Like many independent auto repair shops, Beachside Tire & Auto Repair opened its doors in Hilton Head, SC, during the mid-80’s as a family-run business. Sam Johnson, son of the founder, grew up close to the family business and after attending college he returned home to take an active role in the shop. After the unfortunate passing of his father in 2012, he suddenly was forced to take over the business. As he recalls: “I went from being a service advisor on a Saturday to running the entire operation on a Monday.”
It's not uncommon for businesses to be passed down to the next generation, but the abruptness with which it happened at Beachside set Sam onto a journey of learning, ending in becoming a successful off-site owner.
After four years as an owner, Johnson saw an opportunity to open a second location in Bluffton, SC. As he admits: “A building became available and even though we weren’t really prepared for it, we seized the opportunity.” Beachside’s second location went through a process of slower growth. The addition of a second location and a new business partner afforded Johnson the opportunity to grow his father’s business while covering both the Hilton Head and Bluffton Markets. Johnson mainly focused his time and effort in the Hilton Head location until the year 2020, when the building where it was located was declared condemned.
Upon an initial disappointment and obvious loss of profits and potential loss of valuable customers, this scenario represented a turning point for Johnson. During the time that the new location in Bluffton had been set up and running, it was his business partner that had mainly managed and run the new store. Johnson soon realized that his work had now become redundant, thus allowing him to take on the role of an off-site owner. With the passing of his father, he has always prioritized time with his family, and this new situation was going to allow him to prioritize that over the day-to-day running of the business.
Doing Normal Really Well
Back when Beachside started in Hilton Head, SC, Johnson’s father focused on the customer experience, on building the relationships with his customers. “We try to exceed expectations with every customer,” Johnson says. Creating that customer experience comes both from implementing the right systems and hiring and training the right personnel. Beachside implements training programs for all employees, and some have remained in the business even after the passing of Johnson’s father.
He encourages his employees to take note of customer service ideas and concepts that they experience at other businesses, even those that are non-automotive. “It’s important that we listen to our employees and implement their suggestions.” Johnson states. For Johnson’s shop, that has over 1100 Google reviews and 4.9 rating, transparency and communication are fundamentals in regard to customer service. Even before DVI software was available the shop’s technicians would use digital cameras and images placed into digital documents that would be sent to customers for their evaluation.
A successful business doesn’t always come through innovation. It’s much more common to see shops achieve success through focus. Beachside stopped working on European vehicles approximately two years ago. Understanding that these vehicles were not producing the desired profitability versus the cost of systems, training, and time, made Johnson decide on this measure. He admits that he has lost a few customers, especially those households with a mix of both American and European vehicles, but after the stated period it has resulted in a smoother shop running process.
Can you really work yourself out of a job?
This question is one that many shop owners ask themselves at certain points of their career. There’s no simple answer, and the complexity of each particular situation is equal to the real-life doubts that arise from the myriad of factors that play into this decision. Most shop owners that face this dilemma have achieved a certain level of success—in some occasions the goal was from the start—and taking the next step can be the one that instates the most fear. Shop owners tend to agree that you can’t really completely walk away from the business. Coaching, opening up a different shop, a completely different business, and even developing hobbies or ways to occupy time, can make the next step easier. These are all solutions for the aftermath but implementing the correct systems to have this work properly and deciding what the role of the off-site owner will be, is the most challenging.
In a recent Ratchet+Wrench Radio Podcast Brian Moak defined the scenario of working yourself out of a job as “leveling up.” This point of view holds meaning and value. Being able to create a business that is mostly self-sufficient should be a sign that something has been done correctly. It means that solid systems have been put in place, that operational procedures are working efficiently, financial goals and objectives are being met, and most importantly, that time is now available for those shop owners that have reached this milestone.
