Monday Business Profile: National Auto Service Center

When it comes to your vehicle, many have had experience with auto mechanics that “discover” problems you didn’t have when you drove the car in.

National Auto Service Collision Center, 4222 Gunn Highway has worked hard to earn in its stellar reputation, giving its customers a positive experience from start to finish.

An independently-owned family business in Carrollwood since 1998, the Center is a one-stop shop for all automotive needs. It offers a 24-hour towing service and a full service collision repair body shop that can service any cosmetic and car frame needs.

Patch sat down with general manager Rosalind Vasquez and estimator John Degaetano to discuss the family-owned business. Vasquez took over the business four and a half years ago and is credited with making the business recognized for its honesty and integrity.

Patch: What type of services do you offer?

Degaetano: We offer everything from oil changes to full service mechanical repairs. We’re broken up into three separate companies: full service mechanical shop, full service collision repair facility, and 24 hour towing service – all AAA approved.

Vasquez: The service department is also NAPA-certified. As a matter of fact, AAA was here yesterday. They do an annual inspection and we have to be ASE certified. All my techs are up-to-date.

Patch: How are you different from the competition?

Degaetano: This is a family-run company. We try to give the personal service of a family-run company. We know that our bread and butter is taking care of our customers; whereas, sometimes in a big dealership, that gets lost.

Vasquez: Where there are franchises out there that just specialize in mechanical, we are a full service shop. We have everything. That’s also how we are different. We are a one-stop shop. Here, everything is in-house.

Patch: So although National is still a chain in some locations, you aren’t part of that chain of shops?

Degaetano: It started as a chain, but we are individually owned now.

Patch: Has the depressed economy impacted your business?

Degaetano: Actually, with the economy being the way it is, people are trying to keep their cars on the road longer. Our service department is finding that instead of trading their cars in, people are repairing their cars. Even in the collision shop - cars that come in “cosmetically challenged” – people are investing the money and fixing them up, whereas they wouldn’t have in the past.

Vasquez: We have contracts with the county, state and the city. We work with the director of programs with some of the insurance companies. We’ve been blessed.  

Patch: How do you advertise your services?

Degaetano: We do have a website, but overall, we don’t do too much advertising. Our customer base is really from word-of-mouth.

Vasquez: Once they come here, they keep coming back. We are, if not the most honest shop in area, one of them. We are Christian-owned. What our customers like is our honesty. We’ve had a customer call from a dealership – they quoted me $900. I send the tow truck and fix the problem for $200. Other dealerships will tell you, you need this, this and that, and then they come here.

We keep the old part to show the customer, so the customer can see that we bought the part.

Degaetano: Richard in our service department has a really good following.

Vasquez: On the collision side, we have a lot of adjusters who recommend their clients come here because they know how we are. We pride ourselves on that reputation. We try to go above and beyond.

Patch: Can you provide an example of going above and beyond?

Vasquez: We have the best paint and warranty for life. We had a customer who came back after 6 or 7 years and her hood was peeling. We repainted her whole hood. She was so happy. We have that customer for life.

Degaetano: We try to make sure the work is done right and fairly.

Vasquez: We are a member of the Better Business Bureau and there are no complaints.

Degaetano: Honestly, before Rosalind and I started working here, this place didn’t have such a great reputation.

Vasquez: Now it’s completely different. We’ve turned the name around. You know why – because it’s a woman managing the business.

For more information log on to www.tampaautocollision.com.