“There are many new technologies being intro- duced every year and it’s exciting to see all the innovative features of new vehicles and how they are serviced and repaired,” says Jamanda. They strive to meet the needs of all their cus- tomers with six automotive repair bays and a staff with over 50 years of combined experience, Driven Automotive has the expertise to service and repair a wide arrange of vehicles whether they are imports or domestic. Basically, they can work on all passenger cars and light trucks and can perform automotive repair and regular main- tenance to full blown engine removal/replace- ments or rebuilds. There isn’t a task that they can’t do when it comes to automotive repair. They are well equipped with the latest diag- nostic tools, computer scanners, tire changers, alignment machines and offer specialty antique/ classic vehicle tuning and repair. Jamanda explained thatmaintaining awell-round- ed staff and keeping them happy is a challenge for any business, but that it’s much harder main- taining licensed automotive technicians. “There is a shortage of automotive mechanics and the main population of mechanics are aging. There aren’t as many young people pursuing the trade, I would say due to costs, wages, and the lack of benefits they receive in the workplace. Here at Driven, we hold a high standard of work quality. The technicians can be proud of their work, they get to discuss their work directly with the customer, and they get compensated properly for their expertise and work. We have attained a very highly trained and skilled team of techni- cians by offering them a welcoming workplace and an environment that feels more like a family than a business. All of our technicians were the best of the best at their previous places of work, now we have them all here under Driven’s roof.” Jamanda is the technician of the technicians. Her official in-shop designation is Service Advisor, but she’s much more. “My favorite part of the business is learning new things and being able to pass that information along to our customers,” says Jamanda. She even produces brief preven- tative maintenance and FAQs videos for custom- ers on Driven Automotive’s Facebook page.
When we asked Jamanda to explain the custom- er’s reaction when they first learn that Driven Automotive is female-owned and operated in what is known for being a male dominated industry. “I wouldn’t say that they’re shocked, but I would say they’re pleasantly surprised,” she said with just a hint of laughter. “Most household finances are managed by women, they’re the financial decision makers. Custom - ers, men and women alike, really enjoy having a woman on this end to explain to them what is required and where the costs come from. It’s a real trust factor for them. Even in 2021, we do work harder as women in the trade to prove our knowledge and competence. That’s OK though we have been doing it since 2012 and doing a good job of it,” she said. Jamanda operates her business a bit different- ly than what we typically expect from an auto- motive repair shop. I think that we have all felt that knot in our stomach when we hear a noise coming from our vehicle and know that we need to take it in to get looked at, for me it is like going to the dentist, I know that I have to, but I am not looking forward to the experience. His- torically automotive repair shops have gotten a bad rap in the past for overcharging customers or for pushing repairs and service on customers that they didn’t need. All you have to do is check out Driven Automotive’s Facebook page to see the numerous customer reviews to see that they have more than earned their customers trust and build a solid reputation for making sure that customers understand what is needed, what is recommended, what can wait and why. Before any service is completed, customers are encour- aged to review the repairs required with their technician to make sure they understand what is needed and why. Reputation is everything in
“My favorite part of the business is learning new things and being able to pass that along to the cus- tomers,”
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APRIL 2021 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • APRIL 2021
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