directors put my sister and myself through it. Our courses ran simultaneously so we were not in the same team. I made a lot of friends there, and gained some coach business as well.”
He added: “I was clammed up at the beginning. I looked at all these other students who already had degrees, masters degrees and had been working overseas. I felt I was just a small entity in a family business and that coach and bus would be boring to them. When I did start to take part, people were amazed because coach and bus was so interesting, and the fact that I was the fourth generation to be involved. It went from cold to hot in just one session. It was a really beneficial experience and showed how things can go forward. I often now see similarities between what happened on that course and day-to-day business. I can see the mindset, and look at the reasons why things are happening and how to deal with them.”
The combination of the Warwick Business School programme and the working experience at Whittles provided the perfect background for Richard to acquire the skills necessary to run a much larger company. It gave him the business grounding he needed. His energy, enthusiasm and willingness to learn demonstrating how he was a natural hybrid, able to work as a team or an individual and fit easily into all sectors of the business. His efforts certainly paid off as Whittles has experienced a steady growth, year-on-year since Johnsons took over.
“Working at Whittles gave me a great understanding of how we operate at Johnsons,” said Richard. “It was learning multiple roles with one stone. I was able to develop myself, gain the experience needed to grow the Johnsons business and eventually succeed my father and my uncle, as my sister and myself will be the fourth generation to run the business. Running a coach business is ingrained in my DNA.”
Big ambitions
Following his intensive experience at Whittles, Richard moved back to Johnsons as the Business Development Manager for private hire, corporate, tour groups and schools. His brief was simple – to investigate ways in which the company could develop and improve its service, taking it to the next level.
“I am looking at the future of the industry and how we can utilise the technology available to us to build our business,” he explained. “Developing relationships is very important, and I want to broaden awareness of what we do and what we are trying to achieve. I want companies to automatically use us for all their transport needs.
“It is important to show that we are a solid business. Our company goes back over 100 years to 1909 when my great-grandparents founded it. My grandparents worked here, my uncle and my dad, and now myself and my sister, who is the marketing manager. We are encouraging people to come and see our large complex, complete with its six-bay workshop, coach wash, fuel store, offices, bus area and our own products team doing trips and holidays. Some days we can have over 100 customer’s cars parked here while they are on a tour, and very recently we installed a comfortable waiting area for passengers.”
Staffing focus
High quality personnel are a priority to service companies like Johnsons and Richard has identified several areas that are crucial to enhancing standards of excellence further within the business such as personnel, training and customer service.
His personal experience as a driver with Johnsons and Whittles has taught him just how important drivers can be in promoting a company. “I want to show drivers that they can get involved with clients in a controlled way and have fun such as when I took a private hire group to an Indian wedding. One family who were organising it got me involved and painted me in blue and orange. I came back driving the coach covered from head to toe in paint.”
Drivers and other company staff are regarded as a key resource. “We want to invest in people, showing how a family business can motivate them and achieve,” he said. “We want the best working for us. We have to encourage people to think for themselves, be prepared to delegate and do what they do best, taking ownership of their own departments.”
He continued: “We want to be very customer friendly, so we can get more business. We want our drivers to interact with customers and promote the company, and be our ambassadors. We have some drivers who will tell passengers about other events and tours that we do and we have to get that attitude in all our drivers. Driving our coaches is not just getting from A to B. Younger drivers have to learn to take ownership, and ensure a consistent level of service. It’s a ripple effect and I believe I can achieve that.”
Feedback to improve
Maximising feedback is regarded as essential in order to improve customer service. Johnsons gets five star reviews from customers, which isn’t a surprise as it is a leading player in the industry. But this is not enough for Richard. He believes the company can do much more than that, and as business development manager he wants to know what customers think the company could do even better.
“We want more specific feedback from customers,” said Richard. “We get five stars, but I cannot learn from that. I want to know what would take us to the next level. I want our drivers to be able to sit down with a tour manager and say, ‘yes, I have done well, but how can I improve?’ It is a learning process. I want to feed off the customer’s experience and discover how we can improve further. Existing feedback is not specific enough, I want to know how I can get a majority share of my client’s business whether it is a long trip or a hotel transfer for a corporate client.”
Winning the award has definitely made a difference to Richard. It made him realise just what he had achieved during his time at Whittles – and what could be done in future! “Johnsons are a Guild of British Coach Operators member. It gave me recognition within an elite group of operators in the UK. To gain their awareness makes me very proud. I don’t go around telling people I am an award winner, but it gives me personal recognition and awareness that my work is appreciated. I am only as good as the next man. You have to go back to core values, constantly work to bring in more business and be open to try new things. Winning the award has made me think about what I could achieve next year, or the year after.”
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