Murray’s of Randalstown

The business of selling cars and light commercials is a competitive market with many companies competing to stay afloat. Murray’s of Randalstown may not be biggest in their field of expertise, but what they can offer their customers cannot be matched by many.

Some of the fleet in stock at MurrayÕs

Irish Trucker spoke to John Murray about the origins of the company and how this small firm has established itself amongst the big boys of the trade.
The family ran business has been operating for the past 25 years and have sustained their status as a reliable dealership through hard work and more importantly customer satisfaction. Over the years the company has grown considerably and is one of the leading second hand car and light commercial dealers in the north with a highly trained staff that offer a friendly and efficient service.
“Business has been going well and our intentions are to maintain what we have. Presently, we are happy with our lot, but that’s not to say that sometime down the line, further expansion will be considered.”

The spacious garage where all prep work is carried out

They also hold a stock of over 40 top quality used vehicles at any one time in their new used car showroom.
At Murray’s, the highest level of servicing is provided. Open Monday to Saturday, from 9am to 6pm, they offer a reliable service to a large customer base.
“Customer satisfaction is our main aim and by providing a comprehensive after sales service, we feel that this has helped us retain our large customer base.”
Having cars and light commercials sitting side by side on the same forecourt represents a window of opportunity for the company, according to John.
“We are a relatively small business, but we pride ourselves in delivering quality vehicles to our customers with a friendly and efficient service.” said John.

“It is important for us to supply a good standard of vehicles or customers will just not come back, it’s as simple as that. If we were trying to outsmart people, we would have gone out of business along time ago.
“All our cars and light commercials are pre-checked for NCT and D.O.E. testing and a full service history can be provided. It’s the little things like that, the customers appreciate.
“Selling a car or van is only half the job, but the quality of service is what brings the customer and we are very grateful to all our repeat customers, who have stuck with us down through the years.

MurrayÕs has been established for a quarter of a century

“We have a very dedicated and motivated staff that knows our fleet of vans and cars inside out. They offer the best service to the customer and they play an important part in the ongoing success of the company.”
A significant percentage of the company’s business centres of the light commercial market. To that end Murray’s is acutely aware that the market is finite and places great store on customer retention.
Three years ago, Murray’s moved to Randalstown and John is pleased that they have settled well into their new premises, which allows them to hold more vehicles.

“It’s great to be here now and our location means that there is a lot of passing trade coming in and we have more room to display the cars,” he added.
The exchange rate between sterling and the euro has also helped John’s trade as he has noticed an influx of Southern customers crossing the border in order to purchase vehicles.
“There are a lot of people coming from the south to buy cars now and I’ve had a good few here. You can’t blame them really as they are making a great saving by buying up here.
“I actually sold a Volkswagon Passat to a customer from the south and he reckoned that he was saving E4,500 by buying the car in the north, so that will give you an indication of the savings that can be made.”
The stock supplied by Murray’s comes from main dealers and if the preferred car or light commercial of a customers’ choice is not available, then John will ensure to have it within a matter of days.

Murray’s pride themselves on having a close relationship with their customers and this is one of the reasons why they have built up such an excellent reputation over the years.
“Our aim is to provide customer satisfaction and it is something we have managed to deliver for some time now. If we can continue to do that then there is no reason why we can’t keep going the way we are for many years to come.”