Shop profile: Core values

Jan. 1, 2020
Although a fairly recent addition to the Washington, Ill., business community, Martin Automotive actually has deep roots in this town of 13,000 near Peoria, Ill.

Although a fairly recent addition to the Washington, Ill., business community, Martin Automotive actually has deep roots in this town of 13,000 near Peoria, Ill. It was at the repair shop’s current location on Washington Road that Randy Martin’s grandparents successfully ran a wholesale parts business until their retirement in the mid-1990s.

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As a child, Martin spent a lot of time there. As a teenager he started his career as a service tech on farm and fleet vehicles, learning and honing his skills at an area dealership. He then received a crash course in business acumen after he was hired to supervise a shop, which went belly up five years into his employment.

Despite witnessing this collapse, or perhaps even because of it, Martin felt empowered to go out on his own. Armed with advice from both sets of grandparents (the others had owned a small service station) and a bruising memory of what not to do, Martin opened his doors in November 2006. As he describes it, it was a “daunting task of being true to yourself and the people you do business with, without allowing the temptation of quick cash, low quality or ignoring true values to get in the way.”

But Martin has succeeded. Professing to being “fierce about education and training,” this ASE Master Technician insists on ASE training and testing. The first test is on the company, but should an employee fail, the next test is on them. And now they are an ASE Blue Seal shop.

Martin also takes advantage of learning experiences that arise within the shop. Should a vehicle come in with a problem a technician is unfamiliar with, rather than reassign it, he conducts an on-the-spot car clinic, coaching them through the repair. Online classes also are offered in the break room during off-hours. Besides ASE, further training and certifications are earned through CARQUEST’s Technical Institute, Ford’s Motorcraft and GM’s ACDelco.

Communication also is crucial to the mix — the interaction between customer and technician, technician and management, management and customer. Non-salaried employees carefully keep track of hours as well as electronically documenting everything they do to a vehicle. Touching base with service advisors, parts are ordered and received, they identify what should be done next, writing their conclusions and recommendations clearly on repair orders. The customer then is contacted regarding status, options are weighed, decisions are made.

“Upon completion,” Martin explains, “hours, parts and technician comments are confirmed, prices are calculated for recommended services and all of these items are entered precisely into the repair order.”

Rewards are in place for when a technician completes their job hours correctly, helping meet the shop’s goal. Martin says his technicians are paid above average; for bonuses dollars are added to every hour paid. As Martin succinctly observes, you get what you pay for. Additional perks might include extended outings to resort areas like Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks

But it’s not just lines of communication Martin’s concerned with, but tone.

“Always obtaining authorization before anything is done is incredibly important,” Martin says continues. “But what is equally important is the (sensitive) and non-intimidating way we communicate that is vital to every customer. A vehicle is an extension to most people’s lives; we are equally dependent on our vehicles and recognize how inconvenient it can be living without it.”

Of course a vehicle test drive is required before and after a service/safety check, but Martin’s Automotive goes way beyond the average 30 or 40 point inspection — try 127-plus points with every service. With the idea to “get it right the first time,” this thorough inspection has a two-fold purpose: taking the time to find issues other shops might miss, thus better tailoring the service to the car (i.e., allowing them to check the “requested service” box instead of the “recommended service” box on future service requests), and helping educate the customer about the state of their vehicle.

“Empowering them to make clear decisions on their repair, these inspections are followed by clear quotes, saved electronically for easy look-up,” says Martin.

Time is carefully allotted in the shop to avoid over-scheduling, for Martin believes this inevitably leads to delays, making for unhappy customers and frustrated technicians. “Our technicians aren’t robots,” he explains. “They need the resources and the time to do it right. Rushing through anything too quickly will never get the results hoped for.”

To better facilitate this, Martin recently set up an R.O. Writer shop management system.

In terms of marketing Martin’s Automotive has taken the usual routes: radio, billboards, local newspapers, cruise-ins. An added presence in their showroom are flashy rims and tires courtesy a recently acquired Bridgestone dealership (TireStarz). They also report some success with a customer rewards program started over a year ago called Martin Drivin’ Dollars. Doing away with special cards or identities, all customers have to do is sign up with a service advisor. Immediately they begin earning dollars on every paid invoice, and Martin finds this helps retain patrons. Searching for cards and key tags were “more aggravating than helpful to our customers… because not each family member holds the key tag or card in order to receive the rewards.”

With assistance from the local chamber of commerce, people moving into the area are contacted via postcard with details and discounts. Should they come in, monthly reports are generated to track these new customers, which are in turn used to send a letter and business card, thanking them for their business and outlining the benefits of being a Martin Automotive customer. For existing customers Martin utilizes the services of Mechanicnet to send out professional postcards and emails, although he cautions that this program can’t access the services recommended by his technicians during their incredibly thorough inspections, so they follow up with a letter or postcard of their own, “encouraging them to complete the recommended services while enjoying a discount or a jumpstart on Martin Drivin’ Dollars.”

Having learned a lot in the last decade, Martin has worked hard to maintain the core values he believes holds his company together. “Do it right, do it well, and don’t cut corners; you may not get every customer in town, but you’ll get the customers that appreciate a job well done.”

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