By TANIA PHILLIPS
A SOUTHERN Downs couple has been awarded a special RACQ award for outstanding service.
Inglewood Auto Centre owners and long term RACQ contracted service providers, Ian and Roslyn Ralph, received a special award this week for their “outstanding service to the motoring club’s members in the southern Darling Downs”.
RACQ Contract Area Manager Albert Budworth presented the husband-and-wife team with the award recognising their efforts in battery sales and member service during the last quarter of 2013.
Mr Budworth said the awards “weren’t easy to come by” as the club only presented them to contracted service providers who went out of their way to deliver consistently excellent service to RACQ members.
“These awards are presented on a quarterly basis to acknowledge the contractors who go the extra mile to ensure their customers are very happy with the job that’s been done and the service they’ve received,” Mr Budworth said.
Born and bred in Inglewood, Ian Ralph was only 18 years old when he set up the business more than 40 years ago.
Having been an RACQ contracted service provider since 1979, this isn’t the first club award the husband and wife team has received, but it came as a surprise nonetheless.
“It gives us a bit of encouragement and clarity as to why we’re here and what we’re doing,” Mr Ralph said.
“We’re a service to the public – a bit of an emergency service actually, as it’s always an emergency when your car breaks down – and we’re on call 24 hours a day seven days a week.”
With only four staff to assist them, the Ralphs are kept busy running the Inglewood Auto Centre, which offers mechanical servicing and repairs, fuel service and, in its role as an RACQ contracted service provider, breakdown and towing services.
“I was the first mechanic in the family,” Ian said.
“I started as an apprentice at Inglewood Motors and went from there. It was a good opportunity at the time and I love cars.”
There’s been no looking back for the Ralphs, with the Inglewood Auto Centre still going strong after all these years and only one competitor remaining in the town.
The Ralphs said they intend to stay put, continuing to assist their local clients from Inglewood and surrounding areas, right out to Yelarbon in the west and Karara in the north.
