Quench Cycles
Locate East Sussex are very pleased to hear of the success of Quench Cycles’ new Repair centre in Flimwell, demonstrating effective bounce back from the lockdowns, and the great work they are doing upskilling their local community, utilising apprenticeship schemes.
We genuinely put our customers at the centre of everything that we do to ensure that you have the best and most positive experience possible.
Quench Cycles
Quench took over the bike rental at Bedgebury in 2007, providing mountain bike rentals for visitors to explore the National Pinetum’s extensive trails. Since then, visitor numbers at Bedgebury have increased 10-fold, and through 15 years of quality service, Quench’s customers have increased likewise.
Coming from a background in hospitality and hotel management, David Cole, founder, and director of Quench, wanted to provide the highest level of customer service and interaction.
Quench’s customer centric approach to service has established it as a popular feature at Bedgebury and in the local cycling community.
David describes one of Quench’s aims as ‘selling positivity’ – he wants Quench to be involved in creating long lasting memories for customers, not only to encourage repeat business, but altruistically to be part of an experience that families, friends and loved ones will remember happily for years to come.
The servicing side of Quench is well regarded by the cycling community, ranked in the top 1% of 1500 ACT workshops. Customer service is in everything Quench do, and this is why they were one of the first companies to offer customers a courtesy bike if theirs wasn’t able to be fixed within 48 hours, and why they are the preferred servicing partner for British Cycling Southeast and Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.
Flimwell Repair Centre
Despite being forced to close for months during the initial Covid lockdowns and being targeted by thieves during this difficult time, progress has not faltered, and Quench are very pleased to have taken up shop in their new tech and repair centre just a few minutes away from Bedgebury in Flimwell Park. East Sussex has many fantastic biking routes and trails, from countryside to the coastal bike networks, and having a professional, high-quality centre to go to for all you biking needs is an excellent addition to the county.
Built using sustainable and local materials wherever possible and self-sufficient, using solar panels and energy efficient measures, the facility fits seamlessly into the beautiful High Weald it is in, and shows Quench’s positive impact on its local community. Offering bike maintenance and accessories from this dedicated facility helps distinguish Quench’s servicing department from their bike rentals in Bedgebury.
"There are also plans to run a training academy which will up-skill young people in the local community, as well as bike maintenance courses for those that want to learn how to do it themselves.”
Quench Cycles
David discussed with us how he produced ‘avatars’ for his customers, thinking carefully about the type of people using their service and their needs, whether that’s day visitors, families or cycling enthusiasts.
As with any business, the ultimate key to providing excellent service is the staff and the quality of their training and knowledge of the business. Quench understand this and are very keen on employing locally and upskilling local residents – to date they have qualified 16 apprentices through their formal engineering biking qualifications. David recognises the potential that upskilling young people local to the business has, not only providing them with opportunities, but building a workforce that is trained to the high standards Quench expects.
"Quench have always looked after the servicing of my mountain bike. This month I took it to their new shop in Flimwell … As always the servicing was first class and very quick. Thank you Quench for continuing to look after me and my bike.”
Google Review
Benefits of Hiring Apprentices
Hiring apprentices comes with a whole host of benefits, for the apprentice, employer, and the community your business is in.
An apprenticeship is a paid job where the employee learns and gains valuable experiences, and leads to a nationally recognised qualification.
Employing an apprentice can reduce the costs of recruitment, especially when it comes to knowledge specific industries, such as the engineering required for Quench’s servicing employees. Each employee learns on the job exactly the skills they need to perform well within the company in a practical and hands on way, whilst also being paid. For Quench, this is not just the engineering skills, but also the customer service and interaction that sets them apart, which students may not experience in conventional education settings.
Training your own apprentices is a direct solution to any skills gap that your business may be facing, and effective in improving your employee retention as providing employees with skills and training can create increased loyalty to the business. By recruiting locally and providing people with formal qualifications, Quench are supporting the local community, providing employment opportunities as well as creating long term benefits of a skilled, adaptable local workforce.
As well as training apprentices, Quench also provide PE GCSE and BTEC exam moderation for young people.