1 Alan Cox Automotive offers a comfortable waiting room with TV, children area, magazines, WiFi and refreshments. 2 Customers
often comment that they feel they are walking into a doctor office instead of an auto repair facility. 3 Owner Sherry Richardson,
Parts Manager Jonathan Hall and Service Advisor Nick Kocsis are always ready to assist customers. 4 Marshall Winkeljohn finishes
some A/C work.
What's in a name? Quite a lot if that name happens to be Alan Cox Automotive — the kind of traditional, masculine shop moniker
that conjures images of tough-talking guys repairing meat-and-potatoes Detroit products.
5 The shop has been a Marietta mainstay for nearly a quartercentury.
Forget all that. In the real world, Alan Cox is owned and run by Sherry Richardson, and her shop specializes in Hondas, Acuras,
Toyotas, Mazdas and Lexus products. Considering the shop's nontraditional history — and some inspired and original business
practices — it also seems to specialize in shifting attitudes on what a quality shop is and does.
SHOP TALK
From the outset, Richardson and her shop set a course of doing the unexpected. For her part, Richardson received a BBA in
management from Georgia State University, but never dreamed she'd end up in the auto repair field. In 1983, she and husband
Alan Cox founded the shop. Five years later they were divorced, yet still continued to work as partners until Richardson took
over sole ownership in 1996. Richardson now shares ownership duties with new husband Mike Richardson.
6 Davin Esa finishes a timing belt replacement on a Honda. 7 There nothing better than a full shop. 8 Jeremy Bucy (right)
shows Justin Young his 2000 Honda Civic Si, which he built for track days.
The shop itself went through a similar transformation of its original business plan. When Alan Cox first opened its doors,
the shop specialized in Hondas and Acuras (according to Richardson, it was the first Honda specialty shop in Atlanta). That
eventually changed, after customers continually clamored for work on other imports.
When those customers pass through the shop doors, they receive some interesting perks. Alan Cox takes an unusual step to get
to know its clientele better and keep them coming back: Personal data, such as the names of children and pets, is added to
customer information. The shop also performs a comprehensive 30-point courtesy check on every vehicle, outstripping the multi-point
maintenance checks they might pay for elsewhere. Should clients refer a new customer, they are rewarded with an impressive
mini service package.
Tim Sramcik began writing for Motor Age's sister publication ABRN nearly 10 years ago, although he joined the staff full time in January 2008 as editor-in-chief. He has produced numerous news, technical and feature articles covering virtually every aspect of the collision repair market. In 2004 the American Society of Business Publication Editors recognized his work with two awards.
Articles by Tim Sramcik
post a comment
Dental Lab Products | E-NewsletterShare This Page:
