Keeping an eye on the weather is only part of the secret of this Airdrie shop’s success.

By Lois Tuffin

The winter season begins precisely on Sept. 15 for the crew at My Garage in Airdrie, Alberta. That’s the day the shop’s client advocates (service advisors) begin calling the 150 customers who store their tires there.

Over the succeeding month, the car count rises from 350 to 400 as the shop’s five Red Seal technicians work through deferred and scheduled maintenance while the vehicles are on the hoist. That way, they make the best of their time and save customers from separate visits a few weeks down the road.

“Usually, clients need more than their tires checked,” says owner Chris Dekker. “We’ve had good success over the past two years with our smart booking system, so we’re not doing 60 tire changes a day.”

Even with the combined services, the shop still sees a dip in average work order value. For Dekker, it’s about taking care of his premium clients so they return.

Winters in Airdrie

Each winter, Airdrie (in the Calgary Metropolitan Area) faces average daily temperatures around -1 °C. It gets coldest right after New Year’s Day with average temperatures between -3 and -13 °C. However, it can plummet to -26 °C.

In terms of snow, the amount decreases each year. On a good day, drivers will deal with a quarter-inch or so, although an average squall drops up to 2.5 inches. When it storms, the roads get covered in up to five inches, according to WeatherSpark.

Despite the milder conditions, more My Garage customers are investing in good tires. Part of the comfort level arises from Dekker putting premium tires on loaner vehicles.

“That converts them right there,” he says. “Most people like the extra security since they don’t like getting spun in intersections.”

He educates customers on the value of the right mix of natural and synthetic rubber in terms of grip. Like most Alberta shops, he gets his supply from five warehouses who deliver to him within three to four hours.

“We don’t usually sell them on the spot,” Dekker adds. “We order them when the client books an appointment.”

If they hit a cutoff at 10 a.m. or noon, the goods arrive in time to get the job done. For other supplies, they keep stocked up. After all, they have 25 to 30 auto repair shops competing with them in the same city of 85,805 people.

The rush runs during the second and third weeks of October, bolstered by social media alerts to beat the rush. As usual, those who wait don’t get their tires swapped until two to three weeks later.

Quality over quantity

Dekker consistently focuses his team on premium service. As a result, his clientele is less reactionary when the first snowflakes arrive. He estimates his customers are wealthier and drive newer cars than the average shop.

“Someone who drives an $80,000 Tesla is more likely to invest in good tires,” he rationalizes.

With an emphasis on building a good reputation on servicing electric vehicles, he draws clients from as far away as Vancouver Island. On Oct. 28 alone, he had 10 Teslas in the shop, with four of them from outside Alberta.

He uses creative marketing for these drivers. The shop sponsors the Electric Vehicle Club of Alberta and the Tesla Owners of Alberta. Ninety per cent of his social media reaches out to groups like that, plus community groups who want questions answered.

“That’s been huge for us,” he adds.

The shop’s blogs on EV topics also drive curiosity from across Canada.

For bigger jobs, like a recent $7,000 Tesla repair, he has cars fully cleaned and detailed. EVs leave fully charged and ready for long drives ahead.

Focusing on metrics

To stay on target, his team meets daily just before lunch. Lately, their discussion has centred around hours sold per tech per day. While most shops average 4.5 hours, My Garage has reached the milestone of 7.2.

Ideally, Dekker would love to get that key performance indicator to 8.

“It takes a team effort to boost that number,” he says. “Each day, I try to identify patterns as I listen to the techs’ feedback.”

He also prides himself on paying his techs $45 to $50. However, he notes that other trades earn more while investing less in tools.

On a recent school field trip to the Calgary Zoo, he learned from a couple of other dads that refrigerator and elevator techs pull in $52 and $58 an hour, respectively.

“We have to collect more money on the front end to pay it on the back end,” he notes.

To aid in diagnostics, his crew has developed questionnaires they text to clients in advance of a visit. That feeds techs with more details and speeds up the check-in process.

Compared to October, My Garage’s second busiest season falls in the summer months when more people are out driving and have more time for maintenance. Things get quiet in September when families face more school-startup expenses and fuller schedules.

That makes it ideal to invest time in booking for the October rush.

“Despite the urgency to get winter tires on, there seems to be a longer spread to get them swapped off,” he says with a smile.

---

This article also appeared in the October/November 2024 print edition of IndieGarage. You can read the full digital flipbook HERE