‘Like Us? You'll Love Us!’

Posted 6/11/2009
By Levy Joffrion

Bobby Likis, right, talks with Mark Williams, motorsports commentator, during a remote broadcast from the Daytona International Speedway. Bobby is the only cartalk host on commercial radio named as one of the top 250 talk-show hosts in America. He has been doing radio shows for more than 20 years. If you would like to listen to "Bobby Likis Car Clinic," which is broadcast every Saturday from 10:06 a.m. to noon (Eastern Time), visit www.CarClinicNetwork.com and click on "Listen Live."

As you probably know, Bobby Likis "talks the talk."

What you may not know is that Bobby also "walks the walk."

He has a radio car talk show that's nationally syndicated, so he is busy "talking the talk."

But he also has a shop in Pensacola, Fla., where he practices what he preaches. And far be it from Bobby to mislead a customer - on the air or in his shop.

Something else you may not know is that Bobby is a longtime ASA member. And, one of the best friends ASA members will ever have. He frequently refers to the association on his shows. For example, when a listener calls in and asks how he or she can go about finding a good shop to work on their vehicle, Bobby directs them to the ASA Web site, www.ASAshop.org, where they can click on "Find Nearest ASA Shop."

Bobby has worn just about every hat in the automotive industry: technician, racecar driver and pit crewman, automotive service center owner, industry consultant, and radio and television talk-show host.

Bobby Likis stands by a vehicle in the service entrance into his shop. He says his main role is "chief cheerleader." Bobby continually tries to enhance consumers' perception of the automotive service business. He says, "I try to elevate our industry through positive references to best-of-shop practices and to those shops that practice them."

Currently, Bobby is host of "Bobby Likis Car Clinic," which originates from his shop and is syndicated on the Car Clinic Network's "Media Station" of 110 national and global affiliates. To find a station near you, e-mail DSomer@CarClinicNetwork.com (or tune in live on www.CarClinicNetwork.com).

He's also the president of Bobby Likis Car Clinic/Pre-Repair,* two companies under the same roof in Pensacola, Fla.

He has been in the automotive repair business 38 years, and his shop has grown from 1,500 square feet to 15,000 square feet. Originally there was one technician, Bobby and his wife.

Bobby says that for 33 years, Bobby Likis Car Clinic was known as the Gulf Coast's best "fix-it" shop. The shop rarely performed maintenance services. It averaged only 12 oil changes each month. But in 2005, Bobby implemented his "Pre-Repair" service plan and changed the name of his business to Car Clinic/Pre-Repair.

Now 38 percent of total sales stem from maintenance. The shop averages 118 oil changes per month with 93 percent of those oil changes using synthetic oil or BoosterShot* procedures, averaging more than $70 each.

Bobby stresses to customers the importance of maintaining their vehicles. Pre-Repair is designed to prolong the life of a vehicle, maximize its performance and prevent breakdowns. Customers like it because each vehicle is tracked throughout its life.

Bobby Likis Car Clinic/Pre-Repair has 16 bays. The original shop had four bays. It has grown from 5,000 square feet to 15,000 square feet. It includes the bays, four offices, a parts room, a large customer center, and the all-digital, Internet and TV studio from which the "Bobby Likis Car Clinic" programs are created, produced and broadcast.

Bobby is particularly proud of his new customer center, which features a dedicated customer computer room/office, Internet access, TV and WiFi.

The vehicles' service histories are available electronically 24/7 to customers via "GLOBO" (on-line GLOve BOx). And the shop lets customers know when it's time for service by mail, e-mail and personal phone calls.

The nice thing about Pre-Repair* is that it requires no parts ordering, no waiting for parts and no wrong parts. Also, the labor cost for that work is less. It conserves customer time and it features menu pricing, so there are no surprises at checkout time.

"We trained our service desk and technicians to look beyond the normal, obvious 'bleeding' needs of a vehicle," says Bobby. "We taught ourselves to connect non-repair with every repair. We visualize every 'repair' as another 'seed' for non-repair/Pre-Repair."

Bobby says he is drawing first-time new car owners into his shop with the Pre-Repair "enrollment" program. "We added 84 new customers in the first two months of this year," says Bobby.

Other shops might want to adapt the program to their businesses, says Bobby.

Summing up his philosophy of being a shop owner, Bobby says, "I care very much about my industry, my customers and my employees. I have always had a concern that technicians were not properly appreciated or paid wages comparable to other service industries. This concern played a major part in how I structured my business. Bottom line: I've never been afraid to charge customers premium prices. But when you charge someone a premium, you must do premium work."

Radio talk show host. ASA member. Shop owner. However you know him, one thing for sure: There's a lot to like about Bobby Likis and what he does for the industry. As he tells listeners: "Like us? You'll love us!"

*Editor's note: Bobby Likis Car Clinic/Pre-Repair,* Booster Shot* and Pre-Repair* are all registered trademarks