Shop View: Top-End Motorwerks

Oct. 1, 2017

A refined focus on providing the best customer experience can go a long way in growing your business and increasing your shop’s revenue.

SHOP: Top-End Motorwerks   LOCATION: Costa Mesa, Calif.  OWNER: Eric Hartley and Matt Gray   SIZE: 6,500 square feet  STAFF SIZE: 7 AVERAGE MONTHLY CAR COUNT: 152  ANNUAL REVENUE: $1.2 million 

1. The Name: 

Eric Hartley and Matt Gray, co-owners of Top-End Motorwerks in Costa Mesa, Calif., opened their shop six years ago. It was no coincidence that Hartley and Gray partnered to create the shop, as they have been friends since middle school. Gray came up with the idea for the shop and he pitched it to Hartley, who is a BMW-certified master technician. 

Since the pair are almost like brothers and know each other’s families very well, they thought it was only fair for their loved ones to pick the shop’s name. Hartley’s brother submitted the name Top-End and the shop owners added in Motorwerks since the shop specializes in European vehicles. 

2. The Customer Perks:

To draw more customers to the shop, Top-End Motorwerks offers seven loaner vehicles, which they hope to expand to 10 within the next year and a half. They also offer a shuttle service that will take customers to the airport. While the customer is away on vacation or on a business trip, the vehicle can stay in the shop to be worked on.

Gray and Hartley strive to establish personal connections with each customer, so Hartley gives customers his personal cell phone number. Customers can then contact him directly and receive updates on their vehicles. 

Top-End Motorwerks offers free bulb and vehicle key battery replacements. They also offer a complimentary car wash service because Gray and Hartley believe this will help their customers see just how invested the shop is in their vehicles.

The shop also provides free goodies to customers, like Girl Scout cookies and water bottles. Top-End Motorwerks is a pet-friendly facility; since Gray started bringing in his dog, customers began to bring in their own pets, which Gray and Hartley allow.

3. The View:

The seven-bay shop has glass doors that allow customers to look into the shop floor and see everything that is going on. According to Hartley and Gray, this level of visibility helps keep technicians and staff accountable for cleanliness, maintenance and organization. The customers, according to Gray, like this key feature. Additionally, the glass doors insulate the shop floor. 

4. The Experience:

With Top-End Motorwerks, Gray and Hartley wanted to provide a high-end boutique experience.

They wanted to match the level of service provided by independent shops, while offering the amenities and features that dealerships give to customers. To do that, they did their research and visited shops and dealerships to get a better idea of the must-haves in areas such as the customer waiting lounge and the shop floor. 

The 6,500-square-foot shop is treated like a boutique. Their customer lounge has white and blue-gray colored walls with luxe couches and industrial chairs. They also have a small aquarium, satellite television and computers customers can use while they wait. 

The shop floor is brightly lit and kept immaculate, similar to a high-end clothing store showroom.

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