The right road to Barcelona

In the week leading up to the competition, Phil headed first to Belgium to practise working on left-hand drive European spec vehicles – as that would be what he would be working on in Barcelona.

“It was different to what I’m used to working on, but it was great to have time to practice as I know it would help save time when I worked on vehicles like this during the competition,” Phil shares.

So, with over two months of dedicated training, Phil finally flew to Barcelona for the event he had waited for years to be involved in.

Getting to know the world

To start the event off right, the Best of Belron team organised activities so the delegates could get to know each other before competing.

“It was a great way to loosen up before the competition,” Phil says, “I met people from 27 other countries and had lunch with the judges before heading to the competition arena.”

Gary Lubner, Belron^® CEO, also took to the stage to talk to the delegates prior to the competition. “His speech was really moving. He recognised that each of us there were already champions – because we were all here as the best from our countries,” Phil adds, “that was a great reminder and a humbling one too.”

Competing with the best of the best

The first event of the competition was a written test to check the delegates’ understanding of all the tools and the processes they had to deal with and use.

“I took my time with it,” Phil tells us, “and by the end, I was confident with 95% of my answers – so I was off to a great start.”

Then, for the main competition, the 28 delegates were given different auto-glazing scenarios – repairing and replacing a windscreen, door glass, remove and replace rear glass, and recalibrating windscreen cameras. Each competitor was assigned to two judges who monitored their performance throughout the competition.

“The competition was replicating what mobile technicians do in a normal workday,” Phil shares. “We checked and gathered our tools, worked on the schedule and monitored our work. It was quite practical, too. The jobs that typically earned the most revenue also earned higher percentages in the scoring system.”

Of the two judges, one acted like a customer while the other handled the score sheet and monitored the process.

“The scoring was comprehensive – it wasn’t just about ticking all the boxes. We had to interact with the customer, too. So, we were scored based on efficiency, quality of the job, observance of safety protocols and customer service,” Phil recalls.

When asked how he felt during the competition, Phil told us that he was surprisingly calm while working, “I did everything as I would on a regular job, and I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of the experience.”

Finally, the moment everyone’s waiting for

“They announced some of the special awards for each event,” Phil shares, “then I was called as a runner-up – I placed equal 4th out of 28 in the world! I was pretty stoked.”

Phil finished in equal fourth place, coming after the US who claimed first, Portugal in second place and Turkey, third. Our New Zealand colleague also placed equal fourth with Phil.

“It wasn’t an easy journey, but it was an honour and a privilege to have represented the Australian O'Brien^® team at such a huge event,” Phil says.

A great experience with an even greater team

When asked what the most memorable part of the experience was, Phil told us that it was still about working as part of a tight-knit team.

“I remember standing up on stage, waving the Australian flag, and thinking that I couldn’t have done this without my dedicated team and network back home. Sure, I was there as a representative alone – but what went into me was years of training and support from the whole O'Brien^® team.”

“It was such a wonderful experience and a great honour to have been the driver of this journey for O'Brien^® – on behalf of everyone back in Australia.”

And with that, we have come to a satisfying end to this series.

O'Brien^® congratulates and thanks Phil Cole for representing the team in Barcelona and for embodying our DNA – the whole O'Brien^® team is proud of you!

Next time you need to get your windscreen repaired or replaced, think of the team at O'Brien^®. We’re your trained experts in all things windscreen glass – book online or call 1800 059 829.

At O'Brien^®, we’re proud to have so many outstanding Vehicle Glass Technicians working for our company right across Australia. If you would like to be part of our technical expertise and service excellence culture at O'Brien^®. visit obriencareers.com.au for more information today.

The post Phil’s Best Of Belron 2022 Experience & Wrap Up appeared first on O'Brien.

Our technicians are tested on quality, speed, attention to detail, care, adherence to the O'Brien^® way of fitting and expert use of the specialist O'Brien^® tools to name a few.

Hosted remotely for the first time, six of our finest O'Brien^® automotive technicians battled it out through a series of windscreen repair and replacement challenges hoping to take out the top prize. Ultimately, Phil Cole from O'Brien^® AutoGlass Joondalup in WA was crowned champion. He’s now on the countdown to represent Australia in the Best of Belron 2022 competition in Barcelona, Spain, on 29-30 June.

Best of Belron brings together 29 of the best automotive technicians from across the global Belron family to compete for the title of “Best of Belron 2022”. They’ll demonstrate their skills and expertise by completing a vehicle glass repair, replacement, body glass replacement, remove/replace rear glass and recalibration (VGRRR) tasks including Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) recalibration.

With the competition just around the corner, we caught up with Phil to find out how his preparation has been going, and what he’s been doing to get himself ready to take on the best technicians worldwide.

Preparing for Best of Belron 2022

Phil has been training daily to ensure his skills and expertise are in tip-top shape for the competition.

“Every job we do, we follow the Belron Way of Fitting, so I already practice every day. But as part of my training, I have been concentrating on reviewing each of the steps to ensure it is the most efficient process with the aim to reduce seconds off the task, as every second adds up at the end,” Phil told us.

The Belron Way of Fitting is a 40-step process that captures the expertise and know-how of Belron technicians around the world and represents best practices in repairing and replacing vehicle glass.

Phil has also had lots of support from the O'Brien^® Technical Team, especially his local trainer, Ian Batterbee and his Trainer / Coach, Steve, who will be flying over to Spain with him.

“I’m doing much more full-on training with the Technical Team now. They watch and assess me and give me feedback. They’re picking up on those finer details that I need to work on to make sure I tick all the boxes,” Phil explained.

“I want to thank the training team for getting me this far.”

Steve added, “Phil’s training is going really well. He is an absolute superstar. Phil needs to remember so many steps, He’s in a great frame of mind.”

The O'Brien^® team of Technical Trainers also support and audits the work of all technicians across the country on a regular basis, continuously providing training to achieve the highest quality standards possible and updating teams on the latest tools and technology.

How’s Phil feeling in the lead-up to the competition?

“I’m feeling confident, but not too confident,” Phil laughed. “I feel comfortable that I know what I’m doing. I know what the process is.”

With so many people watching him as part of his training, Phil says he’s starting to get used to the pressure the competition will bring. He’s now in the mindset that he needs to prove himself, and that’s precisely what he intends to do.

“I know that when I walk into the arena and see the stage, it’s all going to hit me, but until then, I feel pretty good about it.”

As for his plans, while he’s not competing, Phil says he’s looking forward to sightseeing around Barcelona and trying all the Spanish food. Still, he’ll also be looking to relax and chill out as much as he can before the competition begins.

We wish Phil all the best in Barcelona!

From all of us here at O'Brien^®, we wish Phil good luck at Best of Belron 2022, and we can’t wait to see how he goes against the best technicians in the world.

Of course, we’ll keep you all updated on Phil’s progress and check back in with him after the competition to hear how it all went – and hopefully sneak a peek at the trophy!

Go Phil!

Phil practising his craft recently in Sydney, with help of the Technical Training team.

Next time you need to get your windscreen repaired or replaced, think of the team at O'Brien^® AutoGlass. We’re your trained experts in all things windscreen glass – book online or call 1800 059 829.

At O'Brien^®, we’re proud to have so many outstanding Vehicle Glass Technicians working for our company right across Australia. We’re committed to delivering dedicated training programs that deliver technical expertise and service excellence to all of our staff, so we can continue to offer the high level of customer service and quality of work that we provide to Australians every day.

Interested in joining the O'Brien^® team?

Visit obriencareers.com.au for more information today.

The post Our Best O’Brien Auto Tech Expert Takes Off To The Best Of Belron In Barcelona! appeared first on O'Brien.

After the event was postponed in 2020 due to the pandemic, we finally got the chance to see our six expert O'Brien^® vehicle glass technicians from around the country go head-to-head to decide who would claim the title of Best in Australia.

And what an event it was!

Held virtually for the first time this year, the competition took place over two days, with the winner seizing the chance to represent Australia at the Best of Belron event in Barcelona, Spain in June.
Now, we’re proud to announce that the winner of the O'Brien^® Best of Australia competition for 2020 is…

Phil Cole from O'Brien^® AutoGlass Osborne Park, WA!

Congratulations, Phil!

This is Phil’s second time competing for the Best of Australia title, having represented his region in Sydney in 2018. This time around, he’s come away with the top prize, and we couldn’t be happier for him.

We spoke with Phil after the event to find out more about his story and what this win means for him.

Phil’s story

Phil began his career as an Auto Technician with the Belron Group in the UK, when he was just a teenager. He’s now notched up more than 31 years in the industry and still loves his work as much as the day he started.

“The thing I love most about my job,” Phil told us, “is the diversity and the opportunity to work on so many new, different and challenging vehicles. I also love being able to provide great service to my customers each and every day.”

What does being the Best of Australia mean for Phil?

“This is something I’ve been wanting for a long time,” Phil tells us.

“It’s my life. I’ve been doing this for the last 30 odd years, since I was 17, and I’ve been with the Belron Group all that time, so this reinforces my dedication to the tasks I do everyday and to my customers that I help.”

For Phil, winning this competition is like a pat on the back for all the years that he has spent perfecting his craft as an Auto Technician. “I didn’t compete for any other reason other than to prove to myself that I’m good at what I do. I enjoy pushing myself and testing my skills.”

It’s also reaffirming for Phil to know that his customers – his main priority – are getting the quality of service that he works so hard to provide for them. While he doesn’t intend on telling too many of them about his crowning achievement, he’s hoping that this will provide added reassurance for those that do know about it.

How was this year’s competition compared to 2018?

This time around, the event was held virtually, with each finalist completing their tasks from their own O'Brien^® AutoGlass workshop, with a judge in each region, and a second remote judge on camera to oversee and ensure continuity across the board.

While Phil loved competing, he said that the one thing he missed most this year was the crowds and the atmosphere of Sydney.

“In saying that, I liked the way that the competition was put together given the circumstances this year,” Phil said.

The remote judging and the camera technology used, especially the RealWear Headsets, was a new experience for everyone involved, but this allowed the competition to go ahead and even be live-streamed for O'Brien^® employees all over the country to enjoy.

“While the camera may have added a little more pressure, it kept me on my toes and made me more determined to do the best I could the entire time.”

Next stop, Spain

Now that Phil has been crowned the Best of Australia for 2020, he will go onto Barcelona, Spain in June to compete against 30 of the best Auto Technicians in the Belron Group to decide which of them is the Best of Belron.

Naturally, he’s a little nervous, but he’s also quite excited and looking forward to the challenge.

“One of the first things I thought when I won was, ‘What have I done?” he laughed.

Phil’s expecting the competition to be harder and more intense this time around. He also suspects Belron will throw in some curveballs too.

“I’m going to make sure I’m as prepared as I can be. I’ll take a bit of a break from training for a couple of weeks and then I’ll get back into it.”

While he works as an Auto Technician every day, Phil still needs to make sure that he’s up to speed with all 42 steps of the Belron Way of Fitting. These steps must be completed in the correct order for the competition, which he admits is probably the hardest part.

That’s why Phil’s family, which he refers to as his support network, helps him with his training and tests his knowledge regularly to keep him at his best.

He jokes, “I think my family know the Belron Way of Fitting just as well as I do now.”

We wish Phil all the best for the competition in June, and we congratulate him once again on his amazing achievement.

At O'Brien^®, we’re proud to have so many outstanding Vehicle Glass Technicians working for our company right across Australia. We continue to provide each of our technicians, and all our team members, the opportunity to improve their technical and service skills every day. We want to ensure that our staff are not only helping O'Brien^® grow, but we’re also helping them grow together with us.

It’s this attitude that differentiates O'Brien^® and helps us offer the high level of customer service and quality of work that we provide to Australians every day.

The post Announcing The Winner Of The O’Brien Best Of Australia Competition! appeared first on O'Brien.

So, what better way to challenge our technicians than to put them to the ultimate test? To become the Best of Australia, with a chance to compete internationally with the best in their field!

And now finally, after two long years of waiting, the Best of Australia competition is back in 2022!

What is the Best of Australia competition?

This competition gives six expert O'Brien^® automotive technicians from around the country the opportunity to claim the title of Best in Australia and go on to represent their country at the Best of Belron event in Barcelona, Spain at the end of June.

About the Best of Belron

The Best of Belron is a bi-annual event held across the Belron Group to find the best technician worldwide that specialises in using Belron’s repair and replacement processes, known as the “Belron Way of Fitting”. The finalist for each country is decided through a national competition held by each member of the Belron Group, with the winners going on to compete in the international round against 30 other nations.

Unfortunately, the arrival of COVID-19 saw the Best of Belron 2020 event put on hold, meaning the six O'Brien^® Best of Australia finalists were unable to compete at the time to determine who among them would take out the top spot and represent Australia overseas.

However, with a few tweaks and changes, the competition is back again this year, with various COVID-safe measures in place and a panel of on-site and remote judges to help us deliver an event that everyone can enjoy, and ultimately, crown the O'Brien^® Best of Australia winner for 2020.

The regional finalists

The Best of Australia competition will take place over two days, from the 15th-16th Feb, with the winner to be announced on the 17th Feb.

We’re pleased to re-introduce our regional finalists:

Jake Kulikovskis (O'Brien^® AutoGlass Moorebank, NSW)

Brett Black (O'Brien^® AutoGlass Braeside, VIC)

Brenden Grech (O'Brien^® AutoGlass Smeaton Grange, NSW)

Phil Cole (O'Brien^® AutoGlass Osborne Park, WA)

Bengt Stayte (O'Brien^® AutoGlass Townsville, QLD)

Luke Passfield (O'Brien^® AutoGlass Rutherford, NSW)

With the help of some pretty cool hi-tech equipment and comprehensive planning, the competition will be held remotely this year for the first time. Multi-site judging across each region will be made possible through the wearing of RealWear Headsets by on-site judges, with each having the ability to communicate with a second, central judge in a remote location to ensure continuity across the board. O'Brien staff across the country can also watch on and cheer the finalists via a live zoom link as well.

Each finalist will compete in their home region, having already won their respective regional events back in 2020. They must successfully complete three challenges around windscreen repair, side window replacement and windscreen replacement. Each of these challenges enables the finalists to showcase their extensive technical knowledge and their outstanding customer service skills along the way.

This event is made possible due to Belron’s 42-step process for Windscreen Replacement, as well as their trademarked tools such as the ART Chip tool and the 1-Tek tool, that O'Brien^® and Belron technicians across the world use every day. In fact, the competition is a highly competitive and respected challenge amongst technicians, giving them the chance to demonstrate their skills and commitment to world-class service.

The O'Brien^® Best of Australia event also highlights our strong commitment to ongoing training and expertise throughout our organisation. We understand that our success is only due to the success and dedication of our expert technicians and staff, and this ongoing commitment is a testament to the quality of service that O'Brien^® provides to its customers across Australia.

We wish all our finalists the very best of luck for this weeks competition, and we look forward to announcing you to the winner Best of Australia competition in a few days’ time.

Want to join the fun and be part of one of Australia’s most iconic companies? O'Brien^® is always on the hunt for talented people who are looking to start a cracking career with us. To kick-start your next career, visit obriencareers.com.au

The post Return Of The O’Brien Best Of Australia Competition appeared first on O'Brien.