Vehicle Types

Our stock is all different and there’s nearly always something available that will meet the needs of a customer. With used vehicles the majority of customers will compromise a little over vehicle layouts.

We specialise in accessible and conventional minibuses

Consideration has been given in the past to offering brand new minibuses for sale but it has never gone beyond the looking stage. ‘We’ve been through the exercise and decided against it, with used we have a broader scope’. On new you’d be restricted to a smaller number of conversions. You couldn’t stock enough to meet everyone’s needs. This way, our stock is all different and there’s nearly always something available that will meet the needs of a customer. With used vehicles the majority of customers will compromise a little over vehicle layouts.’

‘Our motto for many years has been, ‘we try to work within everybody’s budget to meet everybody’s needs.’

Our customers trust in us

Having operated for so long, Heatons have built up a formidable body of satisfied customers, many of whom have dealt with the company for years. Though new customers are welcomed all of the time, the vast majority of sales are to buyers that have bought from the business on previous occasions. Ironically, given the money spent on upgrading the premises, Wayne and Philip are finding that many existing customers, perhaps as many as half of them, no longer bother coming to Wigan when they want to buy something. Such is the relationship built up with Heatons over the years that they just ring with their requirements, some pictures of what best matches their needs are sent via e-mail, and delivery to their premises is arranged, wherever it is across the country.

We’re quite relaxed. We try to treat people how we would want to be treated. There’s never any pressure,’ said Philip. ‘And if a problem should arise after we’ve sold a vehicle, our approach is to ask how they think we should sort it out.’

Dealing with Heatons is a pleasurable experience

Customers come from a variety of sectors. Apart from operators there are local charities, nursing homes, schools and the occasional private user. Some business is done with Community Transport operators, including deals in both the week I visited and the previous one. What they are looking for depends heavily on the level of funding they enjoy. Some are buying at a year old, others would buy eight year old buses if they could.

‘We are all geared up for it and couldn’t survive in the future without being. Some customers don’t appreciate the importance of having everything straight but we do,’ he said. ‘I can’t buy non-compliant vehicles because they would come straight back on me. As soon as a bus went for its local private hire test or an initial certificate of fitness test, it would be spotted and come straight back to me so there is no point in buying non-compliant vehicles. Who the converters are is a major consideration when we are buying vehicles.’

We’re quite relaxed. We try to treat people how we would want to be treated. There’s never any pressure,’ said Philip. ‘And if a problem should arise after we’ve sold a vehicle, our approach is to ask how they think we should sort it out.’

Much of the demand is to satisfy the immediate needs of operators that have just been awarded a contract. They hear they have been successful with a tender and come on the telephone to ask what is available within their price range. The same is true for vehicles of all sizes, say Wayne.