AUTOINC. ONLINE - Shop Profile

Phil's Auto Clinic is set among flourishing palm trees and beautiful landscape.

It's like a scene from a classic television show. An 8-year-old finds his father's lawn mower. Instead of cutting the grass like he was told, he decides to take the lawn mower apart - without permission - setting up a humorous antidote straight out of "Leave it to Beaver," right? But, for this real-life 8-year-old, these antics helped him decide on a future career in the automotive industry.

Phil Fournier, co-owner of Phil's Auto Clinic in Hemet, California, realized the result of his childish escapade. "From that moment onward, I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up," he said.

Fournier and his brother, Dan, took over the shop 16 years ago. At that time, the shop operated with Phil, Dan, one other technician and an office helper. Now, Phil's Auto Clinic has a staff of nine, averaging around 70 repair orders per week. The shop has 13 service bays, including one oversize bay complete with a motor home lift.

Among the technicians is Sara Schmitz. According to Fournier, she is only four tests away from becoming one of about 100 female master technicians in the nation.

Fournier often hears complaints by his peers about a shortage of qualified automotive technicians. He believes that the problem could be solved if more women would enter the automotive field.

In addition to being service manager, advertising manager and president, Phil is a working technician at his shop. "Many would find that 'weird' after all these years," he said. His specialty is diagnostics, which is something that he thoroughly enjoys doing. "Although I have invested countless hours into learning to be a good businessman, I still get my greatest satisfaction from working in the shop."

Phil's Auto Clinic has 13 service bays, including one oversize bay with a motor home lift.

Phil's Auto Clinic is set among flourishing palm trees and a beautiful landscape that, according to Phil, helps to set his business apart from the rest. The marketing of the shop emphasizes its expertise, Auto Club approval and certifications. "We have the honor of being considered by many to be the best shop in town, even by some of our competitors," he said. The business is built upon the foundation of customer care and peace of mind. "We try to live that out in everything we do toward our customers," he said. The business goes above and beyond most expectations by renting out cars for customers whose cars take a little longer to fix than expected, sending out car wash coupons after the car is serviced and holding an annual customer appreciation day. "We sell peace of mind, not just auto repair," Fournier said.

One thing Fournier would not change about the business is his partnership with his brother. "The advantage of working with family is complete trust," he said. His father was also a silent partner, providing the capital when the business was getting started. And, although business issues sometime spill over into family life, he said, "All in all, ours has been a successful partnership. I don't think I would want to partner with a non-family member."

Pictured are (left to right) Dan and Phil Fournier, co-owners of Phil's Auto Clinic. The brothers took over the shop 16 years ago with the financial help of their father.

The Fournier brothers are very active in their community, mainly focusing on the children in their community. "The school kids love us because we are such suckers for donating to almost all their activities," Phil said. The brothers donate between three and four thousand dollars a year to school and children's sports related activities. In addition, the brothers are members of the local Chamber of Commerce and do some volunteer work with the city council. Phil currently teaches at Mt. San Jacinto College after earning his automotive teaching credential from the same college. He is now working toward 1,000 hours in teaching to receive a bachelor's degree in vocational education.He received his Accredited Auomotive Manager (AAM) designation in 1994 at the ASA Annual Convention and was a member of the ASA Operation Committee Mechanical Division for one year. He serves on the panel of experts that writes test questions for the ASE L1 test and was chosen as the National NAPA/ASE Tech of the Year after being a finalist five other times. Phil is also very active in the industry, serving as chapter secretary and chapter representative for his local California ASC Chapter 32. He is also on the government affairs committee on the Long-Range Strategic Planning Committee.

Phil joined ASA in 1989 mainly for the health insurance program that was available in California at that time. But, since then, he has changed the way he looks at a trade association. "A trade association is a tool to be used for the advancement of the industry which it represents," he said. "But, it can only be as productive as its members are willing to make it be. I am grateful for the opportunities presented by participation in the activities, which has allowed me to interact and learn from the finest people in our industry."

Shop Stats

Name: Phil's Auto Clinic
Years In Operation: 16
No. of Employees: 9
Square Footage: 7,600
On Working with Family Members:“ The advantage of working with family is complete trust.” - Phil Fournier

Brothers Offer an Auto Clinic Where "Caring Makes the Difference"

Shop Stats