On the Road Again

At Olmsted Auto Care, the quoted repair price really is the price you pay.

By: Ken McEntee
Date: 02/04/2009
Pat Theobald, co-owner of Olmsted Auto Care, recalls a recent customer who had an electrical problem with his car. What shocked the customer most was that after being held hostage for a whole week by a dealership wanting to charge him $2,200, the problem still wasn’t fixed.

“The dealer wanted to replace a whole wiring harness because they couldn’t pinpoint the problem,” Pat recalls, shaking his head. “My guys took just three hours to diagnose and fix his vehicle and we charged him about $300. It was just a matter of making the effort to find the problem.”

“We love a challenge like that,” adds co-owner Harry Koenning, who has been working on cars since he was in high school.

Olmsted Auto Care, with its tight-knit staff of five certified mechanics, is a throwback to the days of the neighborhood garage.

“Our customers know us,” Pat says. “They have trust that we aren’t going to sell them a bill of goods and the confidence that when they pick up their car it’s going to be fixed right.”

“There is enough work in this business that we don’t need to pressure people,” Harry adds. “We rely on repeat business and referrals, so it makes sense to make sure people are happy.”
Referrals are routine at Olmsted Auto Care, Harry says.

“We’ll get a new customer,” he says. “Then a week later we’ll get a couple more who live on the same street. Before you know it, we have a bunch of customers on that street. The reason they keep coming back and sending their friends is that they trust us.”

Pat says he can always spot a new customer who has had a bad experience at another repair shop.

“They are apprehensive and waiting for something negative to happen,” he says. “All we do is take the time to listen to the customer and take the time to give them all the facts and the options of what can be done. But we let them make the final decision.”

“When you pick up your car, the only surprise is that there will be no surprises,” Pat says.

“Anytime we quote a job it is an out-the-door price,” he says. “A lot of shops quote a price, then there are a lot of add-ons that show up on the final bill. When you come in to get your car, the price you pay will be the price we quoted you.”

Olmsted Auto Care is a full service automotive repair shop that handles everything except major engine and transmission rebuilds and body work. Pat and Harry are joined by three other certified mechanics—Corey Evaldi, Jim Humphrey and Eric Barensfeld—to form a working team with a strong camaraderie.

“Some garages put their mechanics in a situation where they are competing with each other,” says Pat, who, like Harry, has worked for high-pressure corporate shops. “We have an environment where the guys help each other out and bounce problems off of each other. We all love the challenge of figuring out difficult problems.”

Olmsted Auto Care can get any brand of tire a customer wants, but they recommend Cooper, an American made tire with a plant in Findlay, Ohio. “We don’t deal in bargain basement tires,” Harry says. “If I wouldn’t put them on my car, I won’t sell them to a customer.”

Olmsted Auto Care is an AC Delco TSS (Total Service Specialist) shop and a member of the Express Tire Cooperative, which allows them to get competitive prices and pass the savings along to their customers.

Olmsted Auto Care is in Olmsted Township at 27098 Cook Road, at the corner of Stearns, just south of I-480. Don’t worry, despite the ripped up road, Olmsted Auto Care is open. You can call them at 440-427-9310, or visit their website at www.olmstedautocare.com. Hours are Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. And some Saturdays.

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