Smarter Choice Auto

For over twenty years, Smarter Choice Auto has been looking after the community’s car servicing and repair needs.

The current owner Chris Peile took over the business after a varied career in mechanical engineering, investment banking and retail consultancy.

“I worked in engineering and consulting for over a decade and was seeking a change,” explains Chris. “I have a keen interest in cars and have built a few myself over the years just for fun. I drive around a 1950s Austin Healey sports car that I restored.”
“Because I'd spent my career making businesses really successful for other people, I wanted to give it a shot for myself.”

Chris purchased the automotive business in 2018. Since then, he has changed the fit-out, processes, and technology and introduced new services for their customers. They have also recently moved to a new site and updated the branding to align with the work they do.

“We aim for a transparent and honest approach,” Chris says. “We're trying to make sure that everyone is safe on the roads. So sometimes that means having uncomfortable conversations with customers - but it’s important to be open and truthful because that keeps our community safe.”
“We pride ourselves on doing a fantastic job with high-quality parts. We’re not cutting any corners; we fix everything properly. That’s really important to us.”

Whilst their focus is on servicing and mechanical repairs, with tyres being such a critical safety element for vehicles they have maintained this offering.

The business serves mainly local residents, but customers who have moved away from the area still come back to have their cars serviced.

“We have customers who live as far as Geelong or the Mornington Peninsula because they like and trust us. They know that we deliver really good value. So they bring their cars back here, go into the city for a day and then pick the car up.”

Chris believes the best part of his business is its ability to influence the quality of cars on the road.

“We see a lot of cars with safety or reliability issues, and after we’ve serviced them, they're safe again. Our work directly affects the safety of our community, so that’s exciting.”

He is also passionate about being at the forefront of technology to ensure that the car servicing industry becomes more environmentally sustainable. Smarter Choice Auto engages Tyre Stewardship Australia to properly recycle tyres; they recycle waste oils through National Resource Recovery and recycle used car batteries through Atlas Waste Management.

“Cars are seen as a ‘dirty’ industry, but in fact, in our role we can have a strong positive impact on the environment. A proper service means that the car will run more efficiently and we can minimise waste - tyres last longer and fewer parts fail. Plus it can be environmentally better to keep your current car running than to buy a brand-new car. The sunk energy cost in a new car is enormous, so keeping cars safely on the road for longer can be beneficial for the environment.”

Words by Joyce Watts & Photography by Anna Encio