RJ CARS knows its niche, and how to work it.
By Barry Alt
Classics never go out of style
Russell Jacobs first opened his own restoration shop when he turned 21, after spending five years at an auto body shop developing his skills and passion for the industry.
“I started working out of an old cow barn at my mother’s family farm, and since then the company just started to evolve,”
Jacobs says of RJ CARS.
Russell Jacobs opened his own restoration shop in New York when he turned 21, after spending five years at an auto body shop developing his skills and passion for the industry.
Being his own boss, Jacobs was able to build his business from a one-man show into the successful shop it is today. How? By focusing on delivering customer service to a clientele that appreciates restoration work done the right way—and is happy to pay for it.
Word soon spread about the shop’s skills and dedication to the craft. The company started to expand, and Jacobs needed to hire more staff to keep up with demand. Within a few years, he ultimately made the move to his own facility in Arkport, New York, in order to offer a better service to his customers.
The shop now operates with a team of six employees, which will soon grow to seven. Occupying 7,000 square feet—including two buildings with offices, seven bays, an auto body shop, a paint shop, an assembly shop and a barn for storage—it can keep multiple projects moving at each stage.
Primarily focused on auto restoration work, parts and component installation, and performance tuning, RJ CARS also offers services related to car shows such as detailing, chrome polishing, stainless steel trim repair and restoration done in-house and on location.
To fill in the gaps between projects, Jacobs also takes in auto repair, collision and auto body repair work. On the retail side, the shop sells and uses Wizards Products on its show cars and restorations.
DOWN TO BUSINESS
With so many shops out there doing high-quality restorations, how does Jacobs make his company stand out from the competition?
“Our clients come first in everything we do,” he explains.
That means every member of the team makes sure the client they’re working with gets exactly what they signed on for—and is treated with respect and complete professionalism throughout the entire restoration process.
“A typical job always starts with getting to know the client. The more I know them, the easier it is to work alongside them and deliver what they want,” Jacobs notes.
The team at RJ CARS has implemented measures refined over many years to deliver consistent service and attention to detail.
An onboarding procedure ensures the customer, and their vehicle, are seamlessly brought into the system, while a project management app is used to keep track of progress. The vehicle is then processed, with parts labeled, and properly stored.
Photography plays a big role in the shop’s operation. Photos are taken at every step of the process and shared with the customer. They’re also used to document parts and progress internally on a daily basis, and become part of the shop’s marketing and promotional efforts.
Everything from shop notes to time records are tracked, digitized and collected with the project photos, which all helps with billing accuracy and inventory updates, while also providing an overall view of the big picture.
When a project is completed, clients are presented with a binder containing all the photos, information and documents relevant to their vehicle. And some of those books can be a long time coming.
Depending on the client’s financial situation, the shop’s waiting list and the availability of parts, a full-blown project can take anywhere from one to several years to complete.
Jacobs says he’s learned that good processes help you control and increase efficiency where you have control, so there’s more time available to focus on things you can’t control, like finding rare parts or dealing with unexpected issues during a project.
ALL SHAPES & SIZES…–>
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The Motorhead Digital team are digital marketing expert with over 25 years of experience. They’re focused on supporting automotive aftermarket restoration, performance, and race shops. Their signature Site, Location, and Maximizer™ programs will supercharge your digital marketing including website design, social media, SEO search engine rank, content marketing, and your entire online presence so you attract better leads who want to spend more money with you. You can reach Motorhead Digital at (585) 766-9785, via email, or online at MotorheadDigital.com.
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