| Joe Stephens Joins ImportCar Advisory Board |
| Meet Joe Stephens, owner of Stephens Automotive in Palatine, IL, who recently celebrated 10 years in business specializing in the repair of Toyota and Lexus vehicles. Stephens will be lending his expertise to ImportCar's Advisory Board in the coming months, imparting some of his successful business practices. Read on to find out more about this talented and knowledgeable import specialist.
How long has your shop been in business?
10 years.
How many total years of experience do you have?
25 years of working on cars.
How many bays do you operate?
5 car lifts, 1 truck lift, 1 alignment lift.
What is your area of specialty?
Toyota. We started out specializing in Toyotas, and as we grew and added more people, we started hiring guys who specialized in other nameplates. It makes diagnosing and repairing easier when you are familiar with the car, whether it's Toyota, Nissan, Honda, European or domestic.
What is the average number of repair orders you write in a week?
50
What is the biggest challenge you see facing technicians today?
The lack of qualified techs and the complicated systems on cars today.
Describe your management style. Detail how you motivate your team.
I try to be honest, and if I am unhappy, I share it. I also share when I feel someone did a good job. Communication is everything in this business, whether it's with a customer, employee, parts person or outside service person.
You have to be a man of your word and keep surprises to a minimum. Our team starts the day off by being organized and knowing what we need to accomplish. Our service writer jokingly always pushes for a group hug. I usually run out of the building at that time. Motivation in our shop is propelled by a team effort to get the job done and to deliver more than was expected. Accomplishment is a feeling and a factor in our shop motivation. How do you find and keep good technicians/employees?
Sometimes you get lucky and hire the complete package. A lot of times you have to hire a guy with a good work ethic and train him on how you want things to be run. Keep him by treating him fairly, and keeping complaints and problems on the table for discussion.
What is the most exciting thing that has happened ito your business lately?
I got a call from a customer who was in for the first time recently. He called to tell me he was on a fishing trip this week and was talking to some guys he met. One of them was wearing one of my Stephens Automotive T-shirts, and the new customer asked the man about it. The other guy told him, "For me, there are no other repair shops... just Stephens." That made me feel very special!
Tell us something unique about the way you do business.
We give each car a through check and don't charge for it.
What do you do in your spare time when you're not reading ImportCar?
I own a motor home, and love to fish and explore.
What is your favorite import car?
I love the Ferrari, but I think Toyota makes the best cars.
© 2005 ImportCar Magazine
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