Waukee Business Profile: Heartland Tire and Auto Center

Kelly Underhill knows that waiting for your car to get serviced can be a pain, so he’s taken pains to make sure the waiting area at has all of the comforts of home.

Underhill, the manager at Heartland’s Waukee store, said he hopes customers will be able to sink into the shop's leather couch without worrying about their vehicle.

“By offering a lot of the amenities that you have at home, it makes people feel welcome here,” Underhill said. “We want people to feel relaxed when they’re here.”

Heartland Tire and Auto Center is part of a chain of six family-owned stores in Iowa. The Waukee store has been open for seven years, and Underhill’s been part of the store since day one. He works hard at getting to know his customers, and every time someone walks in the door he’s the first to greet them, invite them to check out the lounge area, and even watch a little television if they’d like.

“We’ve got Wi-Fi if you want to get a little work done, and we’ve got DirecTV if you don’t,” Underhill tells a customer heading into the waiting area.

Urbandale resident Darla Cox, who brought her car in for service recently, said she likes Heartland Tire and Auto Center because they’re always quick to get her back on the road.

“I think they’re honest, and they’re able to get everything done pretty quickly,” Cox said. "I’d recommend them because I trust them, this is a good place.”

Taking care of maintenance is important, but since the economy has been down, Underhill said he’s seen a lot of vehicles come into the shop with severely neglected maintenance. Pointing to a car in his lot, Underhill said the owner admitted it’d been 10,000 miles since the last oil change.

“It’s not necessarily the norm, but we’re seeing a lot more of it than we did five years ago,” Underhill said.

Underhill realizes that car repair can be expensive, but said that his store’s no commission approach to sales means that they only recommend needed repairs, not pricey extras.

“That way they get the most important thing fixed, instead of what financially benefits us,” Underhill said.

He likes to remind customers of “grandma’s sayings”, warning them that little problems can become bigger issues with an expensive repair bill if they’re not taken care of soon enough.

“If you neglect it now, you’ll pay for it, on a much more expensive scale,” Underhill said.