Tech Entrepreneur Al Lijee Talks About His UK-wide Windscreen Repair And Replacement Platform myWindscreen
myWindscreen is a nationwide windscreen repair and replacement network which supports local, independent auto glaziers by generating high quality sales leads.
Tell Us About Yourself?
My background has always been in internet-related IT services, having worked for UKFast (a leading internet hosting provider) for around seven years.
Prior to that, I was involved in web-related service sales: the commercial internet was in its infancy at the time, and the term ‘domain name’ was still a strange concept to many businesses.
More recently, I have been owner and CEO of a number of successful online networks, with myWindscreen as a recent addition.
If You Could Go Back In Time a Year Or Two, What Piece Of Advice Would You Give Yourself?
FOCUS ON QUALITY LEAD GENERATION – Find out what the customer really wants, and find the best way to provide it – this is what will bring those customers through the door. Once the leads have been generated, ensure the service providers have quick and easy access to them, that way they will come back for more. You will be helping them to grow their businesses will make your own business more profitable.
What Problem Does Your Business Solve?
Vehicle owners need quick and hassle-free access to auto glazier services, and auto glaziers need to ensure a steady supply of work. Before myWindscreen was set up, motorists generally had to search the internet for local services, or simply go with any one of the big names that they recognised. myWindscreen simplifies and centralises the search function, and helps generate locally sourced work for the auto glaziers while making life easier for the motorist. We are the UBER for the automotive glass repair and replacement sector.
What Is The Inspiration Behind Your Business?
A poor experience with a windscreen repair by one of the big nationals made me realise that there was a better way of working. The big nationals force the motorist to accept a standardised tariff of services, regardless of their individual needs. However, giving the customer a choice of local independent service providers means more flexibility on both servicing and pricing, delivering a better experience to the customer, and giving the auto glaziers access to leads that they may otherwise have not been aware of.
What Is Your Magic Sauce?
Giving the motorist easy access to a range of local options for vehicle glass services – they can choose the most appropriate for their particular situation, and get repairs done more quickly and often more cheaply.
Vetting our network members to ensure they are delivering the best possible customer service at the best possible price, and therefore keeping their customers happy (and growing their businesses).
What Is The Plan For The Next 5 Years? What Do You Want To Achieve?
To continue to grow our network of independent auto glaziers, and therefore provide even more choice to the end-users (UK motorists), which in turn will generate more leads for our network members.
To ensure our network members continue to deliver high-quality windscreen replacement service at affordable prices, and therefore maintain our reputation for reliability.
To be the name motorists first think of when they need to call on the expertise of an auto glazier.
What Is The Biggest Challenge You’ve Faced So Far?
There have been many hurdles to overcome in my career, most of which I have managed to overcome by loving what I do and applying my self-belief and energy to any problems I have encountered.
Having said that, the recent pandemic and all the associated lockdowns and restrictions were something no-one could have predicted, and even the greatest self-belief has not been enough. However, we are optimistic about the future, and see that providing a great choice of services at the best possible prices is the way to help and support both the vehicle glaziers and the motorists going forwards.
How Do People Get Involved/Buy Into Your Vision?
Go to myWindscreen website and get a no-obligation quote for windscreen repair and replacement services, visit us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @myWindscreen
