Page 20 - AAA Central Penn – AAA Now! – January/February 2019

AAA
VISION TO REALITY
Susquehanna Valley Fleet and Auto Becomes a Four-Time Winner of the
AAA Approved Auto Repair’s “Top Shop” Award for Outstanding Customer Service!
By Mike Fitzgibbons - General Manager
People who say that starting a business from the ground up is easy were either very lucky or are not telling the whole truth. In 2007, I had an idea to open an automotive repair facility to help fill a need in the Lancaster market. This idea required the support of my Board of Directors, finding the right location, and most importantly, having the right person oversee the daily operations of the repair facility.
All of those requirements were harder to meet than I expected. My Board of Directors turned my idea down
three times, the locations that I looked at did not meet the anticipated needs, and the person I knew would be a perfect fit as the Service Manager said, “no.” Persistence finally paid off and in 2011, my Board of Directors gave me the approval to open this new business, I found a perfect location, and the Service Manager that originally turned my offer down, said “yes.” That is when Susquehanna Valley Fleet & Auto was born and the rest, as they say, is history.
Having the right Service Manager is one of the keys to our success. It requires someone who is very knowledgeable in the business, has the same vision that I do, and truly believes in providing, “Honesty & Integrity at a Fair Price.” Scott Roschel is that person. He has over 40 years of auto repair knowledge. I understand the payroll, human resources, and insurance side of business, but had no idea what type of shop equipment or products to invest in to start this new venture. By sharing our knowledge, that’s what makes us a good team.
The second key to our success is surrounding ourselves with other like-minded individuals. From the receptionist to the repair technicians, everyone has to have the same customer service standards. Those standards are easy. We don’t tell our customers that they need a repair or service when they don’t. We explain all of the work in a way they can understand and charge a fair price for the work we provide.
The last and most important key to our success is having a loyal customer base. We truly appreciate our customers and do our best to make sure they know how important they are to us. Without them, my idea that started over seven years ago would not be possible.
All of these keys are what we believe have made it possible
for our repair facility to be a proud participant of the AAA Approved Auto Repair program and a four-time AAA “Top Shop” winner for outstanding customer service.
AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES
TM
First Place Winner: Susquehanna Fleet & Auto, Lancaster, PA
(Pictured) Cent.- Mike Fitzgibbons- General Manager, 3rd from rt.- Scott Roschel- Service Mgr. and staff.
2nd Place Winner: Ray & Randy’s Auto & Truck Repair, Ephrata, PA (Pictured L-R) Melanie Moats, Ray Moats
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
3rd Place Winner: Car Clinic Inc., Paradise, PA (Pictured) Michael Donnell – owner
Now!