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Embracing the future guides collision center to 42 years of success |
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Thursday, 05 April 2007 |
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Page 2 of 2 Both mechanical and collision repair
Over the years the center has expanded to support a growing customer base, and today the mechanical and collision facilities are housed within 5 buildings on more than three acres. Everything is strategically organized into departments for ease of workflow.
“We try to become more efficient. You can only get so efficient and once we reach that level, then we expand,” Costa said. “Of course with expansion comes growing pains, then you get that under control and you expand some more.”
Of the five buildings, three are designated for collision repair, and two for mechanical. Repairs are assigned to the specific technician best qualified to perform them.
“That’s all the technician is going to do. We don’t cross tasks,” Costa said. “Our quality is a step above by having everything departmentalized. It will go station to station. If it’s an aluminum repair on a BMW, we have specific technicians to do that repair process. If it’s a Corvette that’s fiberglass, we have another. Someone can’t be exemplary in every aspect of every car – let’s face it. We focus on what you’re great with, and we stick with that.”
As a full service mechanical and collision repair center, Demo’s is equipped to complete all services at one facility and that makes a difference, Costa said. All repairs are tracked through one computer system and progress can be monitored from each department. Since many cars need both mechanical and collision repairs, the facility speeds up the process by offering both.
“To be able to have complete services under one organization you don’t have to wait for another company to sublet it, or quality control or backlog,” Costa said. “The end result helps the customer and the insurance company.”
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Founded in October of 1964, Demo's Automotive Center is still going strong at the original location more than four decades later.
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Expansion versus multiple locations
At Demo’s Automotive Center they chose to expand the existing operation rather than open additional locations due to the management style. They prefer to be onsite where they can observe and be the watchdogs.
Also, their customers are not restricted to the immediate area. Demo’s pulls from a large zip code base, Costa said.
“Chances are it would be nice to have someone close to you, but if you knew someone a little farther does a really good job, you would probably go that route. It’s just human nature,” Costa said.
Such has been the case at Demo’s, where a technician was recently sent to a customer in Phoenix who needed an on/off airbag switch installed. Another customer lived 7 hours away, but brought her car to Demo’s after a recommendation when she was in the area for a hospital visit.
Customer satisfaction
Demo’s Automotive Center has won the AAA Top Shop Award three out of the last four years. The shop is chosen based on results of a survey given to 250 randomly selected customers from the shop’s database.
While their car is in for repair, customers are kept constantly updated, Costa said. The shop also uses the service of Nationwide Autowatch, where customers can view updates of their car repairs online at least twice a day.
“Through the tenure that we’ve actually enjoyed we are able to project when the vehicle is completed.” Costa said. “We don’t have to worry about subletting to anybody else and their work schedule. We have a great relationship with our suppliers. Waiting on parts is almost non-existent.”
Demo’s frequently orders parts from Mike Calvert Toyota of Houston, and outside sales rep and wholesale manager Geoff Smith has worked with them for years.
“Their daddy is a good guy and they’re following right in his footsteps,” Smith said of Kouzounis and his sons.
Given the circumstances, few customers come to a repair facility happy, Kouzounis pointed out. But the seemingly ageless business owner always offers a dose of his unfaltering optimism to the waiting room.
“I’ll ask the customer, ‘good morning?’ and somebody will say, ‘what’s so good about it,’” he recalled. So, he will take a look at the nice plot of green grass in front of the shop, then glance back at the customer and say, “Well, we’re both on this side of the grass. We’re not looking up at the roots. If I can see this side of the grass, I know it’s a good day.”
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