Polk, Pennsylvania, is located about halfway between Erie and Pittsburgh. Ralph’s Garage, at 501 Main Street near Sandy Creek Road, has been a family-owned general automotive and truck repair facility since 1963.

Randy Myers is the owner. He started fixing cars when he was 14, and always had a love for the automobile. Randy’s family has always been big in racing, attending at least two NASCAR races each year and sponsoring his two boys racing crate late models in the local area.

Randy’s family took over the business in 1992 when business founder, and Randy’s father in-law, Ralph Aylesworth, decided to retire. Ralph passed away three months after his retirement. Today, the business retains the “Ralph’s Garage” name in remembrance of him.

Ralph’s Garage remains at the same location on the outskirts of Polk since its inception nearly 50 years ago. The original building was a one-bay repair shop and gas station dating back to 1928. In 1996, the present building, with five service bays, was built over the original shop. The business remained open while construction continued. When finished, the old building was torn down in sections inside of the new building.

Whether it’s a personal car or a fleet vehicle, Ralph’s has the ability to repair any vehicle on the road. “We’ll fix anything,” says Randy. The business also serves as a Pennsylvania State Inspection Station.

Ralph’s Garage strives to treat customers like a valued asset. This includes pickup and delivery of a customer’s vehicle, and taking the time to show customers the defective components found on their car. “Our scheduling is fairly fast, with a turnaround time of three to seven days,” says Randy. “But we’ll do our best to take care of any customer with an unforeseen breakdown, or emergency, that requires our services.”

Of the five employees at Ralph’s Garage, three are ASE-Certified in Heating and Air Conditioning. Three employees are certified in state inspection and one employee is certified in emissions inspection. Ralph’s will pay for their employees to further expand their automotive education, and encourages them to attend automotive education seminars, such as JASPER Technical Clinics, when they are scheduled for their area.

When it comes to using JASPER quality products, Ralph’s Garage has purchased remanufactured engines, transmissions, differentials, transfer cases, and the occasional marine engine, for the past 15 years. Randy likes the way JASPER stands behind the product with a nationwide warranty. “JASPER is a product I feel I can trust,” he added.

As for the future, Randy would like to expand his customer base, though he says his building is about as big as it can get. Still, Randy says he enjoys people, and some of his friends were initially customers of Ralph’s Garage. “I try to take care of the customer in the best possible way I can,” says Randy, “while still making a living for my family and my employees.”

Harrison, Arkansas, is the home of Mastertech Auto Repair. Situated halfway between Little Rock and Springfield, Missouri, Mastertech provides complete service and repair for domestic and import cars and light-duty trucks. The automotive career of Mastertech owner, John Sagers Sr., spans over 50 years, either repairing vehicles, teaching auto repair to college students or running his business. Prior to opening Mastertech, John, Sr. taught automotive technology at what is now known as the North Campus of North Arkansas College. “It was exciting to get a hold of a young man who had talent and determination, and give him the right training,” said John, Sr.

In May of 1999, at the urging of his son, John Sagers Jr., John Sr. opened Mastertech in a leased 3,500 square foot building on Highway 65 South in Harrison. Five years later, Mastertech moved to its present location at 3925 Duncan Drive. At 8,400 square feet, this shop is over twice the size of the original building, with 12 service bays and nine lifts.

John Sr. is very proud of his business, the appearance of his building and the service that is offered. But most important, he’s proud of his technicians. Three are ASE Certified Master Techs, one is ASE Certified in brakes, and his two service advisors are ASE Certified automobile service consultants. It was the certification that was the inspiration for the name of the business.

“We wanted a name that would promote a professional image, a master technician,” says John Sr. “Branding is very important in this business and we wanted a distinct name in order to promote our brand.”

Since 2006, Mastertech Auto has been an installer of JASPER remanufactured engines, transmissions and transfer cases. “Mastertech uses JASPER products because of their 3-year, 100,000 mile, warranty and no-hassle claims,” says John Sr. “Several of our customers have heard of JASPER’s reputation for a quality product.”

John Sr.’s approach to Mastertech has brought his business many honors within the community. He’s received an award as a Distinguished Leader in Small Business, and Mastertech has been voted “Best of The Best” the past two years by a local newspaper reader poll. “Our motto is ‘Repaired correctly, in a timely manner, at a fair price,’” added John Sr. “What the customer wants most is to get the car back promptly and when promised.”

Mastertech Auto Repair has recently branched out to include collision repair and towing. They also offer a free pickup service for their customers’ convenience. It’s part of John Sr.’s future plans to always try to bring more customers to Mastertech.

“People basically have three choices: buy a new car, fix an old one, or walk,” says John Sr. “In the present economy, people aren’t buying new cars, so maintenance is important. Quality car repair is recession resistant.”

Bourquin Automotive is located in Castroville, Texas, a short drive west of San Antonio. Bourquin is a family-owned, full-service auto repair facility and a NAPA auto parts store.

Brothers, Robert and Keith Schneider, took over the business in 1983 from their grandparents, Hugo and Adline Bourquin, after their grandfather became ill. The business was incorporated in August 1989, and became a NAPA AutoCare Center three years later.

There have been many changes made to the business since the Schneider brothers took over in 1983. The building was added to from all sides. Equipment and computers were upgraded to stay current with the newest vehicles. In the fall of 2004, Robert and Keith took their grandfather’s dream and brought a NAPA Auto Parts Store to Castroville. This instigated additional building changes. A large area was added for inventory storage, counters were added, the air conditioning was brought up to date, and a waiting room for the service area and a showroom for parts was added.

Today, Bourquin Automotive is a 6,000 square foot facility located at 118 FM 471 North in Castroville. There are ten service bays, along with a 400-square foot customer service area, with over half a million of inventory in hard parts. Of the ten people employed at Bourquin Automotive, five are ASE-Certified in: Parts Specialist, Engine Repair, Automatic Transmission/ Transaxle, Manual Drivetrain and Axles, Suspension and Steering, Brakes, Electrical/Electronic Systems, Heating and Air Conditioning and Engine Performance.

Bourquin Automotive provides services for agricultural needs, tires and exhaust and diesel engine replacement. They have been recognized as a AAA Repair Shop for the past five years. Each vehicle Bourquin repairs undergoes an intense quality check before it is delivered to the customer. A shuttle service is also provided.

Bourquin Automotive has installed JASPER remanufactured gas and diesel engines, transmissions and differentials since 2004. Their reasons are twofold: the quality put into the product and the nationwide warranty. “Customers nowadays are looking for a warranty, due to the fact they’re hanging onto their vehicles for a longer period of time,” says Robert Schneider. “We have never been about the price. We are always looking for quality of the product.”

With 90% of their business coming from repeat customers, the Schneiders feel their clientele relies on and totally trusts Bourqin Automotive to get their vehicles back on the road. As to the future of their business, Bourquin Automotive intends to keep adapting to  change as the automotive aftermarket evolves. The Schneiders embrace change and will make it easy for their customers to do business with them in the future.

Harrison, Arkansas, is the home of Mastertech Auto Repair. Situated halfway between Little Rock and Springfield, Missouri, Mastertech provides complete service and repair for domestic and import cars and light-duty trucks.

The automotive career of Mastertech owner, John Sagers Sr., spans over 50 years, either repairing vehicles, teaching auto repair to college students or running his business. Prior to opening Mastertech, John, Sr. taught automotive technology at what is now known as the North Campus of North Arkansas College. “It was exciting to get a hold of a young man who had talent and determination, and give him the right training,” said John, Sr.

In May of 1999, at the urging of hisson, John Sagers Jr., John Sr. opened Mastertech in a leased 3,500 square foot building on Highway 65 South in Harrison. Five years later, Mastertech moved to its present location at 3925 Duncan Drive. At 8,400 square feet, this shop is over twice the size of the original building, with 12 service bays and nine lifts.

John Sr. is very proud of his business, the appearance of his building and the service that is offered. But most important, he’s proud of his technicians. Three are ASE Certified Master Techs, one is ASE Certified in brakes, and his two service advisors are ASE Certified automobile service consultants. It was the certification that was the inspiration for the name of the business.

“We wanted a name that would promote a professional image, a master technician,” says John Sr. “Branding is very important in this business and we wanted a distinct name in order to promote our brand.”

Since 2006, Mastertech Auto has been an installer of JASPER remanufactured engines, transmissions and transfer cases. “Mastertech uses JASPER products because of their 3-year, 100,000 mile, warranty and no-hassle claims,” says John Sr. “Several of our customers have heard of JASPER’s reputation for a quality product.”

John Sr.’s approach to Mastertech has brought his business many honors within the community. He’s received an award as a Distinguished Leader in Small Business, and Mastertech has been voted “Best of The Best” the past two years by a local newspaper reader poll. “Our motto is ‘Repaired correctly, in a timely manner, at a fair price,’” added John Sr. “What the customer wants most is to get the car back promptly and when promised.”

Mastertech Auto Repair has recently branched out to include collision repair and towing. They also offer a free pickup service for their customers’ convenience. It’s part of John Sr.’s future plans to always try to bring more customers to Mastertech.

“People basically have three choices: buy a new car, fix an old one, or walk,” says John Sr. “In the present economy, people aren’t buying new cars, so maintenance is important. Quality car repair is recession resistant.”

Jeremiah Friesner Automotive Services in Heath, Ohio, received a ‘Strive to Thrive’ makeover in September 2010 from JASPER Associates of the Columbus Branch. Jay Myser (branch operations), Patrick Smith (truck driver), Chuck Ratliff (truck driver), Atticus Myser (outside salesman) and Dane Patterson (sales manager) were there to give Jeremiah, and two of his employees, a helping hand. Jeremiah and Dane started work the night before going over the areas of the shop that would benefit the most. A list was compiled of the areas that needed the most TLC.

If I’m an owner of a GM car dealership, I’m loving OnStar. But, if I’m you, I don’t think I like it very much unless you have it in one of your personal vehicles. I think it is fantastic technology, a great source for some very valuable data and, most importantly, it’s a great way to keep the dealership connected to the customer.

According to Automotive News, OnStar has roughly 6 million customers of which 4 million have signed up to receive diagnostic emails about their vehicle. In addition, 25% of the 4 million subscribers are now receiving service reminder e-mails from their dealership. These e-mails not only remind the vehicle owner about maintenance work that is needed, but provides them with a way to deliver coupons to sweeten the deal.

Sure OnStar has smartphone apps, First Assist, turn-by turn navigation assistance, crash notification, hands-free calling, a push-button link to a service representative for directions and assistance, and has sent more than 147 million monthly diagnostic report e-mails to their subscribers. But the dealership doesn’t have a service relationship with the car owner yet. They want to get this vehicle owner coming back so they can pick up some service dollars and, ultimately, sell them another car or truck.

Your customers have a lot of choices for maintenance and repairs so you need to work at enhancing the service relationship. Are you placing reminder stickers on the windshield? Are you mailing reminder cards or coupons? I hope the answers to both questions is “yes.” Are you sending e-mails? There is no reason you shouldn’t be doing the same thing as OnStar. Are you collecting the e-mail addresses of your customers? Are you asking them if they would like to be sent service reminders and receive coupons? Remember, OnStar got two-thirds of their 6 million customers to sign up and receive diagnostic e-mails, so the customer must see a value in it.

You have the opportunity to provide truly important information to your customers given the fact they are driving older vehicles that will be in need of vital service and maintenance. But, don’t feel you have this old vehicle service market locked up. There are two trends to be aware of:

1. According to R.L. Polk, consumers are holding onto new cars an average of 63.9 months, which is up 7.2 months compared to two years ago. This gives the dealership a better chance at some post-warranty service work.
2. Some car dealerships are selling “older” used cars in order to capture the service work and an eventual sale of another vehicle.

Communication technology is changing along with the communication practices of your customers. E-mail and texting are common business practices that need to be a part of your everyday routine. Enhance the relationship with your customers by communicating the valuable knowledge you have about their vehicle in the manner they want to be reached.

Reprinted with permission of Babcox Publishing, Underhood Service December 2010.

Over the holidays I stopped at a local jewelry store to have my wife’s wedding ring cleaned. I purchased her ring from this particular business, which happens to offer free cleaning for life. While I was there, only ten minutes, they also polished my wedding band and removed two links from a watch that I received as a gift. I asked the owner what I owned them for the additional services. He replied, “Nothing, have a Merry Christmas.” Wow, I wasn’t expecting that! Guess where I’m making my next jewelry purchase? So often we forget that return business doesn’t always stem from the initial purchase, but from the continued customer service or product support that a business offers. It also made me think about JASPER’s commitment in providing our customers with the best drivetrain products, backed by a great warranty with Associate/Owners who really care about our customer’s satisfaction in their purchase.

National Car Care Month provides the perfect opportunity for you to do something nice for your customers and focus on maintaining and building your customer demographics.  Promote preventive maintenance by offering discounted oil changes with multiple point inspections.  Take the time necessary to help your customers understand how certain repairs can add vehicle life, improve gas mileage and eliminate future more expensive repairs.  Furnish a clean waiting room with coffee and donuts, grill hotdogs and hamburgers or provide ice cream to draw a crowd.  Offer free car washes for the month of April, for that added touch of customer service your customers will remember for years to come.  For tips and ideas to make April a successful month, visit www.carcare.org.

What will you do to promote National Car Care Month?

April could be the most important month of 2010 for your shop.  April is National Car Care Month, but why is it the most important Car Care month ever?

It’s no secret that 2009 was a rough year for many shop owners.  The market research information that I have seen from IMR Inc. shows that the average number of repair orders were below 2008 levels for seven of ten months between January and October.  That’s not a great sign.  Sure, there were some shops that had a strong year; congratulations.  But, there were more that didn’t.

And not only was it a tough year for businesses, it was very tough for consumers - your customers.  They have been watching their household budgets get pinched from all directions.  And, the fact is consumers have been delaying their vehicle maintenance and repairs for as long as possible.

Car Care month is the car owners’ opportunity to have their vehicle inspected for free.  It is your opportunity to help them out and give them the information they need so they can prioritize their household expenditures and, hopefully, find some money for vehicle maintenance and repair work.

The Car Care Council does a great job providing all the tools you need to host a great event.  At www.carcare.org, you will find a wealth of information on how your shop can participate in the “Be Car Care Aware” campaign and National Car Care month, including a:

• National Car Care Month Tool Kit with event guidelines, printable materials and downloadable images.

• Point-of-Sale Starter Kit that includes a variety of marketing and promotional materials such as brochures, bay banners, mirror hangers and the popular Service Interval Schedules.

• Car Care event registration form.  Your event will be listed on the Car Care Council’s event roster, so that consumers can locate events near them.

• Be Car Care Aware brochures that familiarize motorists with preventive maintenance opportunities in and around their vehicle.

Whether you conduct vehicle checkups on site at your shop or get involved in an expanded, multi-faceted event, there is a strong need for consumer education about the benefits and value of vehicle preventive maintenance.

There are plenty of vehicles on the road in need of repair.  Taking steps to ensure your shop is known as the provider of quality service bodes well for your shop’s success, and the longevity and safe operation of your customers’ vehicles.

Reprinted with permission of Babcox Publishing, Underhood Service February 2010.