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One of the tools I use in Real Estate is the GPS in my Honda CRV. I love being able to enter my destinations for the day in my GPS prior to heading out to my appointments. Two things happen when I do this; one is I can keep track of my miles by referencing how many miles it is to each destination and two, on occasion, I find a new route and discover streets I have never traveled on in the city that I live in.
Unfortunately today, when I got in my car, I realized some of my radio and GPS features were not working so on my way back from an early morning breakfast, I stopped at the Honda dealership. Gary Loudermilk is one of the Service Consultants at the Oakland location and he has the best laugh in town. He always services clients with a smile and he doesn’t know it, but I try to make him laugh while I’m there because he makes me smile every time I hear him chuckle.
If people want to compare car salesman to Realtors, I have no comment, but if they want to compare Automobile Service Consultants to Realtors, I’m all for it. They are problem solvers, they navigate you through the process so the service technician can diagnose and repairing your vehicle, and they walk you through it ever step of the way so you know what you’re paying for, if you have to pay at all. Sound familiar? When you find a person who loves what they do for a living, it shows in the service you receive.
Today I was teasing Gary and asking him if they planned to wash my car and put gas in it before I picked it up and although it’s not part of the service, he did make sure to tell me about the newly renovated customer center with free wi-fi, a lounge with a TV, toys for kids, and an espresso machine that brews our local coffee from Pete’s Coffee and Tea. It sure was nice to get my cup of java before hopping on the complimentary shuttle to take me home while they diagnose and fix my car.
So today, my hat goes off to Gary and the guys at Honda of Oakland.
(This is one post of many to help spread the word about local small business in Oakland and the greater East Bay. Elisa Uribe, Realtor).