Shownotes
Darren Garlock started his career in the shop pushing a broom, pumping gas and washing cars. At 18 he started full-time and worked his way up through the company from Lube Tech, Towing Operator, Mechanic, Service Advisor and now Owner. In 2015, Darren and his brother, Dan, bought the business from their father and have expanded it into 3 locations. Now called Silver Lake Auto & Tire Centers, the company focuses heavily on both employee culture and earning customers’ trust – treating their employees and customers the way they want to be treated themselves.
Key Talking Points
- Advice on succession planning inside the family business
- Have patience, work together and keep the family as number 1 priority, be ready for it
- Expanded to 3 locations total
- Keep locations uniformed so employees can interchange if needed
- All 3 locations have own concierge service
- 20+ free loaner cars between all locations and concierge driver at each location
- Culture and values within the company
- Trust- Employees and customers
- An early adopter of DVI that is now a key of their marketing
- An early adopter with Autovitals when DVI came out
- Customer’s love the feedback about their car- helps them understand and put value in maintaining a car and keeping up with repairs when they can see pictures
- Invest in employees
- Minimum of 40 hours of training per year- paid training and in-house training
- All service writers/advisors have gone through ATI Training
- Customer retention
- Scheduling the next service appointment when they leave- call a week ahead to remind the customer about an appointment
Resources Mentioned:
- Link to Silver Lake Auto and Tires Center Website HERE
- Thanks to Darren Garlock for his contribution to the aftermarket’s premier podcast.
- Leave me an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one of them.
- Link to the ‘BOOKS’ page highlighting all books discussed in the podcast library HERE. Leaders are readers.
| Number of locations: | 3 | |
| Total square feet of all facilities: | 18500 | |
| Years in industry: | 40 | |
| Years of business ownership: | 10+ | |
| Number of technicians: | 16 | |
| Number of service advisers: | 8 | |
| Number of lifts: | 20 | |
| Number of bays: | 24 | |
| Days open: | MON-FRI | |
| Annual estimated volume: | 5M | |
| Technician efficiency: | 90 | |
| Technician productivity: | 80 | |
| Labor rate: | 127.19 | |
| Effective labor rate: | 108.49 | |
| Average repair order (ARO) $: | 582.94 | |
| Average car count: | 177 | |
| YTD gross profit percent: | 40.76 | |
| YTD net profit percent: | 15 | |
| Percent Repair vs Maintenance vs Other: | 45/45/10 | |
| Technician training hours per year: | 40 | |
| Service adviser training hours per year: | 40 | |
| CEO training hours: | 100+ | |
| Specialty: | We are an early adopter of technology and advanced practices. | |
| Aftermarket association memberships: | ASA/BBB/Napa Autocare/AC Delco-TST/Hybrid Shop | |
| Special accreditations: | My Brother Dan Garlock-AAM Master for AMI. | |
| Shop management system (SMS): | RO Writer | |
| Completely paperless?; | Yes | |
| Digital Vehicle Inspection: | Autovitals | |
| Website provider: | Autoshop Solutions | |
| Supplier marketing program: | Aftermarket | |
| Primary supplier: | Aftermarket | |
| Performing hybrid repairs: | Yes | |
| Engaged with a supplier advisory council: | Yes | |
| ASE Blue Seal Certified: | Yes | |
| Succession plan: | Yes | |
| Biggest challenges: | Technician shortage/Changes in technology/Profitability/Parts quality/Marketing/Profititability | |
| Business coach: | Yes | |
| Mastermind group: | Yes | |
| Philanthropy: | Ruth and Naomi/Krueger Classic |
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