Nearly two years ago, many businesses along Australia’s eastern coast were emerging from COVID lockdowns and looking to build after a desolate few years. As one of many bus and coach brands in the region, Bus Stop Sales was no different.
Just when Bus Stop Sales dealer principal Pete White was preparing for a year full of rebounding in the local market, another challenge descended upon Bus Stop’s headquarters in Rocklea, Brisbane.
“Bus Stop Sales’ journey was unfortunately adversely impacted during the floods in early 2022,” White told ABC.
“The floods inundated our bus parts inventory, resulting in nearly one million dollars’ worth of losses. The flooded parts had to be written off and we had to move on quickly.”
Instead of letting another setback trouble Bus Stop Sales’ goal of supplying an innovative range of bus and coach models to the Australian market, White used the adversity as an opportunity. With Bus Stop’s evolving parts sector being wiped out, the brand set upon rebuilding its holdings and making the firm bigger and better than before.
“Bus Stop Sales reinvested in a huge array of parts that continue to arrive at our Rocklea Parts Distribution Centre following the floods,” White says.
“The parts arrive most weeks, reinforcing our dedication to our valued customers.”
White and the Bus Stop team could’ve been forgiven for momentarily straying from their focus on Bus Stop’s Australian customer base.
Yet in the ever-evolving landscape of the Australian bus and coach industry, White emphasised the importance of ongoing customer support beyond initial sales. This led Bus Stop to push through the challenge of the floods at Rocklea, sharpening its concentration on enhancing long-term partnerships.
The local distributor didn’t waste time, working quickly in 2022 to reinvest in its infrastructure to return Bus Stop’s Rocklea Bus Centre to its former glory. By focusing on funding its parts and service support sectors, Bus Stop ended up going a step further, improving its capabilities beyond its pre-flood levels.
In a strategic move, Bus Stop Sales invested in expanding both its inventory of bus parts and its parts team. The idea wasn’t to simply replace what had been lost – White and his team wanted to establish a new robust group with the required support system ready to meet the needs of the entire bus and coach industry in Australia.
“I’m passionate about our Bus Stop customer base across the King Long, I-Bus, locally produced Coach Concepts Marathon and Joylong mini-bus ranges,” White says.
“We’re guiding our group to focus on continually improving our offer to the market, particularly with unparalleled aftersales and access to our parts inventory.”
The investment in Bus Stop’s own processes following the destructive south-east Queensland floods in 2022 extends beyond its parts inventory and stock holdings. Heading into 2024, Bus Stop has made recent appointments to its team to provide the best quality service for its wide range of local customers.
Bus Stop recently welcomed Israel ‘Izzy’ Hira as its new national bus parts manager, while David Lowe has also joined the team as executive general manager. The pair’s arrival at Bus Stop Sales is proof that the brand is continuing its commitment to customers by investing to ensure they’re supported in 2024 and beyond.
“Our group recently took over from an existing distributor, with there being a number of challenges surfacing across older models and accessing the aged parts stock,” White says.
“However, both the manufacturer in King Long and our group have been working tirelessly to review and reset, ensuring all customers feel supported and continue to love the brand.”
Following the 2022 floods, accessing stock and spare parts became even more difficult with the ongoing challenge of shipping delays and inflation. White acknowledges the array of trials Bus Stop has had to contend with in recent years and admits that stock shortages continue to be a point of concern.
Much like his approach to the 2022 floods, White isn’t shying away from the challenge, instead choosing to use the stock shortages as an opportunity to innovate, improve and bounce back better than ever.
“Our commitment to offering leading parts and aftersales support isn’t just a corporate strategy – it’s a promise to the industry,” White says.
“We’re assuring the market that Bus Stop Sales will continue to evolve, adapt and stand firmly behind every King Long bus on the road.
“In the face of challenges, Bus Stop Sales isn’t just a provider of buses, it’s a partner committed to the success and longevity of its customers in the Australian bus and coach industry.”