FIU Magazine issue 1

Fire It Up
Profile
Dylan
Young
In some workplaces, you’ll see a supposedly
funny sign saying, ‘you don’t have to be mad to
work here, but it helps!’ At Fire It Up, you don’t have
to be mad in the slightest, but you do have to have
passion, integrity, skill and a dedication to service.
When Dylan Young walked in to meet Craig
Langton for his interview, Craig knew immediately
that Dylan had all those qualities and, three short
months later, he has already proven himself a
valuable member of the FIU family.
At the age of 26, Dylan might be young, but he’s
been riding motorcycles since he was 10. Like so
many youngsters, he started on a small dirt bike
and progressed to a Kawasaki Ninja 250 at 16. An
accident put paid to that bike and it was replaced by
a Big Boy 200 that lasted a couple of years before
he headed for the big time with a Yamaha R1,
something of a dream bike for a long time.
It’s no small thing to leap from a 200cc to a
1000cc bike but it says a lot for Dylan’s skill behind
the handlebars that he made the transition without
trouble.
The job at Fire It Up enabled Dylan to marry his
experience in sales and his skill in dealing with
people with his passion for motorcycles. If there’s
one thing that unites all the employees at Fire It Up,
it’s the passion for motorcycles first and foremost,
with strongly held values of customer service and
integrity coming in a very close second.
Dylan is quick to see opportunities to grow
and develop at Fire It Up and he clearly has his
sights set on bigger things. There is always so
much going on at FIU, be it getting involved with
the opening of new branches or helping with
getting the Hero brand up and running in South
Africa. Owning a Big Boy might, at the time, have
seemed like a downgrade from the Kawasaki
but it is paying dividends now as he can directly
compare it with the impressive Hero models now
sharing floor space at FIU with some of the world’s
best motorcycles. It is that insight that makes a
salesman invaluable.
Being open seven days a week is a challenge that
could put some people off but Dylan is determined
to repay the faith Craig has in him.
‘The atmosphere at FIU is high energy and
definitely customer-focussed.’ Dylan says. ‘No-one
walks in here without being seen and approached,
which might seem obvious, but it’s not always
the case in many other dealerships; this is what
sets us apart. We’re here not simply to sell you a
motorcycle but to take you through every step of the
advising and buying process so it is less daunting.
‘And, at the end of that process, It’s not about
handing over the key and waving goodbye. It’s about
developing the relationship and staying connected
with the customer so that they want to come back,
allowing us to look after them and their bikes. The
focus is on making sure the client has the support
so that they feel confident in us. That’s why I really
enjoy working here.’
Of course, communication between salesman
and customer is helped by the warranties and
service plans that Craig and the team have worked
hard to develop to protect the consumer as far
as possible. With all this in place, the after-sales
support can be of a very high level, which helps the
staff at FIU perform to their highest level.
Dylan is quick to acknowledge Craig’s influence
over the whole of Fire It Up. He could have been
overawed but Craig was quick to put him at ease;
’He’s always got time for his staff;
he’s as much of a mentor as a boss. We
can go to him with anything at any
time because he knows that his staff
are the life of the business and if the
staff aren’t happy, then the business
won’t run smoothly.’
Anyone who has been to Fire It Up can attest
to Craig’s lead-from-the-front style - he’s always
there, always looking at the details and he expects
his staff to have the same attitude. In Dylan Young,
he has exactly the type of team member he needs;
passionate, ambitious, willing to learn, friendly; a
people person. If Craig has given him the break, it is
certain that Dylan will grab the opportunity with both
hands and make a success of it. Because of that
attitude, both Fire It Up and the clients will benefit.