Aimee Andrews has an outgoing personality and a smile that warms a room. When customers enter Desert Car Care of Chandler’s reception area, she makes them feel at ease. After all, car repairs can be stressful.
“I consider myself a people person, and I create a good relationship with people coming in the door and I make it a fun experience”, Andrews said.
She has been happily greeting customers since 2014, when Desert Car Care of Chandler COO Frank Leutz hired her as customer service manager in January 2015.
Aimee fell in love wit this new business challenge and this summer she is scheduled to attend Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) classes to become a certified service adviser.
Women still represent less than 1% of the total ASE-certified service advisers,. Industry experts suggest that women often do not consider auto service careers because of the industry’s gritty, male-dominated image, according to the Automotive News.
To enhance women’s knowledge of cars, Desert Car Care of Chandler is hosting a free Ladies Car Care Clinic on Wednesday, April 27. The event kicks off with a live remote of “Wrench Nation“, Leutz’s new radio show with co-host Steve Grosz on East Valley Institute of Technology’s Pulse 88.7 FM. The clinic features food, refreshments, shopping with exhibitors from locally owned business and Leutz’s educational session on car tips. To register or for more information visit www.desertcarcare.com or call (480) 726-6400.
Helping the public
A native Arizonan, Andrews sought out career choices with customer service as a priority. Her time as a medical secretary, a pharmacy technician, selling timeshares in Sedona and real estate in the Valley were all about helping the public.
She was ambitious, but not for herself. by 32, she was a single mom raising four children. Andrews was grateful to have the support of her family, including her brother, Ian. He frequented her home, along with his high school friend, Zach Andrews. Zach and Aimee became good friends and over the years their friendship blossomed into love. In 2014, the couple married.
Zach worked as an automotive-service technician at Desert Car Care for several years, working in the team environment that Leutz created.
In October 2014, Leutz was looking for someone to assist with outside marketing efforts. Andrews shared her interest in joining the company and was hired as a part-timer.
Leutz trained her on the specifics of the automotive service business and her customer service skills and vibrant personality took care of the rest.
“Frank is a great teacher and brought it down to a level of understanding instead of the ‘industry’ speak”, she said. “I work in a fun, friendly atmosphere where it is clean, it smells good and the lobby is nicely decorated. It is a place you can grab a cup of coffee or tea, sit down on the couch with your laptop and hang out while waiting for your car.”
She built new relationships within the community and reignited Desert Car Care’s connection with the Chandler Chamber of Commerce.
Several months later, Leutz had to make a change at the customer service desk, the face of the company, and Andrews filled in.
A quick study, she learned the business from the service technicians in the shop, creating great relationships between them and the customers. Within a few weeks, Leutz offered Andrews the full-time position as Desert Car Care of Chandler’s customer service technician.
Andrews, who recently gave birth to Harper Ashley Andrews, will return to work for the Ladies Car Care Clinic.
“Aimee is a tenacious spirit that truly identifies with people, bringing warmth, professionalism and value not only to the consumer, yet to our team and culture”. Leutz said.
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