Wes Hamilton, owner of Apex Automotive in Wellington, FL, is a firm believer in training and ASE certification. He maintains that if technicians do not receive the proper training, they may not be able to diagnose problems correctly, which can lead to unnecessary repairs and comebacks.
Below is the article as it appeared on the Sun Sentinel website.
Auto shop owner aims to retain customers with ‘personal touch’ service
By Jason Parsley
Sun Sentinel
Apex Automotive, 3200 Fairlane Farms Road, is focused on making sure their customers keep coming back. And they are so sure that they will come back they are offering first-time customers a receive a free oil change to get them in the door.
Owner Wes Hamilton, 33, has been working on cars since he was 17. Instead of going to college he said he decided that, "I really like cars so I’m going to be the best car guy I can be."
So by the time he turned 21 he was certified as a master Automotive Service Excellence technician.
Hamilton said one thing that people may not realize when taking their cars to a mechanic is that you don’t need a license of certification to become a mechanic. His mechanics, however, are all certified in at least one of the Automotive Service Excellence’s eight areas. Because at least 75 percent of Apex’s technicians are ASE- certified Apex also has the ASE Blue Seal of Excellence recognition.
He said that proper diagnosis is important in the car repair business. And he said if mechanics aren’t certified or don’t have the proper training they may not diagnosis the problem correctly, which oftentimes leads to unnecessary repairs.
"When people make mistakes it costs you money and it’s mostly because of training," he said.
He also said it is importance to perform regular maintenance on your car.
"It’s far cheaper to take care of what you own rather than wait for it to break," he said.
Hamilton said ever since opening four years ago his business has been booming. In their first year they had to double their size because they were getting so much business. And then two years ago they had to move to a bigger location.
"This business has taken off from the beginning," he said. "We really focus on customer retention and we focus on fixing your car right the first time," he said.
Hamilton’s wife Karena said: "I believe that the level of customer service that you get here exceeds any other that you get in the area. It’s about developing relationships with our customers. We offer expert service with a personal touch."
Wellington resident Steve Price uses Apex.
"The thing that’s really cool about Karena and Wes is how much they care about this community," he said.
"Apex is not your typical automotive center. They truly, truly care about their customers. They’re not looking for a one-time service they’re looking for customers for life. And that they have a company growing in an economy like this is testimony to how well their customer service is. Their customers are coming back and referring their friends to them."
To read this article on the Sun Sentinel website, visit http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/palm-beach/wellington/fl-wf-apex-0428-20100428,0,609280.story?page=1.