When Repairify remote technician James Reay first jetted off to Australia in December 2022 for two weeks, he wasn’t anticipating the speed at which the Repairify proposition would take off down under.  His role initially was to scope out how the business in Europe could be replicated in Australia, working closely with Australia’s leading glass repair and replacement provider O’Brien, based in Sydney.

By James’ return in March 2023, the Repairify proposition was already ramping up, with asTech diagnostic devices going out to shops all over the country, and requests for scanning starting to come in.  By June, this number had almost doubled, as shops realised the benefits of the asTech All-in-One/Gen 2 tool for all pre- and post-scans.

Because of the legalities in New South Wales, James, who has been a mechanic since he was 16, had to be correctly accredited in Australia to be able to monitor the calibration work being carried out.  This was a fairly straightforward and quick process by ensuring his UK accreditations were formalised by Australia’s governing body, the AASRA.

Despite the speed at which the business took off, there were some challenges to overcome.  Because Australia is so large, connectivity was an issue.  However, by plugging into nationwide hot spots, O’Brien soon resolved the problem.

There are also nuances around working on different cars in different countries, but with his vast experience, James was able to work through these, familiarising himself with local quirks and using muscle memory to respond to the challenges and pass on his knowledge.

Being part of O’Brien’s team of skilled technicians who calibrate was a huge joy for James.  He believes the people are Australia’s best commodity, eager to learn and determined to succeed, despite the ADAS market still being in its infancy.  It has very much been a collaborative approach.  What he wasn’t expecting were so many ex-pats, working with many technicians from England, Scotland and Ireland, who are all enjoying a high standard of life out there.

Despite the hard work, James managed to have Sundays off while in Australia, visiting favourites such as Bondi Beach, the Blue Mountains and a kangaroo reserve, remarking that the sky and the water are bluer and it’s a fantastic place to be.

Now, with Repairify GB in Sydney City and the Repairify™ and Capricorn® joint venture in Perth to deliver leading-edge remote automotive repair solutions to repairers across Australia and New Zealand very much up and running, it’s safe to say that James’ foray into Australia has been a big success.

With another trip planned at the end of February to monitor progress and provide more hands-on training and support, James is helping shops to be best equipped with connected technology to professionally deal with modern vehicle servicing across the vast and ever-changing Australian and New Zealand car parc.