When it comes to customer service, Steve and Becca at Black Sheep Customz – “Your Old School Garage” in Port Elgin, could give lessons.
I’ve had two occasions to deal personally with them and I can tell from first-hand experience, they have gone above and beyond in the customer service field.
Normally, I have taken my vehicle to my dealer, Bud Rier’s in Paisley, but occasionally, there are times when my vehicle has simply been unsafe to make the highway drive.
The first time was when my windshield was shattered. I couldn’t drive my vehicle safely and took it to Steve at Black Sheep. The problem? It was just before a weekend and my grandson had to be picked up and taken to the airport in Toronto. With a single vehicle household, when something happens to that vehicle, it can leave everybody stranded.
I took the car to Steve on a recommendation from Colorworks and he reassured me that I would have the car in time to go to the airport the next day. Unfortunately, with it being on the verge of a weekend, finding the appropriate windshield seemed slim at best.
But, to my surprise, I received a phone call late in the day saying my car was “good to go” and the cost was far less than I expected.
The second time was only last week. My grandson had flown out from Hamilton on Thursday for a conference and, on the way back to Southampton, the car began to act up. Not only act up, but running extremely poorly. By the time the car was back in Southampton, it was barely running. It was a Thursday, again with the weekend looming.
I called my dealer but was told they were booked solid and, quite honestly, I did not feel I should drive the car on the highway anyway. Early Friday morning, I took the car again to Steve at Black Sheep. He examined the car and said it should not be driven on the highway as a major part was broken and it was ‘spewing’ oil … which as anyone knows is bad for an engine.
Again, time was short as my grandson was flying home again to Pierson Airport on Sunday and had to picked up. Steve said to leave the car with him and he would try to find the part needed. I told him that I had tried at the dealer and they did not have the part and, in any case, could not take me in for at least a week … not a good thing when you rely on your vehicle for everything, especially to pick someone up at an airport.
I left the vehicle there however, and got a loaner for the day (a.k.a. ‘mother’) to keep up with appointments. Lo and behold, I rec’d a phone call on Saturday. “Your car is good to go,” said Steve. Not only was it good to go, it runs almost better than when it was bought new and, once again, the cost was more than reasonable.
What was most important to me however, was the ‘customer service’. Not only did Steve locate the necessary part, but his wife Becca drove into Owen Sound to pick it up and then he worked extra hours to ensure my grandson would be picked up at the airport early on a Sunday morning.
Steve and Becca call it the “Old School Garage” but ‘old school’ can also mean …
“good old-fashioned service”.
