Interview with Craig Berkowitz of G&S Tire and Auto/The Shop - Atascocita

Published: Dec 14, 2017, 1:00pm

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As part of our ongoing "Getting to Know Your Local Businesses" series, this week we sat down with Craig Berkowitz, owner of G&S Tire and Auto in Kingwood and The Shop in Atascocita.

Tell us a bit about your businesses: What does your businesses offer, and how long have you been around?

Both of my locations, G&S Tire and Auto and The Shop, offer one-stop, complete auto repair services, along with tire

sales and service – all under one roof. I acquired The Shop in 2009 and opened G&S Tire and Auto (an independent Tire Pros location) in 2012. With competitive pricing compared to the area big box retail auto service and tire sales locations, we get our customers back on the road quickly in their time of need. Our ASE Certified technicians work with state-of-the-art equipment to help ensure our customer’s vehicles are operating at their peak performance.

How did you decide to get involved in this line of work? How did the businesses get started?

Before auto repair, I worked as a general manager for high volume restaurants. I then opened and ran multi-unit high volume auto repair centers located in Texas and Georgia. Having worked for 33 years in retail, with 22 of those years in automotive repair, I learned how to provide great retail customer service -- taking care of operations and our employees. When I decided to acquire a full-service auto shop, I treated it like a personal mission. I had repeatedly heard customers say that they did not like taking their car to a shop where the staff was unhappy and where they felt they were lied to and overcharged. No one likes to get their car repaired.

My mission is to take great care of people, to sell using a non-commissioned sales approach and to do the right thing for my customers at an affordable price.

Tell us a couple things you are proud of about your businesses. What are you known for? What separates you from the competition?

I love my repeat customers and my loyal employees. Each of my customers and employees know that I have an open door. My customers are vocal about their experiences at my store and repeatedly give us 5 stars and comment about our honesty online (on Google and Yelp reviews, etc.).

Several of my employees started in the back doing car repairs and are now helping customers at the front counter. I love training people on how to do the right thing when it comes to auto repair and service.

And, when it comes to tires, I challenge my customers to compare our prices with other area providers … they quickly realize that we have the best tire prices, beating any tire prices on any brand.

What is your favorite part of running these businesses?

I enjoy the daily challenge of exceeding my customer’s expectations and resolving the simplest to the most challenging auto issues. Whether we’re doing scheduled maintenance, oil, lube or filter changes, brakes, alignments, selling lift kits and tires, doing onsite windshield replacement, or providing other valuable full auto services and repairs, every day is different. It’s very rewarding.

Who is your ideal customer/client? Who do you serve best?

Anyone who appreciates good customer service and wants their car taken care of correctly is our ideal client. While other high-end auto shops may offer you crumpets, we offer quality, dependable auto services at an affordable price.

Are there any special promotions, annual sales, or special events that you'd like to mention?

Sales offers are periodically posted on our website and social media sites. On an ongoing basis, we offer - free lifetime tire rotation and balance with purchase of tires (with less wait time than other providers) along with services provided during travel; - free flat tires for life; - fair priced nationwide service warranties, including towing and emergency rescue; - a reasonably priced tire protection plan that is good at 30,000 locations nationwide.

We also offer 6 months same as cash, with no interest on any repairs over $250.

Is there any other information you'd like your potential customers/clients to know about your businesses?

We offer extended hours compared to other area auto repair and service shops. We have extended hours Monday through Friday (7 am to 7 pm) and are open a full day on Saturdays 8 am to 6 pm. Our customers tell us that they love that they can sleep in on Saturday mornings and still get their car taken care of in the afternoon at either of our two locations.

Our customers also like our shuttle service, providing delivery and pickup for auto service and repairs.

How do you see your businesses growing and improving over the next couple of years?
We will continue to offer high quality auto repair, service and tire sales at fair prices and continue to grow our social media presence. The millennial generation expects us to respond socially and we will continue to focus on getting their attention.

To learn more about G&S Tire and Auto Tire Pros in Kingwood, visit http://gstirepros.com/ or visit The Shop in Atascocita at http://www.theautorepairshop.com/.