Bigger isn’t always best!

A service provider doesn’t have to have a large and glamorous shop to be successful and Rob Hood of Under the Hood Automotive Services Inc. has proved just that! Autosphere asked him a lot of questions and we have provided you with the answers he gave us to them.

Autosphere thought it was time to get into a smaller town and talk to a service provider there. After moving to a small town myself, I needed somewhere to go for automotive service for my vehicle. After asking some people in the area, I fortunately heard there was one fairly near that was highly recommended. And now I personally know why.

This repair shop operates out of a small town with a small population—a village, in fact… but there are a few other ‘villages’ close to it and Under the Hood draws business from them as well.

History of the shop

Rob tells us, “Under The Hood Automotive Services Inc. opened in Castleton, Ontario, on February 1, 2019. Just in time for the COVID-19 pandemic!

“We are a small independent shop consisting of two bays and two technicians, which includes myself. The other tech, Alex Bull, started with me as a high school co-op student at the age of 17 when I operated a shop under the same name from 2008—2011 in Cobourg, Ont. I sold the assets of that shop due to the fact that I had two little children at home and it was proving to be too much to be there for them and to put the time into the business that it required to be successful.

“Both Alex and I worked for the new owner for five years. We both left at that time. I went to another independent shop as a tech and Alex started with a local dealership as a technician. I eventually ended up at the same dealership as Alex as the Parts Manager.”

Lady Luck comes calling

Then Rob and Alex had a little bit of luck and Rob continues their history. “When a mutual friend of ours acquired the building here in Castleton, I was given the opportunity to have my own business again. I ran the business for almost two years by myself (with my dad as my babysitter !!!) until I hired Alex in January 2021. And away we went!“

Rob and Alex are very good technicians, modern, progressive and they keep up-to-date with new products and how they work, new methods and of course, training!

Training is important

“We stay up to date with training constantly that is offered through our local Carquest parts supplier, Brighton Automotive and Industrial Supply… mostly, through online courses and modules so that we can take the training on our own schedule.

“Brighton Automotive and the Carquest brand have been imperative to the success of our business. The service we receive from Brian and his staff is second to none. Also, as a Carquest Technet Service Centre, we provide our customers with an outstanding warranty on parts and labour, in addition to other benefits such as roadside assistance if needed.

“We are a very busy shop (too busy at times). But that’s a good thing!”

Trust is apparent

“I think what people enjoy about Under The Hood Automotive is that they are talking to the guys who are working on their vehicles. We explain what is wrong with their vehicle and how we will fix it. There is a trust with the customers that I certainly do not take for granted. We are constantly staying on top of current technology and subscribe to service information websites so that we have vehicle repair information when needed.”

Autosphere also wanted to know what Hood thought about the future for automotive repair shops and technicians.

“I think the future for shops like ours is uncertain. I hope that as long as we can keep up with the times and that we don’t get priced out of being here (the cost of information, technology and training seems to be ever increasing), that we can be around for many years to come.”