Posted 6/1/2008
By Leona Dalavai Scott

Midtown Auto Service Named ‘Best Auto Shop.’

Shop Stats

Name: Midtown Auto Service
Location: Houston, Texas
Web site: www.midtownautoservice.net
Square footage of shop: 6,000 square feet
Repairs per week: 150 cars
No. of years in business: 21 years
On his success rate with retaining technicians: “I offer my technicians two weeks of paid vacation during Christmas and New Year’s after they’ve been employed with me for a year. Also, I treat them and their spouses to dinners and lunches on random occasions. I try to let them take care of family or personal business without penalties. All of my techs have their own computers with Internet access to Alldata and Identifix. Things like that really make a person want to stay.”

Mikey credits his prime location for business staying strong even during tough economic times.

Mikey Yu is not your average shop owner. With a criminal justice degree from the University of Houston, he always wanted to be a cop.

But when his dad retired in 1998, Mikey thought that it would be a smart move to buy the shop from him. Within four years of taking over the shop, he expanded the facility from 2,900 square feet to 6,000 square feet. Along the way, he earned his ASE
certification to become an auto technician.

Mikey is also a state-certified inspector and his shop, Midtown Auto Service, is a state-certified emissions and repair facility. The shop is known in the community for its engine and emissions diagnostic capabilities and for solving electrical driveability issues for all makes and models.

Mikey says his shop’s strength stems from the way it treats its customers and its technicians. He conducts his business by the golden rule: “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” He believes you should treat your customers and employees the way you would want to be treated.

ASE certified master tech Richard Kline working on a 2004 Lexus ES 300 timing belt.

“And if you treat your employees as family members instead of just a number, I think that productivity increases,” Mikey says. Midtown Auto Service employs two L1 master auto techs and another master auto tech. Mikey’s wife, Sharon, handles all of the administrative work in the office while Mikey takes care of the “heart of the business,” which he sees as fielding questions and calls from customers and handling technician concerns and problems.

“Our line of work is difficult,” Mikey explains. “The customers who bring their cars and trucks to us normally know nothing about repairing their cars but have heard horror stories about other automotive service shops in the past. So, you start building a rapport with customers and listen to issues about their car. Just listen. Listening is very important. That can help break the barrier of customer distrust from the beginning.”

Master ASE Certified Tech Byung Young working on a car using his 1/2 cordless SnapOn gun.

As a result of his business philosophy, Mikey has experienced great success with Midtown Auto Service. In 2007, the shop was named the “Best Auto Shop” by Citysearch, a popular Web site that enables users to post opinions on just about anything, including recommendations for services such as auto care. In 2006, the shop was named “Best Auto Repair Shop” by the local newspaper. In addition, the shop is a AAA-approved auto repair facility and a recognized emissions repair facility.

Mikey also shares his knowledge and expertise of cars through articles in Undercar Digest and Automotive Report. He has also been featured on “Car Talk,” an entertaining radio show about automotive service issues that is broadcast on National Public Radio.

ASE L1 MASTER AUTO TECHNICIAN; Panda Lee is working on an electrical drain/short on a 2006 Jaguar S-type.

As he looks toward the future, Mikey would like to expand his shop. He is currently trying to acquire the land next to his so he can double his shop size to 12,000 square feet or more. However, real estate in his area has skyrocketed so he is proceeding on those plans with caution. Despite the downturn in the economy, Mikey says Midtown Auto Service’s business has been good as a result of its prime location between downtown and the medical districts of Houston.

As Mikey celebrates the success of Midtown Auto Service, the thing he is most proud of, he said, is the teamwork his employees exhibit in working with the motoring public. As his accolades and accomplishments show, this teamwork is paying off nicel

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