1. Connecting to the Community
From selling raffle tickets for a Good Samaritan Boys Ranch, to helping families from the local Ronald McDonald house with repairs at no cost, Rick Hughlett and his shop constantly work to improve the community to which they belong. Having the display case near the front entrance, according to Hughlett, gives customers confidence that they’re getting the best service and it instills a sense of local pride.
2. Hitting the Right Note
Hidden in the ceilings of the shop are speakers that carry throughout the entire building. Hughlett made the decision to install a Sonos sound system, which allows for employees to stream their own music at the highest quality.
The system is completely wireless and carries through every room on the campus. Individuals are able to select playlists from his or her own smartphone and can stream music to enjoy while at work.
3. Staying in Shape
Accessible to both employees and customers, Rick’s Automotive has a full fitness center on its campus. Complete with commercial-grade machines and a locker room with private showers,
this allows for employees to exercise before or after work, or sneak a workout into his or her lunch break.
The customers, according to Hughlett, also take advantage of this feature fairly often. While waiting for his or her car to be serviced, this gives the option to do something other than sit in the lobby.
4. Acknowledging Education
The shop’s logo was designed over 35 years ago by an employee’s sister. Though it has been slightly adjusted over the years to keep things fresh, the logo has essentially stayed the same. Hughlett explained that he made the decision to keep the logo because it’s recognizable, red is his favorite color, and it clearly shows that it’s an ASE Blue Seal of Excellence facility.
Hughlett, along with his employees, constantly further their training and education. They’ve attended just about every management school possible, and they take pride in the fact that they can put to work what they’ve learned from different training programs. They want that credibility to shine through their external marketing, which includes their logo.
5. Maintaining Relationships
A large, family-style table resides within the shop’s break room. The table can be broken into smaller individual tables, but it’s often kept together to host team meetings and company meals. Hughlett buys lunch for his crew every Tuesday, and they eat together in an all-team meeting.
There is also a commercial-sized barbeque on the campus that is often fired up for birthdays or company-wide celebrations. Every Thanksgiving they host a big potluck for employees and their families in this space. The team at Rick’s Automotive makes their values of hospitality and connection clear through how they run the shop.
