SHOP: Knight’s Automotive Repair LOCATION: Ledgewood, N.J. OWNER: Peyton and Nancy Knight
1) There’s only one logo visible from the street—and that’s the “Knight’s Auto Repair” sign. There are no product displays, posters for parts manufacturers or any of the other promotional items one might normally see at a repair shop. “What I’ve found—and this goes against everything every manufacturer wants to hear—is customers come to Knight’s for Knight’s, not for AC-Delco,” Peyton Knight says.
2) Knight wants his shop to look like it fits with the neighborhood, and that’s why he prefers his street view to “feel more like the front yard of your house, than just another paved parking lot.”
3) The shrubs and trees—particularly the large crab apple trees that bloom pink flowers during the spring—add to that “neighborhood” feel, Knight says; they relate to the nearby homes and apartment complex.
4) The small patio in front of the building allows customers the option to get some fresh air while they wait in the shade. “When your car’s not running right, it can cause a lot of problems and stress in people’s lives,” Knight says. “We want to provide a calming, relaxing atmosphere.”
5) Since the parking sits to the side of the building, customers walk through a short path shrouded with trees, shrubs and flowers before making their way to the front door. It’s another way Knight’s shop tries to put them at ease.
