
We sat down with Dave Sharma from JET Hertford Road for a very special Behind the Business.
As one of the longest serving JET dealers we couldn’t think of a better person to mark JET’s platinum year – and he didn’t disappoint! A huge character and much-loved by the community, he shared stories about famous footballers, 3am customer calls, comedy carwash incidents and his enduring passion for a successful site built on kindness and respect.

You have been at JET Hertford Road for nearly 40 years – one of our longest standing relationships. Tell us how you came to be here.
I was running a petrol station in Ashford, Middlesex and my friend who was MD for Total Oil (as it was) found out that Hertford Rd was for sale and it was doing big volume, 156,000 litres per week (a tanker a day!) plus 200 car washes a day. The site has been here since 1927 in the Lyons family – I met Gary and he invited me to take the franchise and, well, the rest is history. When I came it was a Pace site and within a couple of months we signed with JET – we’ve never looked back. In those days we only had one canopy, so over the years we’ve invested in upgrading the site – a shop, new canopy, added diesel etc. It’s a busy site – never a dull moment!
JET Hertford Road
/3
Tell us about some of those memorable moments.
So many! Cars breaking down in the carwash and customers getting soaked because they forgot to close the windows and they’re hooting like crazy asking for help! Customers ringing me up at 3 o’clock in the morning during the fuel shortage trying to get petrol and queues that were three miles down the road – suddenly everyone was my best friend! Fortunately we have huge tanks here – so while everyone else was running out we still managed to keep providing fuel. Some crazy days! And there’s been a few famous faces over the years. One day the footballer Adebayor appeared and suddenly the forecourt was full of young lads wanting autographs – mayhem but great fun! And recently the rapper and DJ Tion Wayne, who grew up in the area, came onto the site and there were 600 kids everywhere with their mobile phones. Nice to know he felt the site was important to him in some way. We sat back and watched the fun.
You obviously play an important part in your community – tell us about that.
I’ve got a story for you. This young lad was struggling to go to college, he had just got himself a car but didn’t have any money to buy petrol. He would push his car onto the forecourt, put a pounds worth in and say ‘Dave, I’ll pay you next week’. Fast-forward 40 years and a few weeks ago he came onto the site to do some filming as he’s now a successful entrepreneur and he’s invited me to a ceremony where he’s being given an award. It’s very humbling, he talks about how we supported him and helped him out and how much that meant. I guess you never know – you just have to treat everyone with kindness and respect. This is a tough area – but I made it my business to get to know the lads and I always said – if you need anything, come and ask me, we can always work something out.
We are a service station – because service is everything to me. If someone wants help with the fuel, we’re here, same with tyre and oil checks etc. I reckon I know 90% of the people who come on to our forecourt by name – and people appreciate that, it means something.
Our sources tell us you’re a snappy dress – how important is the site image for you?
Very important! I take it very seriously, it’s about attention to detail. I like everything to look fresh and sharp. I like to look good and I take pride in that. Co-ordination is important to me!
Tell us a little more about your relationship with JET.
The first thing to point out is that JET is a very friendly company. I’ve been to a few conferences over the years – Cannes, Palma etc. which have all been great – an opportunity to meet other dealers. As a company they are flexible and very straightforward. We currently work with Chris Murphy and he is fantastic. We share the same birthday – both Pisces!
JET are one of those companies where you can just pick up the phone and always speak to somebody. So much better than all of those big companies because you don’t have to wade through loads of red tape. Relationships are everything and it’s a big part of why we’ve been with JET for so long. if there’s a problem it gets sorted and with a business like ours – it’s what you need.
What’s the secret to your success?
Hard work. It definitely hasn’t all been plain sailing. You have to put the hours in and commit, and you have to remain optimistic and look to the future. Always striving to be the best. For me it’s 7-days a week – always has been. I love it. My family are trying to get me to slow down. ‘You’ve created your legacy’ they tell me, but I love the buzz and the fact that no two days are the same.
What are you most proud of when it comes to JET Hertford Road?
I’m proud of the service we offer and we have the wow factor. We have the history and we have the new. I think we have built this business the right way, always trying to go above and beyond. Putting the customer first.
If you were to send a birthday card to JET in celebration of 70 years. What would you say?
The best relationship, the best friendship for over 40 years! Happy 70th birthday!