At the heart of every great business are the people who work tirelessly and with enormous passion to make it great. That’s most certainly the case of H.R. Owen’s Bentley Hertfordshire Service centre; staffed by true Bentley enthusiasts with over 100 years of experience between them.
Based in Potters Bar, Bentley Hertfordshire Service is an authorised Bentley Service Centre offering servicing, repairs and maintenance, with all work carried out by technicians who are fully accredited and trained by Bentley in Crewe. As part of a consolidation project to bring customer sales and servicing to one place, the Hertfordshire site is to integrate with the Bentley Hatfield dealership – one of H.R. Owen’s newest showrooms and aftersales.
Even with the move on the horizon, the team haven’t had time to slow down. Between them, they must maintain and repair around 120 vehicles every month, but even with such a monumental workload, their passion for all things Bentley never wanes.
Paul Spur, a 37-year Bentley veteran, not only enjoys working on customers’ Bentleys, but also has one of his own: a 1998 Bentley Brooklands Mulliner R, number 52 of only 100 limited edition models made in that year. Paul loves working on his car, and on some of the older Bentleys that pass-through Hertfordshire’s doors. “It’s all about the smells when you get in and drive these older cars,” he says, “maybe I’m just getting old!”
Tim Kilpatrick caught the Bentley bug early, as an apprentice in 1984 and hasn’t worked on anything but Bentleys since then. He was so taken by the vehicles he was learning his craft with, that he scooped up the Rolls-Royce and Bentley apprentice of the year award. And his passion is clear to see, even when he’s ‘off-duty. “I saw a lady driving a Bentley Turbo R from 1996, it was a ‘Cadbury’s’ promotion car in their iconic purple. The car had failed to start, and as I drove by I just couldn’t help but stop.” He added, “the lady was waiting for the roadside assistance having just fuelled the car. Turns out the terminal was loose on the battery, so it was a simple fix and the lady was elated and went on her way. No free Cadburys for me, though…”
Whilst Bentley Hertfordshire Service has experienced and knowledgeable team members, it also has young and enthusiastic apprentices ready to follow in the footsteps of senior colleagues. Nilukshan “Nil” Navaratnam is Bentley Hatfield’s first apprentice to the business. Nil loves the handcrafted cars that he is mentored on. In his first six months, Nil has already shown his college tutors a very methodical approach to studying and working. He is very mature and conducts himself in a manner that both represents the Bentley ethos and that of H.R. Owen and its loyal customers.
John Ralph our Service Consultant is well versed in everything Bentley and has a vast knowledge of the Bentley models current and old. John has many loyal customers that return asking for him year on year to be looked after and regularly call asking him for advice. John can also support with body accessories and other vehicle enhancements making Bentleys further bespoke and personal, and for those unexpected issues we can offer manufacture extended warranties for Bentleys up to ten years old. But no matter what John lives the brand and his customers
Amber Doolan has now been with Bentley Hertfordshire for four years and is our Service Administrator. Amber joined from sixth form and has used her time to learn and understand customer needs and the journey required from making a booking to following up a customer after their Bentley has been reunited with them. “I love the brand and the way the cars look both inside and out. Bentleys offer high performance speed in an ultra-comfortable and luxurious manor that are both complementary.
Hitesh Patel or Harry as he is known is Bentley Hertfordshire’s parts advisor. Harry supports not only the service department customers, but also many trade and business’s too in and around Hertfordshire. Harry has extensive knowledge of the models and Bentley parts. Whether it be a service kit for an older Bentley or accessories for him, her or the Bentley itself from the Bentley Collection you only have to ask.
This is but a small cross section of the Bentley Hatfield Aftersales team, but every single member of staff makes their mark on the business. Day in, day out this team of passionate and talented enthusiasts aren’t just working to deliver car maintenance and repair, but a rarefied level of service and quality that’s required to be a part of the H.R. Owen Bentley family.
Yours sincerely
David Pilcher
Service Manager
To contact or speak with our Hertfordshire Service team, please visit our website
