"You'll have no choice but to be successful" — Tom Palermo | GGP скачать в хорошем качестве

"You'll have no choice but to be successful" — Tom Palermo | GGP

Fleet work, pickup and delivery, loaner cars, DVIs, and ADAS aren’t just operations choices—they’re marketing decisions that shape how customers see your shop, how often they return, and who they refer. In this Origin & Impact episode, AAPEX 2025 Shop Owner of the Year Tom Palermo of Preferred Automotive Specialists in Philadelphia, PA breaks down how convenience and communication built a brand fleets and retail customers fight to stay with. Tom shares how he grew up in his dad’s three-bay service station, worked every nasty job in the building, went to Penn State, and eventually took over diagnostics and leadership in the shop. That “never ask anyone to do a job you wouldn’t do yourself” mentality now shows up in how his team handles runners, loaner cars, and customer-facing processes—every touchpoint is part of the brand. From there, he dives into the real tension: how do you grow fleet work without abandoning Mrs. Jones—and how do you market both sides of the business when technology, ADAS, and data access keep raising the stakes? Tom unpacks the learning curve of building a loaner fleet, doing 5–10 pickups a day, and keeping vehicles clean and presentable so your customers’ brand (and your reputation) looks sharp wherever those vehicles show up. You’ll hear how Preferred Automotive Specialists layered in DVIs, alignment/ADAS checks, pickup and delivery, and tight documentation so that customers understand what’s urgent, what can wait, and why it matters. Then Tom zooms out to industry-level marketing: the Right to Repair fight, who really owns vehicle data, and how tools like ASE certification and Auto Care’s advocacy resources give independents a way to signal professionalism and protect their customers’ right to choose where they get service. Preferred Automotive Specialists, Inc. By the end, you’ll have practical ideas you can deploy this week: how to make convenience your core differentiator, how to talk about ADAS and DVIs in plain language, how to position yourself for fleet work without drowning your team, and how to mobilize your staff and customers around Right to Repair so your marketing, operations, and advocacy are all pulling in the same direction. Guests: Tom Palermo — Preferred Automotive Specialists (Philadelphia, PA) Timestamps 00:00 – Why every car gets a DVI 00:23 – Family-first shop culture 01:24 – Meet Tom Palermo 02:43 – From three-bay station to shop 07:50 – College, diagnostics, coming back 11:59 – Leaving gas, growing the business 17:27 – Starting loaner cars and fleets 20:36 – Networking a wedding into fleets 23:57 – How fleet managers pick shops 28:43 – Getting on fleet vendor lists 34:38 – Pickup and delivery as an offer 40:13 – Convenience as core marketing 45:17 – Cleaning cars for brand image 52:46 – Right to Repair and your marketing 1:00:43 – Talking ADAS with your customers 1:12:00 – Who owns your car data? 1:21:55 – Should you go specialty-only? 1:31:50 – Using ASE certs in marketing 1:43:07 – Wrap-up and next steps Links Next Step Guide: https://www.aashopmarketing.com/aasho... Grid Request: https://www.aashopmarketing.com/aasho... Request a Call: https://www.aashopmarketing.com/aasho... Join the Podcast Panel: https://www.aashopmarketing.com/aasho... Partnership Info: https://www.aashopmarketing.com/aasho... Garage Grit Facebook Group:   / forautorepairshopowners   YouTube:    / @aashopmarketing   Podcast: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/prof... Episode Metadata Episode: GGP #059 Guest: Tom Palermo Shop: Preferred Automotive Specialists Location: Philadelphia, PA