OK Tire & Auto Service

Five technicians and one service writer

Six Bays

Shop Rate: $80 per hour

Supports local minor hockey, community arts and theatre programs and Camp Bucko for kid burn victims.

OK Tire and Auto Service in Kitchener, Ont. is a new, six-bay shop with over 2,000 square feet of floor space, with an additional 3,000 square foot storage facility and substantial office and customer lounge areas.

While Tom Togeretz, owner of the shop is justly proud of the facility, and talks with enthusiasm about the many unique features of his operations — the separate cement encasement for storing oil to prevent environmental damage, the two ‘maternity’ bays for diagnostic work and one bay for alignments — he has even greater pride in his staff and their professionalism.

“First impressions are important and the first impression we give to everyone is one of professionalism and quality, right from the moment you walk in the door,” Togeretz said. “I want (customers) to see our shop as clean and professionally run. I want them to have the feeling that their car will be taken care of in the same way I have taken the time and care in the professionalism of my shop and staff.”

That professionalism is reflected in the investment and time Togeretz has put into taking a variety of management courses, from OK Tire’s training courses to those given by Bob Greenwood and NAPA ProShop. Togeretz believes management training is an ongoing process.

“A lot of people feel they are educated and are doing well,” he added. “But this industry changes all the time and you have to keep abreast of the changes, in the economy and the changing nature of the garage business. It is a constant upgrading of your skills to keep ahead of things.”

The same goes for technicians. Togeretz pays for the technical and skills training his five technicians need. If the training is out of town, he pays for the incidentals.

“Just as it is important for me to be a good business manager and professional, it is just as important for my staff to be professional in their line of work. That means a constant upgrading of technical skills and encouraging a quest for more knowledge.”

If there is a challenge that taxes his technicians and him as an owner is it Right to Repair. While Togeretz said his technicians have not been stumped when it comes to maintaining many of today’s new, complex vehicles, he worries the restrictions some car makers place on giving out diagnostic and technical information may soon have consequences for the independent service provider industry.

“I would hate to have a day come when we have to send a customer away from our shop because we can’t get access to some technology,” he said. “Consumers should have the choice where they want to send their vehicle for repair.”