Richard Grey, Managing Director of Greys of Ely and 2018 routeone awards winner for best use of technology talks to routeone.
Q: How was Greys of Ely founded?
A: The business was formed in 1946 by my Grandfather as a taxi company. In the late 80s and early 90s we centred on coach travel and transport. In 1996 we moved to a new purpose-built site with around 14 or 15 vehicles. We now have 33 coaches with space for a few more.
Q: How else has the brand changed?
A: When my grandfather was buying surplus vehicles after the war, they came in an army green colour. We put cream paint on them and that created our green and cream livery. In 2008 we updated to a grey corporate colour to modernise the look of the fleet. When buying a new Jonckheere, the test vehicle was in metallic grey. I thought it looked stunning – and so we took the chance to refresh.
Q: How does a typical day go?
A: Just making sure I start the day right! After dealing with enquires I sometimes need to help do a school trip, which helps the business in its time of need. Some operators get really close to the coalface, and I can get my hands dirty – but I know when my time is best spent elsewhere.
Q: Aside from Richard Grey, who are the key family members in the business?
A: My father retired around 20 years ago, and there’s myself and my wife in the business. I have three daughters – but I don’t know if that’s something they’d be interested in doing.
Q: Would you like them to be interested?
A: I have fairly strong views on how I think this industry is going to change. If you look at technology like autonomous vehicles and Uber, we’re probably going to see the coach industry’s effectiveness diminish. There’s been shrinkage in the market. The use of technology is advancing at a considerable pace. As an operator, you want to be looking at certain niches that cannot be filled.
Q: Which niches is Greys targeting?
A: We’ve seen the best growth in the private hire market. You want lots of diversity. When one market deteriorates, we focus on another.
Q: Do you think changing technology will be accepted easily?
I don’t think so, but the industry needs to have one finger on the pulse. Some systems will be disruptive, but in a positive way. As an operator, you need to not be fearful of new technologies in order to win business. We’ve always tried to embrace it.
Someone once said to me that customers expect certain things, such as an on-board toilet. Wi-fi is now an expected facility. It’s important to understand technology and deploy it to the market in the best way possible.
