Top Service Providers
Junior's Automotive
1318 River Street, Hyde Park, MA
If the name Junior's Automotive sounds familiar, it's because the Hyde Park shop has been named the Top Shop in Shop Talk before. In fact, we introduced the Approved Automotive Repair network to Junior's Automotive around this time last year.
Less than a year later, the shop is again the star performer. We asked the owner, George "JR" Damato, Jr., about his business' secret to maintaining success.
"The bottom line is that 99.9% of the time, the customer is right," he said emphatically. "We don't do anything without our customers' permission. Our phone bills are very high because we call the customers about everything," he added. Mr. Damato likened bringing a car to the shop to a trip to the dentist. "You know the customers don't want to be there, so you want to make the visit as pleasant as possible — even when the news might be painful."
As many Top Shop owners have told us over the years, they know they have to perform at a very high level to meet AAA's standards. In addition, they know that their customers who are AAA members look for that kind of quality before entrusting their car to a repair shop. Junior's Automotive is just one example of what it takes to sustain the excellence that AAA members expect.
Customers come from well beyond the Boston area to bring their cars to Junior's. On the day we spoke to Mr. Damato for this article, there was a family that had driven all the way from Everett, Massachusetts, for service. There's a reason why they choose Junior's Automotive, according to Mr. Damato. "No matter if they come to us from Martha's Vineyard or New Hampshire, nobody leaves here unhappy."
Platinum Auto Service
27 Commercial Street, South Yarmouth, MA
Jay Frazier and his wife, Bianca, have owned Platinum Auto Service, our Top Shop for the second quarter of 2008, for eight years. Just within the past year, the Fraziers aligned their family owned and operated shop with AAA. "Some customers had AAA newsletters and that sparked our interest," Jay said. "We contacted AAA about becoming approved and found that we already met the criteria.
The Fraziers are happy to be connected to AAA because they can tell that it gives their customers the confidence that everything will be handled properly. "We monitor our customers' needs because we want to know what works and what doesn't," Jay added. "We ask if they've been here before. If they haven't, we ask where they heard about us."
Since joining with AAA, Jay says that an average of a couple of customers come to Platinum Auto Service every month after searching online for a quality shop.
After his initial contact with AAA, Jay found that Platinum Auto Service would be one of few AAA-approved shops in his area, so the look and feel of the shop took on greater importance. He said he feels that his shop is different from any others around. "We are a shop that has the professional atmosphere of a dealership but with corner garage-type service. We know that 60 percent of our customers are women (the men are do-it-yourselfers) and that they are concerned with comfort, safety, cleanliness and good service," he said.
With a staff of 11, a plan to expand the work area from five bays to nine, and a website about to be launched, business is good and the customers are obviously satisfied.
Major Impact
60 Main Street, Carver, MA
Our Top Shop for the first quarter of 2008 is Major Impact, 60 Main Street, Carver, Massachusetts. Located near main routes to Cape Cod, owner Ed Koslowsky is gearing up for a busy summer and continued excellent service to customers.
The shop's name indicates its major focus on collision repair, but it also provides all other automotive maintenance and repair services. Mr. Koslowsky explained, "You come to us when you've had a major impact, and we'll have a major impact on your car."
Summer is not necessarily busier than other seasons, Mr. Koslowsky said. "We get a steady stream of business year-round, including weather-related accidents and accidents related to all the extra traffic on the road," he said.
Although Mr. Koslowsky has been in the automotive business since 1970, Major Impact has been in business since 1985. The shop became affiliated with AAA in 1995. "AAA is a good connection for us," he said. "It gives us a lot of recognition because there are so many customers who are also AAA members."
Reply cards mailed in to AAA by customers rated Major Impact high for its service, but don't just take their word or ours for it. A Google search uncovered a website on which a friend of a Major Impact customer recently wrote:
"A friend of mine had some work done here after an auto accident. They did a great job and it didn't cost her an arm and a leg. You'd never know she was in an accident. Highly recommend. They even drove her back to work since she worked in the general area. They are right on Main Street in Carver, which is very convenient."
That about says it all.
Lexington Toyota
409 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington, MA
Our Top Shop for the fourth quarter of 2007 is Lexington Toyota, located at 409 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington, Massachusetts. A third-generation, family-run, Toyota-only dealership, it has an interesting saying on its Web site: "Lexington Toyota, where you'll actually have a good time buying a car."
From the responses we have received from Lexington's customers, it seems they are happy with the repair service they receive too!
Service Manager Tom O'Toole knows why. "George Grey, Sr., started this dealership in 1976. George Jr., runs it now, and his wife and three sons all work here. That kind of family organization is rare these days. Mr. Grey is here every day. He's very hands-on. That translates into how he treats his customers and his employees."
Of the dealership's relationship with AAA, Mr. O'Toole said, "AAA is a great liaison between the customer and the shop. It helps us get feedback from our customers, and then supports both the dealership and the customer in the event of a problem."
He went on to say that Lexington Toyota has more of an attitude of a corner garage than a large dealership. "We have a personal relationship with our customers—we know them and they know us by first name. And our relationship with AAA means we have to prove ourselves, which gives our customers confidence in the way we treat them and service their vehicles."
