"It's our living. We're not just being hired and paid. We actually care about the business." That's what Rod Perry, owner of FIX AUTO Riverside, figures will differentiate his franchise operation from  the shops run by consolidators with whom he finds himself competing.

Having operated as an independent under then name of Hamblin's Body & Paint of Riverside for nine years, Perry joined the FIX network because he sees a change in the way insurance companies send work to him. "The rules have changed. The 'old friends' network is gone. I'm 46, and a lot of the insurance guys who used to keep me busy are gone now. New guys are in charge, and they want to work with a consolidator or some big chain. Joining FIX makes me more competitive," Perry said.

Under the Hamblin's name, the shop did "about $300,000 a month. That's good volume, but I could foresee the day when I wouldn't be doing as well. I've brought my son, Eric, in with me. So I want the business to grow and stay strong."

Perry got his start in the industry 27 years ago washing cars at a dealership when he was 19. Over the years, he worked his way up to managing the body shops at some of the top dealerships in Southern California. "I said goodbye to the dealerships when they all started selling out to big corporations," he recalled.

In 1991, he became a partner in Hamblin's and then bought out his partner in 1995. After taking control, Perry invested in a total remodel of his I-CAR Gold Class facility. Customers in the reception area now feel more like they're in the living room of a well-decorated home than they do an auto repair shop. The investment paid off as business has tripled over the past five years.

Employees are loyal, well pa

IX AUTO Riverside occupies 14,800 sq. ft. and has 20 employees, several of whom have moved with Perry from one shop to another. "My secretary, Jan Costello, has been with me for 21 years, and my body man, Morris Jebchott, has been working with me for 15 years."

How does Perry command such loyalty? He says it's because he treats people the way he would want to be treated. "People make the business," says Perry. "If the crew does good work, the customers will come back." And, oh yes, he pays them well. "We pay a high commission on labor, so my people make a good living."

Competing with consolidators

Perry, whose business competes with consolidators Caliber and M2 as well as several multi-shop operators, was comfortable joining FIX AUTO largely because of FIX president Erik Bickett. "I've known Erik for 20 years. He's a politician, and has great insight into the business. I'm willing to pay him for that insight. I run the shop, and he keeps me abreast of changes in the industry, especially the computer stuff."

I trust Erik because he owns six of the FIX shops. I figure if he makes a deal with an insurer or a paint company it's a good deal because his shops have to live with it just like me."

Perry noted that he once belonged to another franchise, CarStar, "But that just didn't work out."

Perry pointed out that FIX is very big on measuring customer satisfaction (CSI). "I come from the old school that says if the customer leaves the lot and you don't hear from him, everything must be OK. You can't do business like that anymore. Erik and FIX have us on a regular CSI program to make certain that our customers are happy."