By B.J. Johnson
Tom Prescott, AAM, is the owner of The Body Werks. |
Relying solely on word-of-mouth advertising can be risky for any business. However, Tom Prescott, owner of The Body Werks in Holly Hill, Fla., has proven that risk can be the key to success. For 19 years, The Body Werks has provided quality service and repairs to its customers and, in return, customers have kept the shop busy and growing with referrals.
Prescott chose the collision repair industry as a profession as a result of necessity. “In 1973, I couldn't afford repairs to the Corvette I owned, so I did the repairs myself,” said Prescott. He began the business in a two-car garage as a one-man operation. Today, The Body Werks has 4,000 square feet with eight bays and employs a staff of nine.
“I believe in doing quality work and I attempt to instill the same in my employees. We feel that repairs should be completed thoroughly and correctly the first time, so as not to inconvenience our customers with subsequent visits for overlooked items,” said Prescott. This continued attention to detail and customer needs has built a constant workload with a backlog of up to seven weeks at times.
The staff of the Body Werks includes (l to r) Tanya Lynch, Kip Kasik, Robin Foss, Cooper Halverson, Mike Kashino, Tim Flory and Tim Manders. Not shown: Blair Bizik. |
The Body Werks achieves its high standard of repairs through its qualified staff. The shop is an Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair (I-CAR) Gold Class facility and employs National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certified technicians. Recently, the shop became a PPG Certified First facility. “We hope that this certification will only enhance our customers' experience by having them know that only quality products and workmanship were used in the completion of their vehicle's repairs,” said Prescott. In addition, he earned his Accredited Automotive Manager (AAM) designation from the Automotive Management Institute in 1999.
Prescott oversees the day-to-day operation of the business from an “arm's length,” while still performing repairs to keep current. The staff at Body Werks includes body techs Blair Bizik, Timothy Flory and Mike Kashino; paint techs Robin Foss and Cooper Halverson; detail tech Kip Kasik; office manager Tanya Lynch; and manager Tim Manders.
By having such a qualified, capable staff, Prescott has the flexibility to give back to the collision repair industry through his volunteerism. Prescott, an Automotive Service Association (ASA) member since 1991, has served on the ASA Collision Division Operations Committee for four years and as ASA-Florida Collision Division vice president for five years. He has also served as a panelist at the International Autobody Congress and Exposition (NACE) and he currently serves on his local I-CAR administrative board. Industry involvement has given Prescott the opportunity to offer guidance to newer members of the collision repair industry, while enhancing his own business.
As a result of Prescott's numerous industry activities, he has been the recipient of many automotive industry awards. In 2000, the ASA Collision Division honored him with the annual Phoenix Award for his contributions.
ASA-Florida awarded Prescott its Member of the Year Award in 1995. He was also instrumental in having a crash parts bill introduced in the Florida legislature.
Community involvement is just as important to Prescott as industry involvement. He is a member of the local Chamber of Commerce and supports numerous teen and high school programs. For example, Prescott supports the local football team through sponsorship of the annual school calendar.
In addition, Prescott is chairman of the Advanced Technical Center (ATC) Advisory Board. The newly designed center, located in Daytona Beach, is scheduled to open this fall. For more than a year, Prescott has worked with the center's administration in preparation for its opening. His involvement has included participating in all aspects including equipment procurement, certification by the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation, Inc. (NATEF), I-CAR certification of instructors, as well as input on the building plans.
“Since day one, I've been involved with the center and it's very dear to me,” said Prescott.
Commitments to his business, customers, employees, industry and community have made the risk of owning a collision repair facility worthwhile for Prescott. When asked what he likes best about his job, he said, “Receiving letters of appreciation from customers. You know you've done a great job and have achieved a higher standard when a customer takes the time to write a letter.”
In addition to writing letters, the shop's customers take the time to participate in customer satisfaction index (CSI) reports. In its most recent report, The Body Werks received a CSI rating of 100 percent.
Shop Stats
Name: The Body Werks
Location: Holly Hill, Fla.
No. of repairs per week: 25
Square Footage: 4,000
On business:
