The Toyota/Lexus Collision Center at Toyota Carlsbad (Calif.) has been named the Certified Collision Center of the Year for 2016 by Lexus National.
“Far from just an internal ‘pat on the back,’ this award goes to only the best of the best who continually excel at customer satisfaction, business and marketing practices, production and repair processes, and exceeding many other program standards and benchmarks,” the dealership said in a news release.
The 48,000-square-foot collision center has 52 body shops professionals.
“When our guests do business with your collision center, it is one more opportunity to experience amazing,” Kevin Fletcher, general manager of Lexus Western Area, said in his congratulatory announcement of the award.
‘Take the Best Care of Customers’
Rudy Romero has been the collision center manager since 2008. He came fully equipped with decades of hands-on industry experience working with other well-known local automotive groups.
With his technical know-how came the philosophy that makes this collision center an industry standout: “Focus on the basics and take the best care of customers and employees to yield incredible results,” said Romero.
With 59 repair bays churning out around 350 vehicles every month, the shop’s aim is to get families back on the road safely as quickly as possible.
“The No. 1 focus is employee satisfaction/guest satisfaction,” Romero explained, adding that they are one in the same.
Team members are customers of the management, and if the employees are happy, they naturally will make the business grow. Romero said that having “the best owner in the country, who is always willing to listen, provide and support us with the tools that we need to be the best we can be,” goes a long way.
In addition, each technician has an average of 15 years experience in the industry.
“I am very proud of my team and very thankful that they continue to choose me as their leader in this incredible adventure and am blessed to work with the best people in the industry,” Romero said.
Originally opening in 1983, the collision center was renovated in 2005. Since opening, the facility has repaired 84,000 vehicles.
One of those jobs included a unique customer. In the summer of 1999, the Legoland theme park opened in Carlsbad. However, before it opened, all of those Lego block models had to be treated with a clear protective coating to prevent sun damage. One of its models was so large that the theme park needed help treating it. Fortunately, Toyota Carlsbad had a body shop bay big enough to do the job.
