Independence repair shop reaps benefits of relocation and larger facility
Buddy Benedict (r.), owner of Buddy’s Automotive, works in the shop along with his father, Charles Benedict. In early September, the business relocated into an upgraded shop with a better location, and since moving, Benedict says he had a record breaking month.
Buddy’s Automotive Technician Joe Luke diagnoses a misfire with the Snap-on Modus. Recent investments were also made in OEM scanners, including the Ford IDS, GM Tech II, and Bosch Vetronix.
Independence, Mo.—Relocating a business can often create some challenges, but Buddy Benedict, owner of Buddy’s Automotive, who recently moved his repair shop one mile away into a larger facility on a busier thoroughfare, said he could not be happier with the transition.
“The month of September was the best month we’ve ever had, and we didn’t even move in until Sept. 6,” Benedict said, “and since then, business has not showed signs of slowing either.
“The new space is much better than our previous location,” he said, adding that he gained 500 more square feet in the new shop. “Before, in the other shop, there was not enough wall space to put things, so I just had to stack stuff on benches. Being able to organize this business in the fashion that I wanted to has really increased our productivity.”
Even simple things such as the ability to place an outdoor storage container closer to his facility has proved to save time, said Benedict, who uses the unit to hold waste oil, antifreeze, fans, and other seasonal items.
“We also now have a break room for the guys, which keeps them from having lunch in the front office around our customers,” he said. This actually gives the crew a break and lets them get their bearings together for the rest of the day.”
Buddy’s Automotive customers are enjoying some of the new amenities offered, Benedict added.
“Our customers actually have a space to wait that is separate from the office, with a television and a well-kept restroom, which is a big improvement on our previous space,” he said, noting that he also offers free shuttle service to his customers. “We have already heard good things from our customers about the waiting area, especially our female customers.”
Since implementing a website as part of Buddy’s Automotive business strategy, Benedict said he has also started picking up new customers, some of which neither he nor Service Manager Mike Goodwin have ever been introduced to face to face.
“We now have eight customers that found us on our website, and I have still never met them,” he said. “They drop their car off before we get in and pick it up after hours. We talk to them on the phone, get approval, make the repairs, and they pay us over the phone with credit card.”
Business in general has been on the rise, Benedict said, especially in engine replacement and computer diagnostics.
“Engine work has really picked up because people don’t want a car payment — some aren’t out from underneath the one they have,” he said. “They just want to fix it and keep driving it, so we work with the customer to get them back on the road.”
Benedict said he offers his customers new, used, and remanufactured options, depending on what best suits each customer.
He said his primary engine vendors include Dahmer Powertrain in Lee’s Summit for reman units, and for used engines, County Line Auto Parts in Kingsville, Mo., as well as Little Roberts Auto Salvage and Midway Auto Parts in Kansas City.
“Steve Fairchild at Dahmer Powertrain has been really great to work with. We go where people always treat us right, and Steve has always treated us properly,” he said. “And as for used engines, I try not to get too far out of my area because I want to do business with a couple local recyclers I can trust so I don’t end up stuck with a bad motor.”
Benedict said his recent purchase of OE scan tools, including the Ford IDS, GM Tech II, and the Bosch Vetronix, have also proved to be profitable investments, adding that he owns a couple of Snap-on Moduses as well.
“Having the OE scan tools is like night and day when it comes to diagnosing cars,” he said, “When you are working with the right tools, you spend a lot less time trying to complete the job.”
Benedict said his technicians, Joe Luke and Charles Benedict (his father), have two computer stations in the shop with Mitchell 1 software equipped for the technicians to work from, which frees up Goodwin in the office.
Goodwin said he has gained a lot of his experience in managing an automotive business through his involvement with ASA-MO/KAN. “Four years ago, we signed up with ASA, and that was huge,” Goodwin said. “ASA Kansas City President Jeff Bly came by the shop and invited me to a meeting, which I accepted, and since then our business has really taken off.
“The shop owners involved in ASA are a great group of guys to bounce ideas off of because we don’t look at each other as competition. We are working together, helping each other out,” he said.
“We even share advertising strategies, and this is real-world stuff, not somebody trying to sell me something,” Goodwin said. “This is about what is working and what others are using, but we have learned that the bottom line is making sure to ask every new customer how they found you.”
