Kermit Pridemore is Co-owner of Smoky Hill Auto Service in Aurora, Colorado, bringing years of family business experience into his own venture. Kermit's approach to business is heavily influenced by his father's lessons on identifying important priorities, championing impeccable customer service and trust-building in the automotive industry. With a keen interest in multi-store operations and staff training, he aims to expand his business while maintaining high service standards. He is also a coach, involved in peer groups and provides SWOT analyses nationwide. Kermit is dedicated to improving the reputation of auto services by focusing on genuine customer care.

In this episode…

The automotive service industry thrives on trust and relationships between businesses and their customers. How can auto service shops build and maintain this trust while providing exceptional service?

According to Kermit Pridemore of Smoky Hill Auto Service, building trust with customers is paramount. He emphasizes the importance of being honest, taking care of people, and offering advice without pressuring them to make immediate repairs. Kermit believes in creating a relational experience for the customer rather than a transactional one, focusing on community trust and delivering the highest level of service in the industry.

On this episode of Gain Traction, Mike Edge chats with Kermit about his family's history in the auto service industry, the story of how he met his wife, and his approach to running Smoky Hill Auto Service. They discuss the importance of soft skills in customer service, learning from successful businesses outside the automotive industry, and Kermit's plans for future expansion.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: 

• [01:29] How Kermit Pridemore's family business legacy shapes his approach to auto service
• [02:25] Kermit's daring story about how he met his wife
• [03:36] The importance of creating lasting relationships with customers for multi-generational business success
• [04:16] Why Kermit believes community trust is the cornerstone of a successful auto service business
• [11:19] How personalizing service based on customer needs leads to business growth
• [21:12] “One more,” Kermit’s favorite motivational tactic
• [28:06] Expansion plans and the road ahead for Smoky Hill Auto Service

Resources mentioned in this episode: 

• Kermit Pridemore on LinkedIn 
• Smoky Hill Auto Service 
• Chris Barry on LinkedIn
• Independent Tire Dealer Group
• Mike Edge on LinkedIn
• Tread Partners

Quotable Moments:

• “You start at the bottom; you work every single position in this company if you want to get to the top."
• "It's all about people. Why can't we look at what Walmart does, or what Chick-fil-A does?"
• "I'd say it is even more valuable, now that service is so much harder to find anywhere."
• "I left an outfit that had changed after it was sold because it turned into almost transactional versus relational."
• "The terminology my father uses quite often is, 'Hey guys, let's go do this. We can't screw it up any more than the people we've worked for.'"

Action Steps:

1. Identify what is the most important task at the moment: Prioritizing tasks helps maintain focus and prevents being overwhelmed.
2. Establish trustworthiness in your business operations: Trust is the backbone of customer retention.
3. Embrace and maintain high standards across all business locations: Consistency ensures customer satisfaction and sets the stage for expansion.
4. Personalize services based on customer needs and expectations: Adapting services based on customer profiles can lead to business growth.
5. Adopt the 'one more' philosophy in daily tasks: The idea of doing 'just one more' can result in significant incremental growth over time.

Sponsor for this episode...

This episode is brought to you by Tread Partners. 

At Tread Partners, we provide digital marketing for multi-location tire dealers and auto repair shops. 

By using our strategy, branding, and marketing services, we help shops sell more tires and put more cars in bays.

We’ve helped companies like Action Gator Tire, Colony Tire and Service, and Ulmer’s Auto Care Center bring extreme growth in paid leads, ROI, and searches. 

So, what are you waiting for?

Visit www.treadpartners.com or email [email protected] to learn more.